Facial Toner - The Benefits

Although facial toners are the most often skipped step of any beauty routine, the fact is that many common skin problems can be prevented by using one! 

How?

Twice-daily use of a facial toner hydrates the skin and helps provide a much more thorough cleansing experience than a facial cleanser alone.

Additionally, a well formulated facial toner, like Alchemilla's Clarifying Facial Toner or Organic Rosewater & Glycerin Facial Toner , offers many other outstanding benefits to the skin, including the following:
 

Removes final traces of cleanser and make-up, excess oil and chemicals found in tap water.

Helps skin re-balance its naturally acidic pH ("acid mantle"). The acid mantle is an important part of the immune system and protects the body against bacteria and micro-organisms. It can be out of balance after using alkaline products (soap and many cleansers) or cosmetics, or due to poor nutrition and simple perspiration.

Hydrates and reduces oil output (except if product is preserved with alcohol*). Some people have oily+dehydrated skin, so even though they have excessive oil, they also experience feelings of dryness. One common mistake of this skin type is to apply an unsuitable moisturizer, however this more often than not leads to shiny, oily skin and manifests the desire to go over the cleanse->moisture routine again, and again, and again.

Oily+dehydrated skin needs to be hydrated, not highly moisturized! And, most importantly, it needs to be cared for with products that do not contain high percentages of alcohol, *(ie. Products that use alcohol as an alternative preservative - these contain anywhere from 12-15%+ alcohol). In these high percentages, alcohol dries and dehydrates the skin and can cause skin cell damage. In addition, the extreme dryness and cell damage causes the body to over-compensate by producing more oil.

Regular hydration of the skin with products that contain water and a humectant (eg. vegetable glycerin and/or honey) are the best form of care for oily+dehydrated skin.

Promotes smaller looking pores. Although pores cannot be ?closed? by a toner, they can, when used as part of the cleansing process, help remove ingrained debris from pores while having an astringent (tightening) action on the skin tissue, effectively decreasing the appearance of pores.

Refreshes and soothes skin. In addition to the hydrating and refreshing action of facial toners that contain an effective humectant (water-attracting) ingredient, anti-inflammatory natural ingredients can be formulated into facial toners to help soothe reactive skin conditions.

Aids and extends application of other skin products. Applying skin care products to toner-dampened skin makes for both a smoother application and dilutes the product, reducing the amount used.

Helps set make-up (especially great for mineral make-up).

Provides a delivery system for actives. Facial toners can contain powerful biological actives, such as essential oils and botanical extracts, that can have a dramatic effect on the skin's appearance. For example, Rosewood is a mild antibacterial and may help to address acne and post-shave rash issues.

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