To Tone or Not to Tone....

"To tone or not to tone, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the myriad of choices and advertisements of outrageous toner claims..." 

However much that I take liberties with the Bard -- Shakespeare aside, women are much divided on the issue of toning, many skipping this skincare step because they don’t see the value in using a toner – or believe the misconception that somehow toning is not good for your skin. Certainly this has created a lot of confusion around this skincare step – fostering the belief that toning is optional, unnecessary or even harmful for your skin.  All of this raises the question; do you use a toner? I certainly do.

A toner is meant to be used after you cleanse your skin. Inadvertently, while cleansing your skin, you strip away the good while dealing with the bad. This is why the toning step is so important. Toning adds back to your skin some of those good things that cleansing takes away – like glycerin, ceramides and fatty acids. A toner can restore your PH balance and using a toner can give the appearance of smaller pores. Because a toner can help to close the pores and tighten the cell gaps, less harmful impurities can penetrate and therefore irritate your skin. Some toners (like Laneige or belif) are moisturizing and can add humectants to help bind moisture to your skin. Also, toners with glycolic acid can help prevent ingrown hairs

A cult favorite (and one of my favorite’s), Pixi Glow Tonic is so well known it is even sold at Liberty’s of London for almost double the price at Target. The alcohol free Glow Tonic is an exfoliating toner that tones, tightens and firms the skin.  The 5% Glycolic Acid removes dead skin cells to promote a healthier looking complexion and is a good all around toner for most skin types. So how does it work? The Glow Tonic uses ginseng, fructose, and 5% Glycolic Acid, not alcohol to tone the skin and remove the dead skin cells.  Ingredients like witch hazel and horse chestnut also work to tone and improve skin texture without striping the skin. The Glow Tonic also contains aloe vera to soothe skin. An added bonus, this product contains no artificial coloring.

I like the Pixi Glow Tonic because it contains no alcohol and has a light cucumber scent that is not cloying or overpowering in any way. I also like this product because it contains 5% Glycolic Acid, which promotes cell turnover. I tend to have a little oiler skin most month out of the year, and find this toner to be neither too drying nor too moisturizing. The Pixi Glow Tonic does not irritate my skin and really seems suitable for all skin types. As is most things that I love, the Pixi Glow Tonic can be found at Target!

Have a great week everyone and don't forget....

Stay Lovely, Columbus!!!

XOXO - Ann