When Rachel and I decided to expand our Face Care Line, one thing we wanted to create was a natural facial toner. Both of us found that most conventional toners out there still contain chemicals or alcohol. Even some of the “toughest skin”, like mine, have never done well with over the counter toners. As always, we were appalled by the industry propaganda, trademarking terms like “pore refining” and “active naturals.” These terms are just words with no real depth or meaning besides ridiculously clever marketing. So we set out to make an amazing natural toner, great for all skin types with only the best ingredients around!
Toner’s are great for cleaning out pores and balancing out the pH of the skin. Typically, they are used after cleansing and before applying a moisturizer. Some people will just mist the face for a gentle balancing of the skin. Most people will also use some toner on a cotton pad to clean the pores around the nose and by the chin a little more deeply. It’s amazing how dirty your face can get over the course of a day and a lot of that dirt ends up trapped in larger pores. When pores are clogged, it sets the stage for breakouts. The pH of our face is really important to oil production. An imbalanced pH can lead to either over or underproduction of natural oils causing either oily or dry skin. A nice hydrating, pH balancing, effectively cleansing toner will help to keep your natural oil production exactly where it should be, minimizing dryness or excessively oily skin.
When Rachel and I set out to create the toner, she really wanted to ensure we used raw apple cider vinegar and I really wanted to ensure we used alcohol free witch hazel. Apple cider vinegar is amazing for the face. It is naturally acidic, just like our skin (who knew!) which gives it the power to return our skin to it’s natural state. It has the ability to kill bacteria that can lead to acne and does a great job dissolving dead skin cells, removing dirt and makeup. Witch hazel is naturally astringent and will easily remove excess oil and dirt from the skin. It is also naturally anti-inflammatory and is a natural antioxidant helping with free radical damage on the skin which sets the stage for more youthful skin. We’ve switched out our formula from flower infusions to real floral waters. These waters are from the steam collected when making essential oils and hold amazing properties from the flowers they have been extracted from. Neroli and rose water are both time proven floral waters that help with your skin’s hydration and facial health. They are very gentle and great for all skin types including those with acne prone skin and those with mature skin. Because we couldn’t stop there, we’ve also added amazing essential oils for face health into our toner. Frankincense, juniper, rose and neroli essential oils all have a cleaning, calming reparative aspect to them that will take your face to radiance.
When should you use a toner?
Most people use a toner in both the AM and PM. If you do have oily/acne prone skin, we recommend cleansing with an oil based cleanser like our Cleansing Oil (read more about oil cleansing here), toning with our Hydrating Toner and moisturizing with our Balance Facial Serum during the day. At night, you can keep this same routine but add in a spot treatment with our Clear Roller and once a week gently exfoliate with our Balance Exfoliating Mask. If you are someone that generally has good skin, you’ll likely be able to use your toner once a day and notice some great results. Use it after cleansing and before moisturizing. If you moisturize before the toner has totally dried on your face, you’ll be able to absorb the properties of your moisturizer even better. Most people with generally good skin love our Day Cream and our Illuminate Facial Serum. If you have dry mature skin, we would recommend toning every morning and night after cleansing and before our Revitalize Facial Serum. Some people with dry skin also like to use our Night Cream overtop of the revitalize serum at night and either the Day Cream or Revitalize Facial Serum during the day.
Rachel and I were seriously so surprised with how much we love this product once it was made. It travels with me everywhere and gets used daily. My hormonal acne is so much better and my skin always feels so fresh and so clean these days too! Give it a try and I’m sure you’ll be happy, satisfied and hooked! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us through our site or at info@purelivingenthusiast.com
Happy Face Adventures
Jay and Rae
