This Is A Serious Question
Well, not serious as in "What is the Meaning of Life?" But serious in the sense that I'm not joking.
What the heck is Toner? I'm talking skin care products here, not copier supplies.
I understand what a "Cleanser" is: something that takes dirt off.
I understand what a "Moisturizer"is: something that puts moisture in.
When it comes to dealing with my face, those two things sound sufficient to me. And yet, every skin care line I can think of insists that it is (at the very minimum) essential to do the "Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize" three step, with a regular "Exfoliate" thrown in for good measure. But there again, with "exfoliate" at least I understand the concept - even if it could be more clearly stated as "a really good scrub".
Despite the possibly Andy Rooneyishness of my query, I really want to know: 1) What is it that Toner is supposed to be doing? 2) Does it really do this?
5 comments:
It's a mild astringent that helps shrink the pores. People with oily skin probably need them more than dry skin.
A toner is used to do a little more cleansing and tightening of your pores. They make some toners for people with dry skin, as well as people with normal and oily skin. I've been told that they are mandatory (heh) for anyone that doesn't have dry skin, but good even for those with it.
That was what I was going to day--tighten and close pores. So the moisturizer doesn't clog them back up.
Thanks, all. This is makes sense, and is helpful.
An exfoliant is really a good idea---it gets rid of flaky or dead skin and allows your moisturizer/sunblock to penetrate better and more evenly. Toner is optional but can also be used to make sure you got all the cleanser off. For all you ever wanted to know, check out Paula Begoun (HOpe I spelled that right...she's known as "The Cosmetics Cop").
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