#dickensons

So, last week I put together a roundup of micellar waters. The focus of course was on micellar options that don’t dry out your skin - so in other words, a micellar that pulls double duty. This week, I’m focusing on toners. Now, when I was younger I didn’t use toner. I didn’t even realize I should use a toner until I was about high school age and was introduced to Clinique. That purple toner was everything! But even then, I didn’t start using toner consistently until I hit 30. As my skin started changing and I had to revamp my skincare routine to get it back to how I wanted, I learned to do things like exfoliate consistently, focus on moisture and especially doing multi step skincare. So, today’s post is about toners.

For me toning is an important step, but not all toners are created equal. Kind of like how I mentioned that “any micellar water will remove makeup, but many drugstore brands will leave your skin parched”, a similar statement can be made about toners. Any toner will help to shrink your pores and act as a final cleansing step - but many of the ones in drug stores can be a bit too drying because they rely on alcohol to shrink pores. And as you know I have sensitive and dry skin so that’s not ideal. So, many of the toners I’m highlighting today pull double duty in some capacity. And although they vary in price points, I’ll post links of where you can buy them. With the exception of the Dickenson’s toner, all the others were gifted to me and for some of these brands I’m an ambassador. Let’s get started - going left to right.

Erborian Bamboo Matte Lotion

The name can be confusing but in reality this is a toner. Erborian’s “lotion” promises to shrink pores as well as mattify. In order for this product to work, you need to shake it as you’ll see even in the pic I posted that there’s powdery sediment in the bottom of the bottle. The mattifying powder combines with the bamboo infused solution to create an amazingly hydrating yet matte result. Full disclosure, I rarely use this as a traditional toner in a facial process. Rather, I rely on this in warm weather settings as a great way to mattify before I begin applying makeup.

Pixi Beauty’s Glow Tonic

I’ve featured this toner before both in liquid and in their travel friendly pad version. Now, if you weren’t sure, clearly I’m a brand ambassador for Pixi Beauty as you cannot buy personalized pump bottle versions of this toner in-store or online. What sets this toner apart from traditional ones is that it also pulls double duty as an exfoliator. Glow Tonic contains 5% glycolic acid which is a fairly decent “middle of the road” amount that isn’t too strong but still helps to slough off dead skin. I love that it normally doesn’t sting and the only time it does is because I’ve used an exfoliating textured wash and then followed up with this. Although you can use it daily in the AM and PM, I don’t always do that because: 1.) I have a lot of toners so I try to rotate between a non exfoliator and exfoliating one because of my sensitive skin and 2.) if I decided to do a separate exfoliating step during my cleanse, this can sting.

Thayer’s Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel

So, I’m featuring the trial size which was what was given to me but they do offer bigger bottles. Now if you’re a bit more old school, you might prefer witch hazel over other toner versions. But, not everyone likes the smell of traditional witch hazel. If that’s your deal, you’re going to love Thayer’s. First, I do like witch hazel as a natural toner/astringent, but straight witch hazel IMO smells medicinal. So, Thayer’s rose petal version is A-okay in my book. And of course you know I love the smell of rose water or rose oil so by default, I can’t get enough of this stuff. I love that it’s very hydrating. But if you’re looking for a double duty toner, this will not be an option.

Sky Organics Rose Water Toner

I’ve also featured this particular product before as well but it’s a great product so it deserves a second look. First things first, don’t let the name fool you. Unlike the other rose based products in this roundup, Sky Organics’ version doesn’t have fragrance added (even true rose essence like the other brands I put in this roundup) so you don’t get that gorgeous rose water scent that I love. In reality, it smells more earthy than anything else. However, what you do get is a product that is ideal for calming your skin if you did an intensive exfoliation or peel off mask which can leave your skin feeling a bit agitated. I also like that the spray on this bottle isn’t too forceful or uneven. The website also says you can use it as a makeup remover but I only use it as a toner.

Dermae Essentials Radiance Toner

This is somewhat similar to Pixi’s Glow Tonic except to be truly honest it’s not as harsh because I’ve never felt a sting with this toner even when I apply it after an exfoliating wash. Dermae’s version of an exfoliating toner also contains 5% glycolic acid but has the ultra yummy rose scent. Obviously I have a lot of toners to choose from so I don’t necessarily use one every single day (although I tend to with face washes). But if I didn’t have all these others, Dermae’s pulls double duty and is gentle enough that I’d be open to using it daily.

Dickenson’s Original Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner

Now of all the toners I’ve featured today, Dickenson’s is probably the most accessible of the six because almost every drug store or general retailer like Target or Walmart carries them. And it’s the only one here which I actually purchased as well. I am a fan of witch hazel and I like that for a fairly low scent product, Dickenson’s doesn’t contain synthetic alcohol which can dry your skin further. And P.S. witch hazel can also serve as a postpartum recovery aid so in its own way, it does pull double duty.

A quick note: Even though all of these toners I’ve featured today say that they’re hydrating or nondrying, they are NOT substitutes for a moisturizing step. No they don’t leave you feeling parched like a toner that relies on large amounts of alcohol to tighten pores. But after a few minutes, depending on the cleanser you used or any other steps you took, your face is going to be dry.