Facial toners: what are they and how to choose?

Manufacturers of skin care cosmetics produce a wide range of face toners. You need to select them in accordance with your skin type and the main action of the components that make up the drug. In cosmetic departments, you can often find cleansing, mattifying, refreshing and other tonic options. Let's take a closer look at their purpose, the features of each type and consumer reviews.

Facial toner is a cosmetic preparation of liquid consistency that helps to cleanse, moisturize and regenerate the skin. It perfectly tones and refreshes the epidermis... Its use prepares the face for the subsequent application of preparations of care cosmetics.

Toner is not the main remedy in facial care, which is why some women ignore its use. But it is still worth including toning in daily proceduresas it has a beneficial effect on the skin.

The constant use of the tonic helps to normalize the level of acid-base balance of the skin, increase its firmness and elasticity, and start the process of cell renewal.

In addition, toning helps:

• refresh and tone the face;
• prepare the skin for the application of other cosmetic preparations;
• narrow pores;
• visually reduce expression wrinkles;
• cleanse the face of impurities and sebum;
• remove the remnants of decorative cosmetics;
• eliminate the feeling of tightness after washing.

The process of applying cosmetics should always begin with rubbing the face with a tonic., since it not only perfectly refreshes the face after waking up, but also acts as an antiseptic, prevents clogging of pores when applying foundation and powder.

In the evening care, toning is included after the removal of decorative cosmetics from the skin and washing. The toner helps remove makeup residues and serves as the base for the night cream.

Any quality tonic is 90-95% distilled water, and the remaining 5-10% includes natural plant extracts, vitamins, polyminerals, medicinal components and natural preservatives.

The composition of the ingredients depends on what functions, in addition to cleansing, the product can perform. Consider the common ingredients included in tonic formulas.

• Allantoin... The hypoallergenic component, even the minimum dosage in cosmetic preparations (0.1-0.5%) helps to soften, relieve irritation and inflammation.
• Hyaluronic acid... Maintains the required moisture level and intensely moisturizes the skin. It has a rejuvenating effect.
• Glycerol... Protects the epidermis from inflammation and replenishes missing moisture. Often used in toners for dry and sensitive skin.
• Kaolin... White natural clay, ground to a powder, is an excellent cleaning agent. Removes toxins and oxygenates the skin.
• Lemon extract... Tightens pores, brightens pigmentation, improves complexion and smoothes fine lines.
• Snail mucin... A popular component in recent years. It is obtained from the filtrate of snail mucus. Mucin is enriched with collagen, glycolic acid, vitamins A, B and E. It has an excellent moisturizing and healing effect, does not cause allergies, and therefore it can be added to tonics for any skin type. Helps to soften and make the skin velvety.
• Chamomile extract... It is obtained from the flowers of the pharmacy chamomile, which perfectly soothes the skin and removes signs of fatigue.
• Cucumber extract... Has a whitening effect. Gives a feeling of freshness and moisturizes the skin well.
• Salicylic acid... It has an antibacterial and exfoliating effect. Helps to remove the stratum corneum of the epidermis, normalizes the sebaceous glands. It is part of tonics for problem and combination skin.
• Alcohol... May be present in small proportions. Provides antibacterial action, dries skin and removes greasy shine. Alcohol toners are most effective for oily skin.
• Thermal water... Saturates the dermis with useful minerals and improves its water balance. Protects against free radicals.
• Zinc... An important sebum-regulating component. Has a drying effect. Eliminates inflammation and redness, promotes healing of damaged skin. The main component of products for oily and problem skin.
• Calendula extract... Natural ingredient with excellent soothing and bactericidal action.
• Rose extract... Provides a moisturizing and rejuvenating effect. Shrinks pores and softens skin.

Micellar water deserves special attention. Many people confuse it with a tonic, but this is not the same thing. Micellar water is intended to remove make-up from the skin and must be rinsed off with water. You can wipe your face with a tonic afterwards.

The tonic is an excellent way to awaken and tone the skin in the morning and is the final step in cleansing the skin before bed at night. In order to completely wash off cosmetics, washing your face is not always enough, even with the use of appropriate foams or gels. Rub the face with tonic at the last moment of cleansing. It penetrates deep into the skin and completely removes the remains of cosmetics, grease and impurities.

The benefits of the tonic are that it:

• softens and moisturizes the skin of the face;
• reduces the level of adverse effects of hard water after washing;
• promotes the elimination of toxins;
• has antibacterial properties;
• improves the appearance of the epidermis;
• prepares the skin for better absorption of the moisturizer;
• maintains the required level of acid-base balance.

Applying the toner according to the skin type does not cause any harm... With special care, you need to choose preparations for problem and oily skin. You can not abuse the tonic, which contains alcohol, with problem skin. It should be used only in those areas where the inflammatory process has arisen. Preference should be given to a product with salicylic acid - it removes fat from the skin without destroying its structure, and will not lead to unpleasant peeling.

With frequent attempts to remove grease from the dermis, a protective function is activated, which will try to return it to its previous level, and the greasy shine will look even more noticeable.

Tonics differ not only in the composition of the components, but also in their main purpose. They are classified into several types.

• Lotion tonic... Designed to remove impurities and disinfect facial skin. Suitable for oily and problem skin, has antibacterial and sebum-regulating properties.

• Cleansing tonic... Used to remove makeup. Has a soft composition, gently removes cosmetics from all areas of the face, including the eyes and lips.

• Spray tonic... Allows you to take care of your skin at any time of the day. Ideal for hot summer days as it can be applied over makeup. It has a tonic, cooling and refreshing effect.

• Toner... A new generation care product that has become widespread with the arrival of Korean cosmetics on the Russian market. The texture resembles a light gel or cream emulsion, which, when applied to the skin, transforms into a tonic. It is used after morning wash or evening makeup removal. Provides perfect hydration and maintains epidermis moisture. It is a kind of tonic cream that restores the skin's moisture balance after cleansing and enhances the effect of subsequent care products.

On the front side of the label, in addition to indicating the trade brand, manufacturers must also indicate the main action of the tonic. Tonics are of different types.

• Moisturizers... Softens the skin and maintains the required moisture level. Helps to eliminate the feeling of tightness.

• Exfoliating... They help accelerate the renewal of epidermal cells by exfoliating the stratum corneum. Stimulates the production of elastin and collagen, neutralizes bacteria.

• Matting... Narrow pores, even out the relief, normalize the work of the sebaceous glands. Eliminate oily shine and improve complexion.

• Anti aging... Essential for the care of mature skin. Restores water-lipid balance, enriched with collagen, vitamins and various acids. They have a rejuvenating effect.

• Flower water... It is obtained after the distillation of flowers in the production of essential oil. Floral water toners have a natural aroma, antiseptic and regenerating effect.

All brands specializing in the creation of skincare products produce tonics. Consider the most famous manufacturers, whose tonics are of high quality and reasonable price.

• Garnier... Produces toners for different skin types, the action of which is directly aimed at solving certain problems - getting rid of dryness, intense hydration, narrowing pores, eliminating blackheads, etc.Most of the species are water-based, perfectly cleanse, tone and refresh.

• Natura Siberica... Tonics contain only natural ingredients and vitamin complexes.

• Belita Vitex ("Belita-Vitex")... Belarusian brand that produces a wide line of skin tonics. The products have an improved composition, which includes active ingredients (retinol, proteins, collagen, hyaluronic acid), plant extracts, natural oils. They well moisturize and rejuvenate the skin.

• Novosvit... The tonics of the domestic manufacturer Narodnye promysly, LLC are distinguished by their budgetary price and good quality, they meet all the requirements of GOST. New products have proven their worth - toners that meet different needs. They are equipped with convenient dispensers and there is no need to use cotton pads during use. Any toner has a pleasant texture and, when applied to the skin, transforms into a toner.

• Bioderma... French-made medicinal cosmetics are sold only through pharmacy chains. 9 lines have been developed, aimed at solving dermatological problems. Each of them contains tonics. Tonic series Sensibio will be appreciated by owners of a sensitive type of dermis, tonic-lotion series Sebium will help to cope with the imperfections of oily and problem skin.

• Clarins... French brand that produces professional cosmetics. Tonics (like all brand products) are aimed at eliminating specific skin problems. They soften and moisturize the epidermis without disturbing the natural pH level. The price and quality are comparable to the result obtained.

The assortment of tonics on store shelves is very wide and sometimes it is difficult to make your choice in favor of one brand or another. For girls and women who have some skin problems and are especially careful about the purchase of care products, we recommend tonics from professional cosmetics.

For dry and sensitive skin:

• softening tonic Lotion Douce Tonifiante (Clarins, France);
• ultra-moisturizing toner Ultra Hydrating Lotion (Ultraceuticals, Australia);
• soothing lotion Gentle Rejuvenation (Obagi, USA).

The products quickly relieve irritation, have a regenerating effect and perfectly moisturize the skin.

For problem and oily skin:

• tonic Comodex (Christina, Israel);
• CLENZIderm tonic lotion (Obagi, USA);
• balancing tonic Armony Tonic (Levissime, Spain).

You can buy these tonics in cosmetic centers or on specialized sites. Their price is quite high, but their effectiveness has been proven by numerous studies. Good results can be achieved when using pharmacy series of French brands. They have an antibacterial effect, tighten pores, exfoliate dead skin cells:

• cleansing tonics from the Normaderm line (Vichy);
• tonic from the Effaclar series (La Roche-Posay);
• micellar tonic Sebium (Bioderma).

Gives freshness and delicately cares for dry and irritated skin:

• tonic "Moisturizing" Ecolab (Russia);
• tonic for dry and sensitive skin KORA (Russia);
• soft lotion based on Avene thermal water (France).

Problematic teenage skin requires special care. Due to the hormonal changes taking place, she is prone to the appearance of acne and blackheads. Thorough cleansing of the skin must be included in your daily routine.

When choosing tonics for teenagers, you can focus on:

• matting tonic "Seracin" Librederm - reduces excess sebum secretion, reduces pore size, maintains the required level of hydration;
• cleansing tonic Joyskin - has a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect;
• Clearasil Cleansing Lotion - formulated with salicylic acid and phytoextracts to reduce inflammation and enlarged pores.

Owners of oily skin should give preference to alcohol tonics in order to get a slight drying effect in addition to cleansing. You can pay attention to tonics of the professional series: Kosmoteros Professionnel (France), "Geltek" (Russia)... They have proven themselves well and inexpensive tonic brands "Chistaya Liniya", Via Lata, Garnier.

Normal skin also needs hydration and maintenance.

Toning agents are applied to the cleansed face (after washing with foam, gel). There are two ways to apply them.

• Cotton pad... The most common home care method. The disc is moistened with a tonic and gently rubbed the face along the massage cosmetic lines.
• By hands... This method is recommended by cosmetologists, explaining that it is more effective. Cotton pads can lead to excessive rubbing and the formation of early expression lines. The tonic is applied with the fingertips in the direction of the cosmetic lines of the face. The skin is lightly patted, thereby accelerating the penetration of the product and activating its action.

Spray toner on the face by pressing the dispenser evenly... It is best used in the summer, during long periods of outdoor exposure. It is also convenient on trips.

There are different reviews about tonics - both positive and negative. Some girls consider purchasing a tonic a waste of money, since after thorough washing, the skin becomes perfectly clean and ready to apply a moisturizer.

Cosmetologists advise including toning in your daily care. Problematic and sensitive skin especially needs it. In their opinion, the best for skin prone to acne and blackheads are tonics from the brands Vichy, Bioderma, La Roche Posay... Buyers are also happy with their results. After regular use of cleansing and mattifying toners, the skin becomes healthier, pores are significantly narrowed and the number of rashes is reduced.

Those with sensitive skin also notice the toning effect. An improvement in complexion and elimination of dryness are noted when using tonics of the KORA, Garnier, Ecolab brands.

Anti-aging toners for mature skin have their merits. They add the necessary hydration and activate the action of the creams. There are many positive reviews about the Novosvit Snail Repair series toner containing snail mucin.

The inclusion of a tonic in the arsenal of daily care products is voluntary. The choice in his favor is made by girls and women who care about the health and beauty of their faces, who do not spare reasonable spending and time on caring for their appearance.

You will learn how to make natural tonics with your own hands for different skin types in the next video.