An introduction to skin care, Step Four

Alright, toning... What is toning anyways? Why is this so important? Don't toners just burn your face and irritate it more? ... No! Toners are a vital step in your face care regimen - thats why it gets it's own "step"! Toners should NEVER burn your face! Sometimes called skin refiners, toners help cleanse the skin even further by removing unwanted minerals and impurities from water, leftover product like cleanser, even bacteria from extractions. Toners also restore the pH of your skin to a normal state, which actually helps minimize irritations. The pH of our skin is in a range between 5 and 6. When you compare that to distilled water - which has a pH of 7 - it's easy to see that toning your skin really does deserve it's own "step".

It is important to restore our skin to its natural pH because leaving it off balance can cause dehydration, and boost oil production. For example - when you shampoo your hair, do you condition it afterwards? Of course you do! Think of your cleanser as your shampoo, and your toner as your conditioner. It's products like these that work as a team, and should always be used one after another. Toners are normally ok for all skin types, usually with the exception of sensitive skin - sometimes you may be able to find a sensitive skin formula.

Toners should NOT contain alcohol, mineral oil, or SLS/SLES, among many other ingredients. Don't know what an ingredient is? Write it down and look it up - you should always feel confident about what you are putting on your skin. Need to catch up? Here are links to previous skin care steps:

Introduction

Step One

Step Two

Step Three