cosmetics Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...

, skin toner or simply toner refers to a

lotion Lotion is a low-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to the skin. By contrast, creams and gels have higher viscosity, typically due to lower water content. Lotions are applied to external skin with bare hands, a brush, a clean ...

, tonic or wash designed to cleanse the skin and shrink the appearance of

pore Pore may refer to: Biology Animal biology and microbiology * Sweat pore, an anatomical structure of the skin of humans (and other mammals) used for secretion of sweat * Hair follicle, an anatomical structure of the skin of humans (and other m ...

s, usually used on the face. It also moisturizes, protects and refreshes the skin. Toners can be applied to the skin in different ways: * On a

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

round or ball. (This is the most frequently used method.) * Spraying onto the face. * By applying a tonic gauze

facial mask A facial mask is a creamy or thick pasted mask applied to clean or smoothen the face. Facial masks often contain minerals, vitamins, and fruit extracts, such as cactus and cucumber. A sheet mask is a piece of paper, cellulose or fabric used to ap ...

—a piece of gauze is covered with toner and left on the face for a few minutes. Some toners may cause some irritation to the skin upon their initial use. Users often apply serum and

moisturizer A moisturizer, or emollient, is a cosmetic preparation used for protecting, moisturizing, and lubricating the skin. These functions are normally performed by sebum produced by healthy skin. The word "emollient" is derived from the Latin verb ''mo ...

after the toner has dried.

Types of toners

Skin bracers or fresheners

These are the mildest form of toners; they contain water and a humectant such as

glycerine Glycerol (), also called glycerine in British English and glycerin in American English, is a simple triol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. The glycerol backbone is found in lipids known ...

, and little if any

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

(0–10%). Humectants help to keep the moisture in the upper layers of the

epidermis The epidermis is the outermost of the three layers that comprise the skin, the inner layers being the dermis and hypodermis. The epidermis layer provides a barrier to infection from environmental pathogens and regulates the amount of water rele ...

by preventing it from

evaporating Evaporation is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as it changes into the gas phase. High concentration of the evaporating substance in the surrounding gas significantly slows down evaporation, such as when humidi ...

. A popular example of this is rosewater. These toners are the gentlest to the skin, and are most suitable for use on dry, dehydrated, sensitive and normal skins. It may give a burning sensation to sensitive skin.

Skin tonics

These are slightly stronger and contain a small quantity of alcohol (up to 20%), water and a humectant ingredient.

Orange flower water Orange flower Orange flower water, or orange blossom water, is a clear aromatic by-product of the distillation of fresh bitter-orange blossoms for their essential oil. Uses This essential water has traditionally been used as an aromatizer i ...

is an example of a skin tonic. Skin tonics are suitable for use on normal, combination, and oily skin.

Acid Toners

These are a strong form of toner that typically contains

alpha hydroxy acid α-Hydroxy acids, or alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), are a class of chemical compounds that consist of a carboxylic acid with a hydroxyl group substituent on the adjacent (alpha) carbon. Prominent examples are glycolic acid, lactic acid, mandelic aci ...

and or

beta hydroxy acid A beta hydroxy acid or β-hydroxy acid (BHA) is an organic compound that contains a carboxylic acid functional group and hydroxy functional group separated by ''two'' carbon atoms. They are closely related to alpha hydroxy acids, in which the tw ...

. Acid toners are formulated with the intent of chemically exfoliating the skin. Glycolic, Lactic, and Mandelic acids are the most commonly used

s, best suited to exfoliate the surface of the skin. Salicylic acid is the most commonly used

best for exfoliating into the deeper layers of the skin.

Astringents

These are the strongest form of toner and contain a high proportion of alcohol (20–60%), antiseptic ingredients, water, and a humectant ingredient. These can be irritating and damaging to the skin as they can remove excess protective lipids as well as denature proteins in the skin when a high percentage of alcohol is used.

References

{{Cosmetics Skin care