Toners are great to use after you cleanse your face, as they help remove any extra dead skin and dirt that your cleaner may have missed. But not all toners are made the same way, and there are many varying formulas designed to help meet certain skincare needs. Read on to discover how to choose the right toner for your skin type so that you can get the most out of your skincare routine.
Dry Skin
If you have dry skin, your goal should be to find ingredients that draw moisture to the top layers of your skin, which a moisturizer can later lock in. These ingredients are humectants, so when perusing the shelves for a toner, you want to look for that terminology on the packaging. The most popular humectant ingredient in toners is hyaluronic acid, as many people use that ingredient to see improvement in two to three weeks. This humectant is naturally occurring, but the body produces less of this acid over time, which can lead to dehydrated skin.
Oily or Acne-Prone Skin
Oily skin needs just as much moisture and hydration as dry skin does, but eliminating excess sebum, dirt, and dead skin is the goal for oily skin. To do so, you need ingredients that penetrate deep into pores while breaking up dead skin, dirt, and oil. Many toners designed for oily skin have chemical exfoliants, or alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), and include glycolic or lactic acids.
However, some skin types may also benefit from using witch hazel, which has very potent astringent ingredients that can be fantastic for preventing acne. One of the most common misconceptions about skin toners is that they dry out your skin, which stems, in part, from people misusing witch hazel. If you don’t have oily skin, witch hazel will dry your skin out, potentially leading to more problems.
Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin is where things become a little tricky because people with skin sensitivity can experience oily or dry skin as well. If you have oily and sensitive skin, you’ll still need ingredients to help remove dirt. Salicylic acid is the perfect ingredient to do the job while also being gentle enough to use. If you have dry and sensitive skin, you still need a good humectant to help draw out moisture. Glycerin is also a natural component that the skin produces, making it a gentler option for those who can’t use hyaluronic acid.
Now that you know how to choose a toner based on your skin type, you can make more informed decisions about the skincare products you use. As with any skincare product, what works for some people won’t work for everyone. Be sure to test your products before applying so that you can safely experiment and see what works for you!
