The main purposes of toner are to remove cleanser residue (especially important for skins that have a tendency to get clogged) and bring your skin back to its natural acidic state after cleansing, ensuring that it's well protected. Toners also impart a fresh feeling and can help shrink pores and tighten skin. They may contain all kinds of additional beneficial ingredients depending on your skin type (see below).
How often should I use a toner?
You should use a toner each time you cleanse. Because toners are refreshing and provide a burst of hydration, some people like to mist their face throughout the day (protect your eyes if your toner contains alcohol). You can certainly skip toner if you're trying to save a little money on skin care, but it will definitely help limit breakouts in oily and combination skin types. Dry skin types may want to use toner less often in winter.
Why do some toners contain alcohol?
Alcohol has a strong cleansing and defatting action, which makes it extremely good at removing excess oil from the skin. A toner with alcohol high on the ingredients list is made for oily and acne-prone skins. Normal and combination skins can also use alcohol toners, as they have a tightening effect, but the alcohol content should be lower. Look for SD alcohols, ethy alcohol, or ethanol, which are distilled from grain. Isopropyl alcohol comes from petroleum. Dry skin types should avoid toner with alcohol.
Which toners are best for which skin types?
Beyond alcohol content (see above), look for other helpful ingredients for your skin type. Toners for oilier skin types may have willow bark extract to help prevent acne or astringents like witch hazel to reduce the appearance of pores. A toner for dry skin could include chamomile to soothe irritation or glycerin to soften and hold in moisture. Dry and mature skins also might like a freshener or floral water as opposed to a toner. These have little to no astringents and instead soothe the skin with the essence of botanicals.
