(Please send any questions to molly.loretta@gmail.com! I will answer them in a timely fashion, and most of them will be post them in order to help you, and my other readers!)

Dear mL:

What is the purpose of a toner, what does it really do?
This is an excellent question that has perplexed many people for ages.  I don’t know how many times I’ve gone to a salon to be told after a facial that I need to use a toner, yet very rarely would a cosmetologist or esthetician actually tell me what the purpose of a toner was.

Really, a toner is supposed to help reduce your pH.  After cleansing, your face’s pH is higher than it normally is (it is regularly a 4.5-5.5 on a pH scale, which goes from 1 to 14).  The heat and cleansing agents are what causes the pH to raise, and the toner helps to safely get back to that proper setting on the scale; allowing skin to reduce pH on it’s own can at times cause your skin to be dehydrated (not dry).

I’ve researched many toner ingredients and am incredibly disappointed — so many contain skin irritating ingredients that it’s nauseating — no wonder my face would always be red after toning!  A main toning ingredient is witch hazel, you can pick up a bottle of witch hazel at your local super market or Wal-Mart or Target easily — I was using this alone for quite some time (it doesn’t irritate too many people, and if my sensitive skin can handle it I think it’s safe to say most others can too!).  It’s very affordable, easy to transport, and comes in a big plastic bottle that lasts for ages.  It’s also nice that it helps as an antibacterial to kill acne causing bacteria.  Woo!

If you’re willing to shell out a little more money, the only toner I’ve ever found that has a ton of skin soothing agents and moisture binding agents in it is Bioelement’s Calmitude Hydrating Solution (I love Bioelements, so you’ll hear me rave about them a lot in regards to skincare, they’ve literally saved my skin!).  Bioelements is a line created by leading estheticians, and this particular product is directed at those with sensitive skin.  I believe that we should all treat our skin as though it’s sensitive, just because it’s easier to care for, and to keep it from getting too many chemicals on it.

I hope that answers some questions, I know that toning has been an age old question.  If there are any others, don’t forget to e-mail me!  I would love to research and help you all out.