Toners and Acids
Hi Everyone!
We've pretty much covered the basics of cleansing, so let's talk a bit about toners.
Traditionally toners were used to remove any make-up left over after cleansing
Acid Toners
Using an acid toner, whether it be a BHA/AHA/Lactic/Glycolic, or a Salicylic does so much more than hydrate and soften. If you see someone over the age of 25 who has beautiful and naturally glowing skin, chances are they use an acid exfoliator. If retinols/retinoids are the superstars of skincare, then acid toners are the backing singers who tackle redness, texture, ageing, pigmentation and the general well-being of your skin. They exfoliate the skin chemically, which for me is invaluable as my skin is sensitive to scrubs and can only stand them every now and then (although I've found a hero exfoliator in the Oskia Micro Exfoliation Balm which I recently posted about). I read somewhere that dead skin makes up about 90% of the dust you see in your house - so that's how much dead skin you shed. Personally I prefer a Glycolic acid toner but which you use depends on your skin. Those of you that are allergic to Glycolic can go for a lactic, and vice versa - always do a patch test and experiment with different acids if you have the chance to do so. I've heard that darker skintones are better suited to Lactic acids but if you are darker skinned and are having a good experience with a Glycolic then carry on.
Acids take care of the PH of your skin - they keep your skin at the right level, which is slightly acidic, about 5.5. (7 is neutral, above 7 is alkaline, below 7 is acidic). Most acid toners will be more acidic than your skin to rebalance them after cleansing which can alkalize the skin. If you can keep your skin at 5.5, your skin will be more radiant, able to resist bacteria and generally healthier. Here is some info about acids to help you to choose the right one.
*It is normal to feel a stinging sensation when you use an acid toner. If this stinging turns into a burning feeling you may allergic or too sensitive for the acid you have chosen. Sting = good, burn=bad.
AHA
Alpha Hydroxy Acid comes from milk and fruit sugars, the two most common being Lactic and my personal favourite, Glycolic, and are water soluble. Malic, citric and tartaric acid are also in this group. AHA's help to remove dead skin cells, and reveal fresh new skin - this is where the 'glow' comes from. They also help in the production of collagen, which in turn helps with anti-ageing. Generally speaking, AHA's should work for most people but if you are Lactic intolerant, go for a Glycolic or vica versa. AHA's work on the top layers on the skin to exfoliate, tackles redness, blemishes, pigmentation and dullness and tend to be more suited for people with normal to dry skin like mine.
I am a die-hard Alpha H Liquid Gold* user (an AHA glycolic toner,5% Glycolic, Licorice Extract, Silk proteins) and have been using it for about 6 months. For the last couple of years I've had flare-ups of redness and texture around my jawline, that 'bumpiness' that you hear so many people complain about. I tried every calming and anti-redness product I could get my hands on and nothing worked until my Mom got me a bottle of Liquid Gold. A week after I had started using it I noticed a dramatic difference in my skin - the redness has gone, the texture was smoothing out and my skin was glowing. I've never been without it since. If you have suffered with any of these complaints I strongly recommend you try LG, it's pricey for a toner (around 35 euros) but if you check around on Cloud10, Beauty Bay and QVC you can sometimes get it 2 for 1 or as part of a set. To me it's priceless. I also use Alpha H Instant Facial which is a morning acid toner (5% Glycolic, Cypress Nut, Arnica, Barley, Plankton Extract), I use it every other morning and love it - like all Alpha H products that I've used it's no-fuss and does exactly what it claims. Lotion P50 by Biologique Recherche is probably the HG of AHA toners, but I'm going to stick with LG a little longer before I move on to it as it's a lot more potent. Pixie Glow Tonic is another cult favourite, personally I found it did nothing for me but lots of people swear by it.
BHA
BHA, or Beta Hydroxy Acid, are naturally derived like AHA's but are oil soluble, meaning they they penetrate deeper into the skin and are much more suited to oily, blemish prone skin, Salicylic acid being one of the most popular. I can't say much more about these as I have never used one, being a glycolic addict. Paula's Choice do a good BHA solution according to a friend who uses BHA.
Regular Toners
I still keep a few regular toners in my bathroom for the nights when I don't acid tone. I have two favourites, Clarins Extra Comfort Toner being a long-time favourite - I am addicted to the smell and I find that it's really soothing for red or stressed skin - and Boots Botanics Brightening Toner which I have at the moment - it's gentle and I find it to be hydrating enough to suit me. The next time I buy a regular toner it will be Clarins, as I love it. Toners claim to do a lot of things like hydrate, brighten and clarify but if you have other products in your skincare routine such as serums etc they will do a better job of taking care of these issues. While I do use regular toners, they're not the most important part of my skincare routine. Put it this way - if I had to choose 3 desert island skincare products they would be an SPF, an acid and a moisturizer in that order!
Moisturizers
Honestly I haven't got much to say about moisturizers, as they are the product that I spend the least money on - at the moment I am using one from Mixa that I got for a fiver in my local pharmacy and before that it was one from Nuxe, which I liked but felt was too expensive for what it was. I know that my Mom uses an Environ one that she swears by and my BF just bought Dior Hydra Life, but I prefer to spend my money on acids, cleansers and masks. If you have normal skin like mine you can easily get away with this, if you are extremely dry or oily look for something that suits that but I still don't think that you need to go over the 10-20 Euro mark. A moisturizer is not going to change your skin but it will lock in hydration/soften - other products do the hard work of anti-ageing and treating more effectively.
Alpha H Liquid Gold - If you buy this for the first time, or even if you already have it you must make sure that you are using it properly. It is to be used only at night, on every consecutive night - not every night or you will cause redness and possibly peeling. It is also imperative that you wear SPF (at least factor 30!) when using acid toners as they compromise your skins ability to tolerate the sun. If you are unsure check out Tom Ogdens videos on YouTube, he explains everything.
I hope this helped to answer any questions that you might have regarding toners and moisturizers, if there are questions that I haven't covered please leave a comment and I'll get back to you!
As always if you enjoyed this post please follow me at https://www.instagram.com/abbiparis28/ and https://www.facebook.com/doyouevencleanse/for more skincare and make-up!
Have a fab day!
A x
Comments
Post a Comment