To Tone Or Not To Tone .......

[Autumn]

Do toners actually work? Are they needed ? Or are they just a gimmick to make us buy more...

Ive used Toners from Liz Earle, Decleor , Elemis and high-street brands including The body shop, But I cant make up my mind if they make any difference at all.

If you Listen to the likes of Keeley, Fiona or Andrew , not toning is almost a sin, However Fiona and Andrew seem to change there mind when there flogging there cleansing mousses , as toning is never mentioned then. Keeley seems to be the only one on Q, that which ever cleanser she's selling , always states to follow with a toner.

Many brands like Philosophy and Emma Hardie don't have toners yet people rave about there cleansers.

Are toners used as a way of helping a cleanser feel less drying on your skin , or do they have a benefit.

Having uses toners on and off , I cant make my mind up if they have changed my life or just my bank balance ....

Any thoughts would be much appreciated :hi:

 

[srhgts]

A toner is essential for me, my skin feels weird and tight and just wrong if I don't use one.

 

[Autumn]

A toner is essential for me, my skin feels weird and tight and just wrong if I don't use one.

Oo can I ask which cleanser you use ?

 

[srhgts]

Oo can I ask which cleanser you use ?

I don't use the same one all the time, I've got quite a few in rotation because my skin's a bit mad due to hormonal imbalance (oily, very sensitive, acne prone, rosacea, recently eczema and related dryness and flakiness at the same time as the oil, wtf.) My skin seems to want different things depending what day it is so I swap between washes and more creamy cleansers and that. I like a few from Paula's Choice, the Body Shop aloe cream cleanser, Clinique take the day off cleansing balm, Cerave hydrating cleanser... The rest of my skincare stays the same but my skin complains if I use the same cleanser continually.

 

[Vienna]

I don`t buy a commercially branded toner but i buy lavender hydrolat which is the condensed water left over after lavender flowers have had the lavender oil extracted. I use it as a toner, also on insect bites in the Summer and its also very calming if your skin becomes upset with a product or procedure. The hydrolat is chemical and additive free and I buy it in a litre bottle and decant it. It can be mixed with other floral waters such as orange blossom, geranium, rose etc but I prefer to just use it alone. It costs me just £10 for a litre which lasts me months and it makes my skin feel lovely. Here`s the link if you`re interested.
http://www.naturallythinking.com/categories/Aromatherapy/Floral-Water-{47}-Hydrolat/

 

[Autumn]

I don`t buy a commercially branded toner but i buy lavender hydrolat which is the condensed water left over after lavender flowers have had the lavender oil extracted. I use it as a toner, also on insect bites in the Summer and its also very calming if your skin becomes upset with a product or procedure. The hydrolat is chemical and additive free and I buy it in a litre bottle and decant it. It can be mixed with other floral waters such as orange blossom, geranium, rose etc but I prefer to just use it alone. It costs me just £10 for a litre which lasts me months and it makes my skin feel lovely. Here`s the link if you`re interested.
http://www.naturallythinking.com/categories/Aromatherapy/Floral-Water-{47}-Hydrolat/

.
Ooo I like the sound of that , and you can buy a 100mls for just £3, I could also pour it into my Liz Earle spritzer bottle, I have to say out of the toners ive used the Elemis lavender toner ive liked the best. Thanks Vienna

 

[Weathergirl]

No toner for me. The point of them in the past was to remove the "old fashioned" cleansing cream or lotion properly when you had finished the "getting the cotton wool dirty" part. Modern cleansers, balm or hot cloth style or washes do not need toner to remove the residue.

I have tried them, they do nothing and are therefore a waste of money for me. I used to love the Liz Earle one though, as I never used to cleanse in the morning-a wipe over with that was enough and I used less cleanse and polish that way. Plus my skin was very dry so I never had oily skin when I woke up.

Having said that, I can see a place for toners with oilier skins.

 

[donna255]

In the old days toner was like paint stripper but most cleansers were like Ponds Cold Cream. The Clinique one is still more paint stripper.

The ones today are not really toners, they have taken the alcohol out and should be called Freshers.

I only use in the evenings as I use a heavier cleanser to take off make up, I like the Elemis Apricot one as you can use it round the eyes as compress as well.

 

[Vienna]

.
Ooo I like the sound of that , and you can buy a 100mls for just £3, I could also pour it into my Liz Earle spritzer bottle, I have to say out of the toners ive used the Elemis lavender toner ive liked the best. Thanks Vienna

For an extra 2 quid you get 250 mls : )

 

[Autumn]

For an extra 2 quid you get 250 mls : )

Yes your right lol im still deciding which one to try , I have oily/ sensitive skin and there are so many options lol have you tried any of the others or just the lavender?

 

[Vienna]

If you click on each one then look underneath the item where it says ingredients and other uses it tells you more about them. I`ve used the orange blossom and also the rose. You can also mix them together such as rose and geranium or lavender and orange etc.

 

[Autumn]

If you click on each one then look underneath the item where it says ingredients and other uses it tells you more about them. I`ve used the orange blossom and also the rose.

Thanks im torn between the lavender, ylang ylang and witch hazel , ill sleep on it and order tomorrow lol

 

[Scout]

I've double-cleansed every morning and every night since I was about 12. I've cleansed with creams, lotions and gels, used my fingers and facial brushes including the Clarisonic and currently the Shisheido non-electric hand brush - and right through my fifties I cleansed with the ultimate sin - The Wipe (albeit alcohol-free). I've always been complimented on my skin and have always been taken for at least 10 years younger than I actually am. On my 60th birthday last week a guy I've worked with for several years told me that he always thought I was about 45. I say this only to demonstrate that my skin is (thankfully) in great condition. I've never used a toner in my life. What I have always used, though, is oil. Back in the sixties and seventies my friends thought I was crazy to put almond oil on my face. I put it on my face right through my teens and was the only one of my group who never had spots. When pure rosehip oil became available I began using that, and have used it twice a day ever since. I know people won't believe me, but I can honestly say that I've only ever had three spots in my life - and they were single spots each years apart. The last one was when I was in my late twenties. When I keep hearing them talk about dealing with "breakouts" on the beauty shows I offer silent thanks that I have never had a breakout in my life. To be honest I'm not even sure what they mean by that term. I wonder how much of that may be due to the fact that I've always used cruelty-free products which, by definition, have no animal fats, oils or by-products in them.

I will go to my grave never having used a toner - if I could only have one product to use on my face ever again it would be rosehip oil.

 

[Weathergirl]

I've double-cleansed every morning and every night since I was about 12. I've cleansed with creams, lotions and gels, used my fingers and facial brushes including the Clarisonic and currently the Shisheido non-electric hand brush - and right through my fifties I cleansed with the ultimate sin - The Wipe (albeit alcohol-free). I've always been complimented on my skin and have always been taken for at least 10 years younger than I actually am. On my 60th birthday last week a guy I've worked with for several years told me that he always thought I was about 45. I say this only to demonstrate that my skin is (thankfully) in great condition. I've never used a toner in my life. What I have always used, though, is oil. Back in the sixties and seventies my friends thought I was crazy to put almond oil on my face. I put it on my face right through my teens and was the only one of my group who never had spots. When pure rosehip oil became available I began using that, and have used it twice a day ever since. I know people won't believe me, but I can honestly say that I've only ever had three spots in my life - and they were single spots each years apart. The last one was when I was in my late twenties. When I keep hearing them talk about dealing with "breakouts" on the beauty shows I offer silent thanks that I have never had a breakout in my life. To be honest I'm not even sure what they mean by that term. I wonder how much of that may be due to the fact that I've always used cruelty-free products which, by definition, have no animal fats, oils or by-products in them.

I will go to my grave never having used a toner - if I could only have one product to use on my face ever again it would be rosehip oil.

Interesting post Scout. I rarely get spots on my face, when I do it usually has something to do with a change in my foundation.

My desert island product if I could have just one product for my skin would be something I could use both to cleanse and moisturise-like Moringa balm. I think oil based products are fantastic for all skins. They moisturise the driest of skins and it takes an oil to deal with another oil if the skin is oily. I have always believed that stripping the skin with anything like an astringent toner will only encourage skin to over compensate and produce more oil.

I reckon cleansing is the single most important step for the skin. If you get the cleansing right you can use any old moisturiser.

 

[lynnonthelake]

I only use a toner to refresh my face in the morning,I like the Elemis Apricot one,and always bathe my eyes with Liz Earle Eyebright.
Lynn :mysmilie_7:

 

[Letz-be-avenue]

Well I am a toner fan, I find it calms my skin down after cleansing and I think my skin feels better after using it, I prefer LE IBST and I also like the elemis apricot one.

 

[Scout]

My desert island product if I could have just one product for my skin would be something I could use both to cleanse and moisturise-like Moringa balm. I think oil based products are fantastic for all skins.

I absolutely agree WG. I could use my rosehip oil for cleansing and moisturising, so even on my desert island I would hope my skin would stay as it is now. Many people with oily skin believe that they mustn't put more oil on it, and instead they strip their skin of its oil so it over-produces more. I persuaded one of the young women I know of this a while back. She had very oily, spotty skin, and I converted her to Liz Earle (in its pre-Avon truly cruelty-free days). She began using the Superskin Concentrate very reluctantly, but within a few months her skin had transformed. It stopped churning out its own oil to compensate for the stripping she'd been doing, and she now has lovely fresh, clear skin. She still gets the occasional spot, but her skin is so much more balanced now that they're few and far between. I believe she's now using A'kin rosehip oil and loves it.

 

[Vienna]

I love skin oils. The AD synergy oil is lovely. I used to buy Weleda almond oil which is good too and Holland and Barrett do some good oils as well. Once a week I use basic virgin olive oil as a deep cleanser, massage it in for a good 5 minutes then remove it with a hot cloth. Gives a really good deep cleansing facial but I wouldn`t use it daily, once a week is enough for me.

 

[Scout]

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I love skin oils. The AD synergy oil is lovely.

Not wishing to stand on my cruelty-free soapbox through this thread, but I do SO wish that AD would do whatever they need to do to get themselves certified by Cruelty-Free International. They get such great reviews and their products look fantastic. I would so like to try them.

 

[warwa100]

I always use a toner. My Mum introduced me to cleanse, tone, moisture (it was Liz Earle) when I was about 13. I have never looked back. My skin feels tight when I don't use a toner after I've cleansed.