Toner and Astringent: Understanding Their Distinctions and Significance
Navigating the skin care aisle and pondering astringent vs. toner? Get the deets on their differences, perks, and suitability for various skin types. Whether you're oily or sensitive, discover the pad-worthy pick for your skincare regimen.
Tired of feeling bogged down by skincare jargon? Let's decipher the in and outs of astringents and toners. Despite being water-based skin care products, they hold unique features and applications.
In essence, astringents and toners are skincare pals you'll apply after washing your face to nix leftover makeup or grime. But here's where they diverge: astringents, often containing alcohol, are designed to battle oiliness, while toners, devoid of alcohol, offer hydration and are gentler on sensitive skin.
Astringent vs. Toner: The Gist
Let's get acquainted with these products.
Atringent 101
Atringents reign supreme as the second step in your skincare routine, directly following your facial cleanser. The water-based concoction aids in removing the soap suds that linger, along with any lingering makeup or filth.
The alcohol-infused formula typically making up astringents permits the elimination of excess oil, but they're generally stronger and drier compared to toners.
Get the Lowdown on Toner
Much like astringents, you'll also use toners in the second step of your skincare regime post-face wash. Likewise, it eliminates the rub-offs of makeup and debris. Unfamiliar with its alcohol-free nature, toners are typically more hydrating and soothing, making them great for sensitive skin.
What Astringent and Toner Have in Store
To skincare neophytes, astringents and toners might seem like an extravagance, but both are loaded with benefits to keep your complexion squeaky clean.
- Totally Clean: Both astringents and toners can deliver a deep clean to your dermis, leaving it ultra-clean.
- Soothing Inflammation: Both astringents and toners possess anti-inflammatory properties, offering relief from inflammation. Take witch hazel, for example, an ant-inflammatory ingredient that may mitigate skin irritation.
- Oil Battle: Astringents, owing to their alcohol content, are victorious in the war against oil. Alcohol-infused astringents can create a drying effect, which is ideal for folks with oily skin. Such an effect helps reduce the visibility of pores while diminishing sebum secretion.
- Acne Assistance: Astringents are a boon for acne-prone skin. Many astringents contain alcohol, which can help dry out your skin and potentially banish breakouts.
- Hydrate and Nourish: Toners eschew the potency of astringents and are usually concocted with hydrating, botanical ingredients. You can look for soothing elements like rose water, vitamin E, chamomile, and aloe vera to hydrate your complexion post-use.
Application Steps
It doesn't matter whether you fancy astringents or toners; they're applied in the same way. Here's the know-how.
- Cleanse and dry your visage.
- Pour a teeny-tiny drop of product on a cotton pad or your mitt.
- Massage the product onto your complexion with a dabbing motion, focusing on oilier areas if needed.
- Move on to your next skincare routine step, such as serum or moisturizer.
Typically, you can utilize both astringents and toners twice a day, morning and night. But, if you discover that your astringent feels too dry, try employing it only once daily instead.
Side Effects to Keep in Mind
Before dashing headlong towards new skincare buys, let's survey the downsides to keep an eye on:
- Astringents' Heightened Dryness: As astringents are usually made with alcohol, they can be extraordinarily drying. This could exacerbate acne or skin dryness.
- Potential Irritation: If you're sunburned, overly sensitive, experiencing rosacea, eczema, open sores, or fresh wounds, it's best to avoid using astringents or harsh toners.
Choose Wisely
Ultimately, it's time to decide on your new skincare buddy. Here's how to find the perfect fit.
Astringent: Time to Embrace
- You rock an oily complexion.
- You're prone to breakouts or troubled skin. (opt for astringents containing ingredients such as salicylic, glycolic, or lactic acid to aid in banishing blemishes.)
- You're keen on tightening your skin and sporting a more matte complexion.
Toner: Your Time to Shine
- You have skins soft as a lamb. (Choose toners lacking alcohol for a less drying experience.)
- Your end goal is to preserve maximum moisture levels in your complexion. (Opt for toners with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe, glycerin, and glycolic acids.)
- You've got combination or normal skin.
- Astringents, when applied post-face wash as the second step in a skincare routine, help eliminate soap suds, leftover makeup, and grime, thanks to their alcohol-infused formula that targets oiliness.
- Toners, similar to astringents, are applied in the same manner after cleansing the face and offer benefits like soothing inflammation, hydration, and nourishment, making them suitable for sensitive skin.
- Both astringents and toners deliver a deep clean, boast anti-inflammatory properties, and can help battle oil, but astringents are stronger and drier, while toners are usually more hydrating.
- To make the most of these products, apply them in the same way: cleanse, pour a small drop of product on a cotton pad or your hand, massage onto the face with a dabbing motion, then move onto the next step in your skincare routine.
- When choosing between astringents and toners, consider factors such as skin type, desired results, and ingredient sensitivities, and avoid using either product if you have sunburn, sensitive skin, or open wounds.
