You can't believe I'm talking to you about Toners, do you? I know. Me neither. Once we finally got rid of the Sea Breeze commercials, I thought we were done with this part of life. I was wrong. Besides my beloved Washcloth Method that I learned from Caroline Hirons, using toners (correctly) is the biggest piece of advice that has changed the course of my skin forever.
Some notes:
Balancing: It is said that toners reblance the ph in skin that is thrown off after cleansing. Your skin will do this on it's own, but the toning makes it happen much faster, translating into better skin.
Exfoliating: An exfoliating toner is one that has acids in it, such as salicylic or glycolic, which exfoliate your skin without using anything grainy and rough, which, by the way you should NOT be using. Beads and grains scratch the surface of the skin which is just asking for a world of trouble.
Penetration: Toners balance the skin which prepare the skin for maximum penetration of treatments you put on top and even allows you to use less product!
Hydration: Caroline Hirons confirmed a theory of mine. That even oily skin can be dehydrated. Dehydrated skin has nothing to do with your skin 'type', it has to do with your environment and health. Dehydration is also the #1 plague of skin because people don't spot it or aren't taking the right steps to correct it.
What I've Been Using:
Within the first 2 days I noticed the change in my skin. The area around my nose that was clogged and started to give me concern is smooth and clear now. The surface of my skin is smoother, more supple looking, and even softer to the touch. And any trace of patchy dry skin has been erased as if done by live Photoshop.
I use this morning and night AND I use this around my eyes. Caroline said I could. So I did. And it's been amazing. I never realized just how much my eye area needed to be exfoliated! I was scared that using an exfoliant more than once a day would be too much, but it's not. Afterwards, my skin doesn't feel stripped or dry, it feels soft and smooth. But slightly tacky. Not bad, but not something I would put makeup on.
Aveda sells this in a 16.9oz bottle for $48. That's seems like a lot, but that's a lot of product. And having been using this twice a day for over a month, I can say I would give them my money. And because this works soooo well, I will pretend I don't cringe at every Aveda commercial that mispronounce Indian words in chalkboard-nails ways.
I got this L'oreal toner for under $6 and before the Aveda purchase. I figured it was a good place to start. I'm not totally sure why, I guess I was price blinded. Single Digits!!! I used it after my PM Cleanse using Clinique Take Off The Day. I swiped it on my face, over and around my eyes, using a cotton round. The scent was sweet and fresh and I kind of dug the pink liquid. It's a nice change on the counter. But I was not prepared to love this as much as I did. As I do.
This simple solution that costs less than a Starbucks Coffee concoction made my skin soooo soft. I could tell by just looking at my skin it was softer. After using this in the AM and PM for 3 days, moisture level in my skins completely changed. Between the balm night cleanser and this, my skin felt, and for the first time, looked hydrated!
I've used countless creams and lotions on my dry skin. I've been on a constant moisture battlezone since I can remember and so many times I thought I figured it out. Just to go back and realize it was temporary or a fluke. This time I can actually see the results! The lines around my eyes look less because my skin is hydrated and more plump. It's honestly more plump! So much so that I just used the word 'plump' to describe my skin. MY skin!
After realizing just how well this was working, I got my Aveda Exfoliant and incorporated the 2 into my AM and PM routines. After cleansing, I go right in with my Aveda Exfoliant, and then spray on my L'Oreal Hydrafresh, having poured some in a tiny spray bottle from CVS. Once the Hydrafresh toner dries, my skin looks and feels as if I've put on really expensive moisturizer. It even feels that way too! Now my skin is more hydrated and healthy pre-moisturizer than it was in my entire 20's combined.
Mentions: Some of Caroline's Hall Of Famers
Pixi Glow Tonic: An exceptionally affordable exfoliating toner. Unfortunately, it's only been available in their brick and mortar store in London. Bollucks. But I just recently discovered that they are adding it to their online store very shortly!! Eek!
Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner. This exfoliating toner is not available on the Clarins site in the US, but it's available at the Macy's Clarin Counter and other American online retailers. It's also $38 bucks for just over 4 oz.
I may not be able to tell you scientifically why or how this all works, but I can tell you that with my own eyes I have watched these tips and solutions work for me. Never again will I scoff at the idea of a toner. But I will probably watch old Sea Breeze commercials on the interweb and laaaaugh and laaaaugh.
Some notes:
- Toners are not meant to 'finish cleaning' your face. Disregard those old Sea Breeze commercials of the 80's that showed us that astringents and toners were the way of life and got rid of all the dirt and makeup from your skin. Toners are not cleansers. Cleansers are cleansers.
- Toners do NOT strip your skin. If you're using the right ones.
- NOTHING should leave your skin feeling 'squeaky clean'. Ever. If this is happening you need to stop using or doing whatever you are.
- Toners are not just alcohol and/or witch hazel. It's 2013, people.
- Toners are the next step after you cleanse. They are the dryer sheet to your dryer. They are the conditioner to your shampoo. They are the beer to your pizza.
- Anything containing an acid has to say to keep away from the eyes. But toners with acid are perfectly fine to use around your eye. But obviously, be smart about it. If it burns...stop.
- You can use more than one toner. At a time. You can layer! This is allowed. Who's going to stop you??
Balancing: It is said that toners reblance the ph in skin that is thrown off after cleansing. Your skin will do this on it's own, but the toning makes it happen much faster, translating into better skin.
Exfoliating: An exfoliating toner is one that has acids in it, such as salicylic or glycolic, which exfoliate your skin without using anything grainy and rough, which, by the way you should NOT be using. Beads and grains scratch the surface of the skin which is just asking for a world of trouble.
Penetration: Toners balance the skin which prepare the skin for maximum penetration of treatments you put on top and even allows you to use less product!
Hydration: Caroline Hirons confirmed a theory of mine. That even oily skin can be dehydrated. Dehydrated skin has nothing to do with your skin 'type', it has to do with your environment and health. Dehydration is also the #1 plague of skin because people don't spot it or aren't taking the right steps to correct it.
What I've Been Using:
Aveda Botanicals Kinetics Exfoliant $20 for for 5oz.
It's soothing. It's refreshing. And it's far more powerful than I realized.
Within the first 2 days I noticed the change in my skin. The area around my nose that was clogged and started to give me concern is smooth and clear now. The surface of my skin is smoother, more supple looking, and even softer to the touch. And any trace of patchy dry skin has been erased as if done by live Photoshop.
I use this morning and night AND I use this around my eyes. Caroline said I could. So I did. And it's been amazing. I never realized just how much my eye area needed to be exfoliated! I was scared that using an exfoliant more than once a day would be too much, but it's not. Afterwards, my skin doesn't feel stripped or dry, it feels soft and smooth. But slightly tacky. Not bad, but not something I would put makeup on.
Aveda sells this in a 16.9oz bottle for $48. That's seems like a lot, but that's a lot of product. And having been using this twice a day for over a month, I can say I would give them my money. And because this works soooo well, I will pretend I don't cringe at every Aveda commercial that mispronounce Indian words in chalkboard-nails ways.
L'oreal HydraFresh Toner $6 for 8.5 oz.
I got this L'oreal toner for under $6 and before the Aveda purchase. I figured it was a good place to start. I'm not totally sure why, I guess I was price blinded. Single Digits!!! I used it after my PM Cleanse using Clinique Take Off The Day. I swiped it on my face, over and around my eyes, using a cotton round. The scent was sweet and fresh and I kind of dug the pink liquid. It's a nice change on the counter. But I was not prepared to love this as much as I did. As I do.
This simple solution that costs less than a Starbucks Coffee concoction made my skin soooo soft. I could tell by just looking at my skin it was softer. After using this in the AM and PM for 3 days, moisture level in my skins completely changed. Between the balm night cleanser and this, my skin felt, and for the first time, looked hydrated!
I've used countless creams and lotions on my dry skin. I've been on a constant moisture battlezone since I can remember and so many times I thought I figured it out. Just to go back and realize it was temporary or a fluke. This time I can actually see the results! The lines around my eyes look less because my skin is hydrated and more plump. It's honestly more plump! So much so that I just used the word 'plump' to describe my skin. MY skin!
After realizing just how well this was working, I got my Aveda Exfoliant and incorporated the 2 into my AM and PM routines. After cleansing, I go right in with my Aveda Exfoliant, and then spray on my L'Oreal Hydrafresh, having poured some in a tiny spray bottle from CVS. Once the Hydrafresh toner dries, my skin looks and feels as if I've put on really expensive moisturizer. It even feels that way too! Now my skin is more hydrated and healthy pre-moisturizer than it was in my entire 20's combined.
Mentions: Some of Caroline's Hall Of Famers
Pixi Glow Tonic: An exceptionally affordable exfoliating toner. Unfortunately, it's only been available in their brick and mortar store in London. Bollucks. But I just recently discovered that they are adding it to their online store very shortly!! Eek!
Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner. This exfoliating toner is not available on the Clarins site in the US, but it's available at the Macy's Clarin Counter and other American online retailers. It's also $38 bucks for just over 4 oz.
I may not be able to tell you scientifically why or how this all works, but I can tell you that with my own eyes I have watched these tips and solutions work for me. Never again will I scoff at the idea of a toner. But I will probably watch old Sea Breeze commercials on the interweb and laaaaugh and laaaaugh.
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