Toner, the extra skincare product used after cleansing and before moisturizing, is important. I’m not an expert on the matter (hopefully one day I will be!) but I do want to share everything that I do know about toning the skin and why it’s important.

Toner is used right after cleansing to balance the skin’s pH. Balancing the skin’s pH can help regulate oil production. Toning the skin can be beneficial to skin that is acne-prone or chronically dry because too much oil being produced can be the cause of acne and too little of the skin’s natural oils being produced can be the cause of chronically dry skin. I say “can be the cause…” because the cause of acne or extreme dryness on the skin can also be the result of hormone fluctuation, loss of collagen, poor diet, lack of hydration, exhaustion, and so many other things.

One question I often hear about toner is, “How do I know if I really need a toner?”.

Here’s my take – If the skin’s oil production doesn’t seem to be out of balance and isn’t problematic, then a toner may not be absolutely necessary.

Now I want to move into some different types of toners that I have tried.

The first way I ever applied toner was with a cotton pad. I used to use the Thayers Alcohol Free Unscented Witch Hazel Toner; and while I had excellent results with this toner (Witch Hazel is amazing for balancing the skin’s pH) I really think that I would have had even better results if I had spritzed it on my skin with a spray bottle instead of applying it to my skin with a cotton pad.

Spritzing toner is a bit gentler on the skin than using a cotton pad. Below are a couple of my favorite toners to spray on.

Spritzing plain witch hazel, rose water, and many other hydrosols will also work just as well on the skin! Cutting hydrosols and witch hazel with a bit of aloe juice can also be a great option for any one with extra dry or sensitive skin. Check out this blog post by Anglina Organic Skincare to read more about using hydrosols as toner and to learn about more about the skin’s pH.

The next type of toner I have experience with are toners with ‘treatment’ ingredients. The Arcona Raspberry Clarifying Pads (pictured below) are a great example of this type of toner.

These pads are saturated in a pH balancing formula that includes salicylic acid. Salicylic acid can work great for skin that is breakout prone as it penetrates the pores and purifies and unclogs the pores. This is an excellent article explaining how salicylic acid works.

My current favorite toner is the Dr. Alkaitis Herbal Toner. If you read my ‘2018 Was The Year Of Dr. Alkaitis For Me‘ blog post, then you know how highly I think of the Dr. Alkaitis skincare line as a whole.

This toner just works. I can feel my skin plumping back up and balancing after I use this product. All of Dr. Alkaitis’s products are formulated with nearly all anti-viral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory ingredients as well; and I can definitely see these effects when I use the products.

Again, I’m not an expert on toners or any other area of skincare; but, I have spent years researching skincare and how to balance the skin, and have been lucky enough to receive some amazing skincare trainings by experts through my work. I wanted to share everything that I do know, but if you feel like I’ve left something out please leave it in a comment ♥