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What Does Skin Toner

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Toners are used to remove any left over residue after cleansing the face. Additionally, they freshen the skin, close pores, tighten the skin, and restore ph balance. After cleansing your skin is stripped of it natural oils thus leaving the skin dull and dry. Usually it can take up to a half of an hour or so for your skin to restore its ph balance. When using the right toner for your skin type, the ph balance of your skin is restored instantly.

Tonics are applied with a cotton ball or gauze and should be applied to face and neck, avoiding the eye area. If you skin is dull and sluggish, try briskly slapping the toner on thus increasing circulation in your skin.

Toners are classified into three types:

Fresheners and Bracers

These types of toners are alcohol free and contain water and humectants, such as glycerin. Humectants help to keep the moisture in the upper layers of the epidermis by preventing it from evaporating. A popular example of this is rosewater toner. These types of toner are the most gentlest of the skin

Skin tonics

Tonics are slightly stronger and contain a small quantity of alcohol (up to 20%), water and a humectants ingredient. Because of the alcohol content of Skin tonics, they are suitable for use on normal, combination, and oily skin. The alcohol acts as a drying agent in the tonic. Common herbs for oily skin are Chamomile-especially good for antiseptic values, fennel, lemon balm, parsley, rosemary, and peppermint and sage-especially good for antiseptic values.

Astringents

These are the strongest form of toner and contain a high proportion of alcohol (20-60%), antiseptic ingredients, water, and a humectant ingredient. Witch hazel is a common astringent. However, due to the large amount of alcohol in astringents they are usually applied to specific areas of the skin. Additionally overuse of astringents to remove oil from the skin actually increases oil production. Common herbs used of oily skin are Chamomile-especially good for antiseptic values, fennel, lemon balm, parsley, rosemary, and peppermint and sage-especially good for antiseptic values.

Herbs used to make common toners are as follows:

Dry skin: Elderflower, linden flowers and marigold

Normal skin: chamomile - especially good for antiseptic values, fennel, lemon balm, parsley and rosemary.

Oily Skin: Chamomile-especially good for antiseptic values, fennel, lemon balm, parsley, rosemary, and peppermint and sage-especially good for antiseptic values.

Any of these herbs can be mixed with milk for soothing and nourishing dry skin as well as for sunburned or sensitive skin. Whole milk should be used for normal to dry skin, and skim milk for oily skin.

Soothing Toner Recipe

2 TBl. dried or 1 TBl. fresh herb depending on your skin type (see chart above)

2/3 cup milk

Boil milk and pour over herb. Cover and refrigerate. Strain through cheesecloth or muslin. Apply to skin with cotton balls. Do not rinse. Apply moisturizer. The recipe should be stored in a sterilized bottle and will keep for approximately 5 days in your refrigerator.

Anti-Aging Toner

1/2 cup pure spring water or distilled water

2 teaspoons green tea leaves (or 1 green tea bag)

Bring water to a boil. Place the tea leaves or tea bag in a glass or bowl. Pour the boiling water over the leaves or bag and steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the green tea into a bottle, and let it cool. Apply to skin with cotton balls. Do not rinse. Apply moisturizer.

For more homemade skin care recipes and truly natural skin care products visit

What Does Skin Toner

Skin toners are the next step after a facial cleansing routine. Skin toners ensure complete removal from the skin of all cleansing preparations. They freshen and tone up the skin and prepare a clean surface for the application of make-up. They also restore the acid or alkali balance of the skin, because they are pH balanced. They are designed to penetrate pores, refresh and cool your skin while clearing away excess oil, impurities and dead skin cells that were not removed with your cleanser.

Toners restore the skin's natural pH balance. When you wash your face, the pH balance of the skin is distorted leading to skin working overtime to restore pH levels; the process of skin restoring the pH levels on its own can take up as much as half and hour or more. By using a skin toner, the pH level of your skin is restored instantly.

Choose a toner appropriate for your skin type. A wide variety of toners are available. Alcohol dries the skin and harms the soluble collagen below the surface of the skin. It is thus safer to use an alcohol-free toner.

The common herbs used in toners include witch hazel, geranium, honey, lemon, ivy, sage, nettle and burdock. Witch hazel has a tendency to dry the skin. It is ideal to combine it with moisturizers such as Vitamin E, honey, etc. Rosewater helps keep skin and face moisturized, fresh and balances the pH levels.

Essential oils are the gentlest way of toning up. Rose water for normal or dry/sensitive skin or witch hazel for oilier skins is ideal bases for fresheners. These can be applied with cotton wool, using smooth, gentle upward strokes or sprayed on to the face. Oily skin benefits from juniper or lemongrass whereas drier skins would benefit from rose or sandalwood.

Apply the skin toner to a cotton ball and sweep it gently across your face. The cotton wool should come out relatively clean when toning. If it is not clean it indicates the cleansing has not been done properly. Do not succumb to the temptation to tone the skin whenever you feel it has become dirty. It should be used only after the skin has completed a cleansing routine and not as a substitute for cleansing. So, remember that your toner must function as a toner and not as a cleanser.

Toning is pleasant and refreshing, can act as an additional cleanser on very oily or dirty skin, and is valuable in removing any traces of grease that the cleanser may have left behind. Think of it as the polishing touch in your skin care treatment.

Homemade Toner Recipes

Watermelon Toner

1 cup watermelon chunks, 2 tbsp witch hazel and 2 tbsp distilled water

Pur'e watermelon chunks in a processor or blender. Strain the liquid and discard the solids. Mix the strained liquid with the remaining ingredients, stir and pour into a glass bottle. Dab on face using a cotton ball. This is rich in sugar and vitamins A, B and cup Watermelon has astringent properties, and the super high water content makes it an excellent skin refresher.

Rose Skin Toner

3 ? cups of witch hazel, ? cup dried rose petals and 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Mix ingredients together making sure it is all blended well. Strain the blend and splash on your face after cleansing.

The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions on the recipes from this article. Avoid using if you are allergic to something. The responsibility lies with the reader and not the site and the writer.

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About Author

Both Carol Belanger & Kevin Pederson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Carol Belanger has sinced written about articles on various topics from Beauty Tips, Skin Care and Essential Oils. Carol Belanger, author of to your Favourites.

Kevin Pederson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Nutrition, Fibromyalgia and Yoga Practice. Kevin Pederson manages > Natural Skin Care and Skin Nutrition sites. Find information on natural skin care and tips on skin nut. Kevin Pederson's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.

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