The Truth about Toners
It’s been all over the internet. Toners are great for your skin. Toners are terrible for your skin. This dermatologist says you should tone twice a day! This dermatologist says throw those toners away!
Poetry aside, before we ask ourselves if toners are necessary in our skincare routines. We have to understand what they are and what they’re supposed to do.
Back in the good ol’ days (I’m talking the 90s and early oughts, what a time!), toners were usually filled to the brim with alcohol and other ingredients known as ‘astringents’, meant to clear the pores and tighten up the skin. While these toners did technically do their jobs, they also horribly damaged the skin’s defensive barrier, leaving it red, irritated, and exposed to further external damage. I remember being an acne-prone teen, lathering on my astringent toner, clenching my teeth through the stinging and still wondering why my acne would just not go away!
So, dermatologists came to a conclusion: toners? “Who needs ‘em? Throw ‘em out!” And in the case of these ‘astringent’ toners, that is definitely the truth.
But, times have changed and toners these days have so much more to offer than those of the past.
Is Toning Really Necessary?
Toner can have a place in everyone’s skincare routine, regardless of their skin type! As a matter of fact, there are toners designed to treat dry skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, combination skin, normal skin, acne-prone skin, and more!
Overall, a good toner should refresh your skin and clear off any extra residue left after cleansing without damaging the moisture barrier.
How OxygenCeuticals does Toning
OxygenCeuticals has a great selection of toners to choose from according to your skin type! Each of our toners is specially formulated to handle a variety of skincare concerns from dry and aging skin to oily, acne prone skin to overheated, sensitive skin!
OxygenCeuticals’ Nutrient Toner
One of my absolute favorite toners created by any skincare brand, the Nutrient Toner, is an essence type toner suitable for dry and aging skin. It’s formulated with Hyaluronic Acid which moisturizes and nourishes the skin. Portulaca Oleracea Extract (Or Little Hogweed for the less botanically-inclined) protects the skin by enhancing the skin’s protective barrier. And finally, Allantoin, a chemical compound found naturally in several plants like Chamomile and the Sugar Beet, soothes and calms irritated skin.
To use it: After cleansing, soak a cotton pad with the toner and apply it to the skin to rid the skin of any leftover residue.
A special tip! If you have a particularly dry spot on your skin, soak a few cotton pads with the Nutrient Toner to create a DIY mummy mask and let the nutrients soak into and hydrate the skin.
OxygenCeuticals’ Skin Balancing Toner
The Skin Balancing Toner is a water-type toner with a pH of 5.5. This toner is meant to regulate sebum and balance the skin’s moisture levels after cleansing. It can improve the skin’s overall texture while also moisturizing and enhancing the skin’s immunity with herbal ingredients.
Its naturally-derived, herbal ingredients, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract and Freesia Refracta Extract, are traditionally used in Chinese medicine to soothe and calm the skin. Lavender Extract controls the skin’s sebum production.
These properties make the toner a miracle for anyone with inflamed acne-prone or irritated skin.
To use: After cleanser, apply the toner onto the face with a cotton pad and wipe away any leftover residue from cleansing.
OxygenCeuticals’ Toning Gel
OxygenCeuticals’ Toning Gel is a different kind of toner. This toner starts out with a light, gel consistency that immediately becomes liquid upon application to the skin. Its soothing ingredients, like Centella Asiatica and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extracts relieve sunburn, atopy, irritation, and pain.
This makes it perfect for the summer time as well as after skincare procedures like microneedling that leave the skin feeling a bit pained!
But it also has another function! The addition of adenosine in the formula makes it anti-aging as well. Adenosine is known to plump up the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
The Toning Gel is so multi-functional that we love to mix it with some of our other products to maximize its benefits. For example, mix it with the Clarifying Mask to create a soft, creamy consistency that allows the mask to stay moist for longer and allows your skin to absorb all the nutrients from the Kaolin Clay.
Or, for a hydrating sleeping mask, mix it with our HA Gel to create an ultra-moisturizing gel mask to wear overnight!
To use the toning gel:
- Apply an adequate amount to the face at the toner step.
- Gently tap into the skin to fully absorb.
Cryogenic Activator
But what if you need something thats quick and simple? A mist toner might be just the thing! OxygenCeuticals’ Cryogenic Activator is an oxygen-infused deep sea water mist that soothes and cools the skin instantly.
It’s the perfect toner for extremely sensitive skin, such as a skin that has become sensitized due to plastic surgery or facial procedures like laser, peeling, or microneedling therapy.
Formulated with Deep Sea Water from the Korean East Sea, it contains minerals and nutrients that strengthen the skin’s immune system and keep it healthy. Meanwhile, pure oxygen soothes and accelerates the healing of damaged skin.
It’s so good that we recommend spas and hospitals to use it during pre/post procedural care after their clients’ treatments!
To use the Cryogenic Activator:
- Spray onto the skin at about a 10-15cm distance.
- After surgery or facial treatment, use as a mist or mummy mask (for soothing) by wetting cotton pads.
D:O2 Activator
And last, but certainly not the least, is OxygenCeuticals’ D:O2 Activator! You can think of our Cryogenic Activator but with double the O2 and double the power! D:O2, or Double Oxygen Boost Activator is another mist type toner that soothes and cools the skin.
This mist is no joke, either. The D:O2 Activator can cool down the skin by a few degrees immediately after use, soothing the skin and reducing inflammation. The D:O2 Activator contains Deep Sea Water from the Korean East Sea with nutrients to improve your skin’s immune system. Pure oxygen soothes and accelerates the healing of damaged skin. In fact, our clinical research has found that the D:O2 Activator facilitates about 40% faster skin recovery after a procedure.
In addition, Oxygen has amazing antioxidative effects (it’s practically in the name). Our clinical research has found tht there is a significant decrease in harmful ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) production on skin when treated with 1,000 ppm of our oxygen-infused deep sea water.
Finally, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate acts as a Natural Moisturizing Factor that keeps the skin hydrated for longer. The D:O2 is a triple-threat toner that will keep your skin healthy and glowing!
To use the D:O2 Activator:
- Spray an adequate amount onto the face at toner step.
- Reapply onto the skin as needed.
Conclusion
So there we have it! The toners of the past may have become obsolete with their harsh actives and stripping astringents, but now, toners can do so much more. OxygenCeuticals’ toners come in a variety of types, textures, and uses, all with healthy skin in mind.
So, take your pick and discover the magic of OxygenCeuticals’ toner line!
Breathe life into your skin!
Until next time!