If you are finding it difficult to manage oily skin, adding a toner to your skincare routine can help.
Unfortunately, toners are often neglected in our skincare routine.
However, when it comes to oily skin, its best to have a toner in your arsenal, as it has multiple benefits for the skin. From shrinking your pores to enhancing your glow, consider toners as your oily skin’s partner in crime.
In this post, let’s look at some of the guidelines and precautions when it comes to toning for oily skin.
What Does A Toner Do?
A toner is meant to be used after a cleanser and before using any skincare products like moisturizers and serums with active ingredients in them. It’s basically an in-between skincare step.
Toner helps in removing any debris leftover on your face after using a cleanser or a makeup remover. If your skin is not completely clean, the rest of the skincare products will not be able to perform their job as well as they could.
So, a toner basically preps your skin and provides a clean canvas for the rest of the products in our skincare routine.
Are Toners Good For Oily Skin?
Yes, toners are most important for people with oily and acne-prone skin.
Wiping your face with a small amount of a good toner will help in getting rid of excess oil on your face that generally leads to acne and breakouts.
Our skin is acidic in nature. The pH balance of our skin ranges anywhere between 4 and 6.5. Using soap-based cleansers on our face messes with the acidic nature of our skin because of the alkaline nature of soaps. This can make our skin conditions worse. A toner helps to restore the pH balance of our skin.
Using a toner after cleansing your face will help to close the pores and form a protective layer on top of your skin. This protective layer will help the skin against harsh environmental conditions and prevent the penetration of impurities into the skin.
Toners are also often used for refreshing and washing your skin when it gets too oily or dirty. Your skin will feel rejuvenated even when you are on the go.
How To Use Toner For Oily Skin For Best Results?
Luckily, using a facial toner is quite straight-forward. Just soak a cotton pad with a toner of your choice, and gently wipe it all over your face and neck.
Alternatively, you can also take a few drops of the toner on your palm, and use your fingers to press it into your skin.
How Often Should You Use A Toner For Oily Skin?
Use a toner every morning and night, after using a gentle cleanser. If you are just starting out, apply the toner every two days, and gradually ramp up.
Stick to an astringent-free and alcohol-free toner for oily skin, as it will be good for your skin in the long run.
In case your skin gets easily irritated, use it once a day or every other day.
What Ingredients Should People With Oily Skin Look For In A Toner?
It is important to choose a toner that is designed specifically for oily skin.
In general, you should make sure your toner has ingredients that hydrate and moisturize your skin, instead of stripping away its natural oils.
Toners with Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s) help to gently exfoliate the skin, get rid of all the dead skin cells and prevent clogging of pores. The most commonly used AHAs in toners are glycolic acid, lactic acid, and citric acid.
Some toners also contain clay as one of their main ingredients. Clay is known for its skin purifying properties. It leaves the skin feeling clean and rejuvenated.
If you have both oily and acne-prone skin, look for ingredients that not only control excess oil but help in treating acne as well. Green tea and tea tree oil are two such ingredients commonly found in toners that help control symptoms of both oily and acne-prone skin.
In addition, tea tree oil is known to fight bacteria and prevent pimples and skin infections.
If hyperpigmentation is your major skin concern, look for toners containing niacinamide. It is one such ingredient that helps control excess sebum production, control acne, and reduce the appearance of dark spots.
What Ingredients Should People With Oily Skin Avoid In A Toner?
Avoid toners containing coconut or mineral oil, as these oils are used to treat dry skin, and using them in your oily skincare routine can worsen your skin.
Avoid toners with astringents. Astringents are ingredients that are used in oily skincare products and contain a high percentage of alcohol. Alcohol-based products can be very harsh for oily skin and cause over-drying. Over drying can make your skin go into overdrive and produce even more oil.
If you are suffering from active acne, avoid toners containing a large number of exfoliants that can irritate your skin. Go for toners containing soothing ingredients like aloe vera and chamomile.
Preparing Your Own Natural Toner For Oily Skin
If you are a fan of DIY skincare products like me, you can go ahead and prepare your very own homemade toner for oily skin. It will not only save you money, but you can also control the ingredients you use in it.
Final Thoughts About Toning For Oily Skin
Toners are very useful products for people with oily skin. There are a lot of ingredients present in toners like glycolic acid and lactic acid that can help control excess sebum production.
Likewise, there are some ingredients that should be avoided by people with oily and acne-prone skin – such as alcohol-based toners and toners with a lot of exfoliants that can harm the skin in the long run.
As long as you know which ingredients to include and which ingredients to avoid, you can even prepare your very own homemade toner for oily skin.
By using toners designed specifically for oily skin, you can help control excess oil, as well as keep your skin glowing and refreshed.
To know about the next steps in the oily skin routine, read more.
