HYDERABAD: Cleansing, toning, and moisturising — these three steps have long been the holy grail of skincare regimens for decades. While cleansing and moisturising are vital, toners have always been a bit of a mystery. Are they necessary? Are they redundant? “Very few people are religiously following a lot of skincare steps. A person using moisturiser and night creams does not need a toner again to get moisturised and radiant skin. Accordingly, if you want to simplify your skincare, skip the toner,” said Dr Lakshmi Sharada Bonthu, dermatologist at Dr Sharada’s Skin Care Clinic in FilmNagar.
Toners are a clear or lightly tinted liquid meant to remove whatever’s left of makeup, dirt, and oil after cleansing. They’re designed to re-balance the skin after a wash and prep the skin for all skincare that’s coming after. But, as Dr Lakshmi Sharada points out, “If a person is having normal skin and does not wear a lot of makeup, also doesn’t have time to use so many products, I will not suggest a toner.” Toners fall into two main categories: astringent toners and balancing toners. Astringent toners are designed for more oily, combination, or acne-prone skin.
They’re formulated with exfoliating acids like AHAs and BHAs. Balancing toners, on the other hand, are formulated to be gentle, balance the skin’s pH, hydrate, and refresh the skin. “Toners these days can have humectant properties which help to bind moisture to the skin surface and retain water so that the skin does not end up drying out quickly. There are toners with a mild quantity of glycolic acid, which helps get clear and radiant skin. In addition, there are several types of toners available in the market,” said she to CE. “But as a skincare step, if a person is having normal skin and does not wear a lot of makeup, and also doesn’t have time to use so many products, I will not suggest a toner.”
“If it is only about restoring skin’s pH balance, we can easily get pH-balanced cleansers and face wash these days so that you can get the same results with one less product in your skincare regimen,” says Dr Lakshmi Sharada. “However, they can help remove excess residue from cleansing, gently augment exfoliation and repair or serve as an anti-inflammatory depending on the skin types and ingredients they contain. The key here is to know which ingredients to look for and which to avoid and to find a toner that will best suit your skin type.”
IS IT TIME TO SKIP THE TONER?
It all comes down to your skin type and the ingredients in the toner. If you have normal skin and don’t wear a lot of makeup, you may not need a toner. But if you’re looking for a product to gently exfoliate, repair, or serve as an anti-inflammatory, a toner might be the right choice for you. Just make sure to read the labels and find one that’s formulated for your skin type.