Most of us know toners to be a part of the Cleansing—Toning—Moisturizing (CTM) routine. But do we realize the main purpose the toner holds in our skin care routine? Mostly considered useful for shrinking the skin pore, toners are great as they quickly penetrate, hydrate and nourish the skin. Also regular application of toners, help remove dirt, oil, and dead cells from the skin’s surface and maintain the pH balance of the skin.
Toners also play an important role in reducing acne & provide a layer of protection for the skin by shrinking the pores. Such shrinking reduces penetration of impurities, such as dust particles, chlorine, harmful chemicals found in skin products.
While many readymade toners are available in the market, it is always best if one uses an organic toner that is free from chemicals. Let’s look at some easy recipes that you can follow to make natural toners at home.
1. Mint, Chamomile, Aloe Vera Toner: Take ½ cup of fresh mint and chamomile leaves and boil them for approximately 7-10 minutes. Leave aside to cool. After the mix cools down, add 2 tbsp of freshly extracted aloe vera gel. Mix these ingredients well to make a watery solution. You can store this toner in a spray bottle.
Application: Clean the skin with a suitable cleanser. Spray the toner on your face and wipe the face with a cotton swab. Moisturize the skin with a suitable moisturizer.
2. Lemon, Green Tea and Calendula Toner: Take a spoon full of green tea and calendula leaves in 1½ cup of water and add one tbsp of lemon juice. Boil this mixture for 5-7 minutes and then keep aside to let it cool down. Store the mix in a spray bottle. This can be used as an antiseptic, deep cleansing and smoothening toner and will make your skin look smooth and refreshed. This toner also helps in curing acne as well as lightens acne scars.
Application: Spray the solution on your face after using a skin appropriate cleanser and wipe with a cotton swab. Finish the routine with a skin appropriate moisturizer.
3. Cucumber Juice, Coriander Juice and Rose Water Toner: To prepare this toner:
a. Grate and squeeze out the juice of one large cucumber and pour in a container.
b. Make a paste of a bunch of coriander leaves (approximately 100 grams) in the blender and squeeze out its juice in the container with the cucumber juice.
c. In the same container, add 3 tbsps of home-made rose water (for rose water, take fresh leaves of preferably 2-3 large red roses and boil them in a liter of water until only around half of the water is left). Alternatively, you can also use a ready to use toner available from Rooted Organics. This is purely an organic product and helps maintain pH balance and calms acne, dermatitis and eczema.
b. Make a paste of a bunch of coriander leaves (approximately 100 grams) in the blender and squeeze out its juice in the container with the cucumber juice.
c. In the same container, add 3 tbsps of home-made rose water (for rose water, take fresh leaves of preferably 2-3 large red roses and boil them in a liter of water until only around half of the water is left). Alternatively, you can also use a ready to use toner available from Rooted Organics. This is purely an organic product and helps maintain pH balance and calms acne, dermatitis and eczema.
Now, mix all the three ingredients (cucumber juice, cilantro juice, and rose water) together and pour in a spray bottle.
This green toner is highly nutritious, tightens the pores and gives a primed look to the skin ready for makeup. It also has a highly cooling and refreshing effect on the skin.
Application: Cleanse with a skin appropriate cleanser and then spray the toner on the face. Wipe with a cotton swab and end the routine with moisturizing with a skin appropriate moisturizer.
4. Tomatoes and Lemon Balm: Rubbing of tomato slices on your skin after a mild wash works great as a cleanser as well as a toner. Tomato cleanses the pores and unclogs them from dust, dirt and oil. It also shrinks the pores giving the skin a smooth primed look. In many salons, before applying makeup, the face is rubbed with chilled tomato slices. These slices are left on for 5-7 mins and then the face is cleaned by rubbing ice cubes and wiping with a cotton swab. You can do the same at home and once you wipe your face, apply a very thin layer of lemon balm to moisturize the face, which is as good as applying another layer of a great toner-cum-moisturizer. This works wonders for acne prone, large pore skin.
While it is always best to make these toners at home but if you find it difficult to make your own toner, keep in mind a few things before you go shopping for one:
Different toners come with different ingredients and uses. Here is a list of things you must keep in mind before buying one for yourself.
Toners with alpha hydroxy acid or glycolic acid are especially beneficial for shrinking large skin pores. Look for these in the ingredient list before you buy your toner.
People with sensitive skin normally avoid using toners in their skin care routine as they may feel that the toner is causing more harm than benefit. However, all you need to do is look for a mild organic toner with natural plant extracts. Such a toner will not be harsh on your skin.
Toners that are most beneficial for acne prone skin are the ones that contain salicylic acid. This ingredient acts great in extracting excessive oil from the pores of the skin and in keeping them from clogging and causing acne.
A CTM routine every morning as well as evening with skin appropriate products is of utmost importance, especially when you are living in a city with a lot of air pollution. Just cleansing and moisturizing are not sufficient and armed with this information about toners, you must take proper care of your skin that it deserves!