Do You Use Toners?

When I got my Mario Badescu samples, a toner was included called the "Special Cucumber Lotion". I hadn't used a toner really before, except a while back I did use a Clinique toner that stung like crazy! I looked over my samples, and noticed the second step after cleansing was to use this Special Cucumber Lotion. I knew it was a toner, but I had no idea what the purpose was. So, I referenced my handy little booklet they included and looked up the mystery product.

"Refreshing, disinfecting and deep cleaning astringent that is effective in drying up existing acne blemishes while preventing new eruptions. Sulfur and soothing Cucumber help to fight against oily build-up and bacteria that can cause acne."

Alright, so it cleanses my face...after I already cleansed it? I was pretty confused at this point. So I decided to skip this step my first few days of using the skincare line. Unfortunately, it was around that time of the month, which meant that minor breakouts were starting to appear around my chin. Not huge pimples, just several small whiteheads. I figured I'd give the Special Cucumber lotion a shot. I used it in the morning and at night after cleansing. The first thing I noticed after the first day of using it, my skin wasn't as oily as usual! When I woke up the next morning, my whiteheads were pretty much gone.

Then I looked at the rest of the toners and astringents listed in the booklet, and there are so many options for different skin types! So I learned, toner is not necessary in one's skincare regimen, but it's definitely something to look into if you have problem skin! It's like one of those products (like face primer for me), where you don't realize or think it's necessary until you stop using it, and then you really see what a difference it makes.

After further research, I learned that toners are supposed to get rid of any residue the cleanser may have left behind, so that moisturizer will be more effective. If you get dehydrated skin like me, you may want to look into a good toner (with no alcohol! Don't want to add to the problem).

Toners can also help balance the pH of the skin after you cleanse it, so if you get oily skin throughout the day, a toner could help you out.

My toner isn't going to be one of those products that I HAVE to repurchase as soon as I run out, but I definitely notice it benefits the overall condition of my skin.

*Arielle commented and wanted to know if there was a difference between a toner and astringent. From what I've gathered, an astringent is much more harsh and generally contains more alcohol than a toner, and can dry or irritate skin more. Toners are more for everyday use and astringents are for a few days out of the week. That was kind of a grey area so please comment and let me know if this is wrong :)

Do you use a toner? Do you feel it is necessary? What toner do you use?