When it comes to good skincare regimes, the most common products we have often heard of are moisturisers and face washes, i.e. cleansers. While a good quality and effective moisturiser and face wash definitely goes a long way in maintaining the youthful glow and texture of the skin, the one product that is often ignored by most of us while designing a powerful and effective skincare routine is a purifying toner.
We have often seen pretty bottles of clear liquids on the shelves of cosmetic and beauty stores but continue to remain largely oblivion to its many uses and benefits in skincare. In fact, even those who do use purifying toners as an essential part of their daily skincare regime often find themselves ignorant of the multitude of benefits that a soothing purifying toner can offer to enhance their skin health in more ways than one.
Let us first understand in detail what exactly a facial purifying toner is?
Facial toners are clear liquids that are often meant to be used after using a facial cleanser and before using a facial moisturiser. Soothing purifying toners are nothing but potent liquid potions that are meant to quickly absorb into the skin and clear the skin of excess oils, grime, dead skin cells that build up over time and make up as well as bring down its natural PH balance, which should ideally be 5.5 to offset the acidic PH effect of face washes.
Therefore, by helping in thorough deep cleansing of the skin and closing skin pores and maintaining the ideal PH balance, soothing purifying toners can be immensely beneficial for breakout-prone skin types, which are, by default, more prone to developing dark spots and pigmentation from blemishes.
Difference between astringent and purifying toner
A common mistake most of us often make while picking a soothing purifying toner is to confuse it with an astringent. However, it should be noted that while both the products help in minimising the appearance of facial pores, astringents often contain alcohol, which can be very drying, especially for sensitive skin types, whereas soothing purifying toners that come in alcohol-free variants have milder formulations that are equally effective, yet gentle on the skin.
This is especially useful for acne-prone skin as over-drying can have a counter effect on the skin and lead to excess sebum production, which is the primary cause of acne breakouts that eventually lead to pigmentations dark spots.
Choosing the apt soothing purifying toner for your skin type
One common factor that should be considered while picking the right purifying toner is to ensure that it is free of alcohol as it could cause irritation, while other ingredients of the toner can be specific to your skin type.
Purifying toner ingredients for blemish-prone oily skin types:
- Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA)
- Salicylic acid
- Retinoids
Purifying toner ingredients for Normal/combination skin types:
- Vitamin C
- Hyaluronic acid
- Glycerin
- coenzyme Q10
Soothing purifying toner ingredients for sensitive skin types:
- Purple Orchid extracts and Japanese Cherry extracts help to correct uneven skin tone and dark age spots and lend your skin a beautiful, flawless glow.
So, after carefully accessing your skin type, you should pick the most suitable soothing purifying toner that can help you achieve your specific skin goals while effectively doing its basic job of thoroughly detoxifying your skin, maintaining its ideal PH levels, refresh and rejuvenating the skin while maintaining its natural and youthful colour, texture and glow.