Toner and astringent: at first blush, they seem nearly identical.
What separates a toner from an astringent?
Why should you choose one product over the other?
Petri Oeschger / Getty Images
Petri Oeschger / Getty Images
What Is Toner?
Toneris a water-based skin care product.
Glycerin and other humectants are typically prime ingredients in toners.
They can help hydrate the skin and leave it feeling softer and smoother.
These cosmeceutical ingredients can help improve skin texture, brighten complexion, and even out skin tone.
What Is Astringent?
Astringents are water-based skin care products that are used after washing to remove leftover makeup and cleanser.
it’s possible for you to think of astringent as a stronger form of a toner.
They also often contain ingredients likesalicylic acidto help fightpimples and blackheads.
Alcohol can be over-drying and may irritate the skin, and many skin care professionals suggest avoiding it.
How Toners and Astringents Are Used
Toners and astringents are used after cleansing and before moisturizing.
Some toners come in spritz bottles, in which case just lightly mist your face.
Toners and astringents are leave-on products, so you won’t wash them off.
Applying these on damp skin can cause possible irritation, or make them less effective.
Are Toners and Astringents Necessary?
So it may surprise you to hear that the efficacy of toners and astringents has never been proven.
Either of these left a film on the skin that you could feel.
Astringents were devised to remove the residue left behind by facial cleansers.
While someestheticianssay a toning product is an important part of a healthy skincare routine, not all agree.
Toners and astringents are not essential skincare products.
Toners/Astringents and Skin pH
Cleansing products in the past were very alkaline.
Healthy skin is naturally slightly acidic.
Toning and astringent products were also used to help bring theskin’s pHback to normal levels.
The cleansing bars and washes we have today are much less alkaline than they used to be.
Plus, we’ve learned more about how the skin functions.
Cleansing products do not disrupt the skin’s pH as much as we previously thought.
Your skin also balances its own pH rather quickly, too.
That’s not to say that skin’s pH isn’t important; it is.
But the importance of toners and astringents in maintaining a healthy pH is overstated.
Toners/Astringents and Your Pores
But doesn’t toningclose your pores?
Not really.The skin’s poresare not like doors; they don’t open and close.
Astringent and toners canhelp the poreslooksmaller.
Trapped plugs of dead skin and oil within the pores stretch them out, also making them more obvious.
But again, the product isn’t closing the pore, nor is it permanently changing your pore size.
Really, it doesn’t matter what term is used to describe the product.
When choosing a toner, the ingredients are the key.
Alcohol is a common ingredient and leaves a tingling sensation on your skin.
Most people do better with an alcohol-free astringent that instead uses acids to exfoliate and reduce oil production.
For Acne or Blemish-Prone Skin
Astringents alone won’t clear acne.
Even though astringents remove surface oil, it’s not surface oil that causes breakouts.
It’s the oil that is deeper within the pore that triggers acne.
To reduce these oil plugs within the pore, your astringent will need to contain a blemish-fighting ingredient.
Look for the newer acidssuch as salicylic, glycolic, or lactic acidin the ingredients list.
Simply because you’re dealing with acne doesn’t automatically mean you should be reaching for an astringent.
Use a gentler toner instead.
For Sensitive Skin
Take special care when choosing a product for sensitive skin.
Alcohol-free astringents are fine for sensitive-yet-oily skin types.
For all others, stick with toner.
Try a different product or simply cut toner/astringent out of your skin care routine altogether.
Less is often more for sensitive skin types.
Just skip over the dry areas.
Can You Use Both?
Yes, if you’d like, but only if you have oily skin.
Try using the astringent in the morning and the toner at night.
To be clear, there is no pressing reason for you to usebothproducts.
If your skin is dry or sensitive, stay away from astringent completely and use a toner instead.
You may also switch between toners and astringents throughout the year if your skin changes with the seasons.
Whatever product you choose, it should leave your skin feeling good.
A toner or an astringent isn’t a skin care necessity.
If you’d rather not use one, that’s fine.
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