Anyone NOT use a toner?
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free skin care · Fri Mar 20, 2015 1:37 pm

Do you skip toner? If so, what benefits do you see from doing so?

free skin care · Fri Mar 20, 2015 3:06 pm

I have been lately.
Benefits? Better penetration of actives while skin is still moist.

free skin care · Fri Mar 20, 2015 7:27 pm

I don't use toner most of the time. I have tried a few but I see no change when I use one. Therefore, I skip that steep and keep my money for other stuff.

free skin care · Sat Mar 21, 2015 1:34 pm

I like Paula's Choice 2% BHA clear liquid. I apply it with my fingertips; more economical. I don't use it all the time. PC markets it as toner but I think of it as treatment product/serum.

I do not like traditional toners. If I am using/buying a product I want to see results.

I skipped my PC BHA toner for many days over the last couple months of harsh winter weather. Nothing bad happened...

free skin care · Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:47 pm

Yes Autumn you are right a BHA toner would be the only type that would consider worth buying.

free skin care · Sun Mar 22, 2015 3:14 am

I used to skip toner after I read article from dermatologist saying toner isn't essential in skincare regimen. I actually did not see any negative effects without using the toner. I now sometimes use it when I do not put my skincare products right away after I cleanse my face. I use toner to remoisten my skin.

Sun Mar 22, 2015 8:53 am

I rarely, if ever, use a toner. What I do like doing, though, is misting products in the palm of my hand to thin them out or help them spread easier / further.

free skin care · Sun Mar 22, 2015 3:09 pm

Haven't used a toner is years, they are very useless. Cool

However, I do love the Japanese/South-Korean version of a toner: lotion, it's like a beefed up toner, makes a huge difference in terms of hydration and clarity. Best applied with hands or facial cotton. And for tiny spa treatment like a lotion mask a la Chizu Saeki - I mean, I was loving lotions before I heard about lotion mask, but with her method skin gets super glowy and translucent in 3-5 minutes. Just soak the cotton or mask tablet in lotion and slap it on. Beats vitamin C in that regard, huge claim, I know, but true.

free skin care · Sun Mar 22, 2015 4:09 pm

Jazzi, Would you have a link that you can share ? I would like to read more about that.

Thanks

free skin care · Sun Mar 22, 2015 9:49 pm

chantrelle99 wrote:

Jazzi, Would you have a link that you can share ? I would like to read more about that.

Thanks

Wasn't sure which point you were interested in, so I just linked all of them! Bad Grin

This shop page explains more on the toner vs. lotion thing and offers examples:
http://www.ratzillacosme.com/tips/japanese-lotions/

This shows how to use the lotion mask:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0wbX7rjtec

^That pink haired lady is Chizu Saeki, Japan's skin guru. EDS has a thread about her books and philosophy somewhere...
Youtube has a ton of other videos about lotion masks. Results are clearly visible.

This is kind of the sort of cotton that works with lotions:
http://www.amazon.com/Selena-Multi-layer-Cotton-Puffs-sheets/dp/B00260T94K/

And this is the kind of mask tablet. They are compressed and expand when soaked with lotion (or whatever, people use floral waters and even juice, anything watery works):
http://www.amazon.com/BFlowerYan-Facial-Paper-Compress-Masque/dp/B00HH07ZEU/

These ones are the best I've tried. Yes, there are differences even with something as simple as a sheet of paper:
http://www.amazon.com/Kanebo-Lotion-Mask-Pads-15/dp/B003SPD3Q2

Other than that, you might want to try something like the popular Hada Labo Gokujyun lotion.
http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=131318/Super-Hyaluronic-Acid-Moisturizing-Lotion-/Hada-Labo/Toners

Proper application also helps. Right after washing face, pat dry with towel. Rub palms together like a Qui Gong practitioner, take like 1-3 ml of lotion, rub between hands to warm lotion up and then apply with gentle outward swiping motions, no dragging or rubbing. And then just pat with fingers till everything absorbs (might take a while), placing hands on cheeks and forehead for a moment is nice too, warmth relaxes, increases blood flow and helps push lotion into skin instead of evaporating. Then apply moisturizer or serum or whatever to seal moisture in.

free skin care · Mon Mar 23, 2015 1:18 am

I am so surprised to realize many people do not use toner actually. I would think many would include toner in their basic skincare regimen.

Mon Mar 23, 2015 4:33 am

I read somewhere years ago that toner doesn't do anything extra than cleansing and isn't needed. This article suggested that once your skin is clean it doesn't need any more cleaning. It's so long ago I can't remember where I read it. My new love is serums under my moisturiser. They really help to keep me hydrated as I get older.

free skin care · Mon Mar 23, 2015 7:16 am

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

I started this conversation after stopping use of my toner. Since I use a ph balanced cleanser and moisturizer, I feel great.

Every few nights, I use a BHA lotion and things seem to be going well so far. Better than when I was using a toner. I'll keep you posted if things change.

free skin care · Mon Mar 23, 2015 11:34 am

thanks for the detailed info Jazzi. I really appreciate it. Not often these days that I see anything on EDS that really interests me. I had read the thread about Chizu some years ago when it was posted, but you're description of the benefit of masks is stimulating me to def try it out. (using the papers with my own lotions, etc.)

free skin care · Mon Mar 23, 2015 2:48 pm

jasminerosey wrote:

thanks for the detailed info Jazzi. I really appreciate it. Not often these days that I see anything on EDS that really interests me. I had read the thread about Chizu some years ago when it was posted, but you're description of the benefit of masks is stimulating me to def try it out. (using the papers with my own lotions, etc.)

Just a quick add-on! When you try the lotion mask method, if you opt for the layered cotton, then do make sure that you take 2 pieces and in addition to how they apply the soaked cotton on face in video, put the other piece on neck and ears. Because after a while I realized that while my face looks with 1-2 lotions masks a day (I find it relaxing and results are so nice), there was a marked difference between face and neck. And neck needs so much TLC! Also, ears - as Chizu Saeki mentions often enough, ears get neglected, and while she recommends tips on washing and massaging them, it just makes sense to me to nurture them a bit as well.

free skin care · Tue Mar 24, 2015 6:31 am

Most of the time I do not use one at all, but when I do use one from time to time after a treatment or clay mask to remove residual product I only use the Dr. H Clarifying Toner. It has been my tried and true thru the years.
I did make and use the ACV toner recipe years ago from EDS and it was a good recipe, just didn't use it up fast enough to justify the making of it.

free skin care · Tue Mar 24, 2015 8:54 am

Okay I must admit that a lot of the people I spoke with and studied on the subject originally had me leaving out toners, and I did that for quite a while however since researching it and speaking to more people I have changed my mind on this. For one the toner helps the skin ph to go back to normal levels. Now the body does readjust itself and alter the ph naturally but the toners help speed this up. Secondly the toners can help with product penetration or skin cell renewal depending on what ingredients are in them. You can also use natural toners like floral waters etc and these soothe the skin (and smell great too) but you can also go to the other extreme and use things like glycolic acid etc.

For one thing one of the biggest things with using a toner is that it helps to remove any residual skin cleansing ingredients on the skin. A lot of the derms I have spoken with observed that one of the major issues many people have with their skins is caused by them not removing their cleansers properly (and it was explained to me one time that the cleanser mixes with oils on the face etc and then just sits on the skin surface – nice image).

Tue Mar 24, 2015 12:50 pm

I always thought that toner was to even out your skin tone. Now, within the last few years, people are saying it's to balance the pH of your skin.

I rarely use a toner. I am using one now because I am on the NuDerm system but afterwards, I'll probably go back to not using a toner at all. I don't see a difference in the skin and it's overkill.

free skin care · Wed Mar 25, 2015 5:05 am

One of the books that got me rethinking the whole toner thing was reading Dr Denise's book: "Dr. Denese's Secrets for Ageless Skin: Younger Skin in 8 Weeks". She does recommend toners and gives an experiment which really got me looking into it again that I'd recommend.

Thu May 21, 2015 6:11 am

I haven't bought commercial toners for a long time. I use DIY toners these days, more for wiping off the residual cleanser off the face. I find that a base of watered down apple cider vinegar, mixed with whatever ingredient I am experimenting with, works pretty well. Such as calendula essential oil, hyaluronic acid, seaweed extract etc. I suppose the vinegar helps with the PH balancing.

I started DIY because I didn't see any big benefits to most commercial toners. For some, my very sensitive skin even got more dry or irritated.

Japanese toners (or lotions) are another story. I like them because they're typically more soothing and moisterizing, often with actives to control age spots too. I would get back to those if I want to buy toners in the future.

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