Tone During Quarantine: At-Home Tips

If you’ve been keeping up with our Instagram stories, thank you! We love getting to feel connected with you even when we’re apart. We have slowly been moving through the skincare steps to help you learn the importance of a balanced regimen (as well as several pauses for masking along the way, acne tips and tricks and general skin info). But so far we’ve covered cleansers and toners in depth and tomorrow we’ll be taking on serums! Here is a little recap blog of one of the most vague (but not to be missed) steps in our homecare, toning.

Toner Revealed: A Necessary Step or a Big Conspiracy? 

Toner is definitely the most mysterious of all the skincare products out there. What does it really do? Sorry, skin care skeptics. But we ask, “What doesn’t it do?!” Toner is a very real and important product, and there is a method behind the madness. Toners are the “great equalizer” and the ultimate balancer in your skincare regimen. Much like all of our skincare products, choosing the right toner for you is very important. With a little help from science and some friendly advice from your aesthetician, you can find the toner that makes you wonder how you ever lived without it.

So what actually is toner? 

All toners are liquids or pre-soaked pads either containing antioxidants that protect against environmental damage, hydrating ingredients to replenish skin’s hydration level, or active ingredients meant to treat skin conditions (or a mix of all three). They should bring a feeling of balance to the skin while helping to clear away oil, dead skin cells and debris. After we cleanse, trace amounts of cleanser and even minerals from the water are left on the skin, so using a toner wipes them all away. Speaking of cleansers, did you know that cleansers can affect the pH balance of your skin? Well, using a toner is the key to reset your skin’s pH after cleansing. So not only does a toner play a role in cleaning up after your cleansing, it also helps affect the way the rest of our skincare products penetrate as well. The right toner will enhance the effectiveness of serums, and sometimes are even a serum themselves! Also, keep in mind that the toner is the first step of your skin care that actually remains on your skin, so you definitely don’t want to skimp on ingredients.

Generally, there are two main categories of toners -- active and non-active/hydrating. An active toner will often have alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and a bit of alcohol to boost your skincare regimen’s results. There are various strengths, and most skin can handle some form of an active toner. Hydrating toners will often contain rose water, aloe, plant extracts and other calming ingredients.

But no matter what type of toner you choose, kick the cotton balls out of the cabinet and opt for cotton rounds or, best yet, 2x2 cotton squares. Cotton balls waste product and leave cotton residue on your face. So, if you want to get your hands on the cotton squares that we use in-studio, just ask when we’re all back in May! We’re going to be selling our professional ones!

Lastly, thinking of leaving out toner in your regimen is like skipping a cool down stretch after a workout. While - yes - it may work in the short-term, there will be long-term consequences. But why skip something that is so quick and simple? Invest in a quality toner, and you will see returns not only in the longevity of your serums but with noticeable results in your skin as well.