Women have been following the beauty mantra of cleanse, tone and moisturise for many years, however, the last five years has seen consumers drifting away from this traditional three-step skincare routine – leading to a fall in toner sales. Just last year, Superdrug own-brand beauty manager Jill Flood revealed, "While toner is a firm favourite for some, others have moved to a regime that doesn't need that middle step. They use the time and money saved to use a treatment such as an eye cream, wrinkle filler or serum.” But while it may have sunk from favour, this year has witnessed toner making its way back in the spotlight. To find out why toner lost rungs on the popularity ladder and to discover whether it really deserves all the attention it is currently garnering, beautydirectory sat down with a number of skincare experts.
Falling from grace
It’s been the downfall for many a celebrity, and alcohol is similarly to blame for toners taking a tumble from favour. Toners were initially designed for the effective removal of a cream cleanser on the skin, as olden day cleansers contained mineral oil in order to help liquefy heavy make-up. Mineral oil sits as a barrier on the skin surface and can’t be washed off, with the only way to remove it is using an SD alcohol-based toner. The challenge with this was that the SD alcohol can cause skin sensitivity and thus many toners got the reputation of being stripping, drying and too harsh. When modern-formulated cleansers came onto the market, it made the old-fashioned toners somewhat redundant until toners reincarnated themselves to be the terrific products they are today,” explains International Dermal Institute and Dermalogica education manager Emma Hobson.
While it is agreed that alcohol is definitely a big culprit in toners’ popularity decline, skincare and make-up expert Craig Beaglehole and general manager Brooke Stilla feel it is not entirely to blame. Many toners had a lot of alcohol in them, so many found them way too drying and it turned people away from them. Along with that, everyone got tired of the traditional three step process of Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise,” says Beaglehole. For Stilla, the fall from grace was a case of misunderstanding: People didn’t really understand the functions of a toner and therefore the importance for them to use it. With better education and awareness, people are realising that toners really create one of the cornerstones of their basic daily routine.”
Benefits of a toner
Toners have multiple functions – from tightening pores, to soothing and calming the skin, plus removing any excess impurities and oil left-over after cleansing. If I run out of toner and don't get around to replacing it within a week or so, I notice a big difference in my skin texture - drier, duller, and more prone to congestion,” says The Write Bureau owner Jenni Gilbert. On top of this, toners also have a range of other lesser-known benefits. The main generic function of a toner is to prepare the skin to allow maximum penetration for any serums and moisturisers to follow. Using a toner will optimise performance of the active ingredients in treatment products applied immediately after,” says Stilla.
For Hobson, the five most important benefits of toners are their ability to hydrate the skin by boosting the moisture on the skin surface, evening out skin precocity, making your moisturiser work more efficiently, refreshing the skin, and delivering active ingredients. Many toners are treatment products containing active ingredients that work dramatically on the skin e.g. ultra-calming toners that target and reduce skin redness and sensitivity or toners that are packed with anti-oxidants and age fighting peptides,” explains Hobson.
Another benefit that’s not often recognised is how toner helps with the application of make-up. I use it before every make-up application on my clients. This ensures their skin is in perfect condition for moisturiser and make-up. I know my clients’ make-up will last longer, as it won’t slide off due to excess oil, especially for long or humid days,” says Beaglehole.
Double cleanse trend
Another recent trend that has gained popularity is double cleansing. While skincare experts back the double cleansing trend, they stress this should not impact the relevance of toning in skincare routines. A single cleanse just doesn’t get your skin clean, particularly in light of the development of long-wearing sunscreens and ‘24-hour’ cosmetics, this means that most women leave product residue on their skin,” reveals Hobson. Stilla adds, Double cleansing is essential. The first cleanse removes dirt, debris and make-up built up throughout the day, and the second cleanse actually cleanses and balances the skin. This, followed by the application of toner to increase penetration, leaves the skin perfectly prepped for your nutrient rich treatment products.”
People may be focused now more than ever on keeping things quick and simple, however, they are also looking to achieve great results from their skincare. With the amazing advancements in skincare, people are realising the effectiveness of these high performance products, for example anti-ageing serums, will never offer maximum results without their basic 1, 2, 3 (cleanse, tone, moisturise) routine firmly in place,” concludes Stilla.
Toning products to take note of:
Centella Toner
Multi-Active Toner (Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner NZ)
(Elizabeth Arden Skin Illuminating Pore Minimizing Toner NZ)
Florame Face Tonic Lotion
(Lush Tea Tree Water NZ)
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Oasis Beauty Berry & Melon Tonic (NZ)
Planet Eve Organics Certified Organic Facial Balancing Toner
Refresh & Balance Hydrating & Soothing Facial Mist & Toner ()
(Trilogy Face Care Hydrating Mist Toner NZ)