After my skin is makeup free and cleansed, I move on to step three: toners. I have been a huge fan of toners ever since I first started to get into skincare. I think they are really important in resetting the pH balance of your skin after it has been disrupted by makeup removal and cleansing. Contrary to most of my skincare routine, I do not have a holy grail toner that I have been using for years. Instead, I have three current favorites that I switch between depending on what my skin needs.
1. CLINIQUE CLARIFYING LOTION 2
I originally started using this Clinique toner when I first began concentrating on my skincare. It is really great quality and price, and also great for all ages! Since I have super sensitive skin, I have found that this toner is gentle enough not to make my skin red and irritated, but it also is strong enough to really help my skin when I have acne. With that said, this is not my everyday toner. I usually use it when my skin is particularly bad or I am having an acne flare up. I think it does a really good job of calming my skin and helping to clear up my acne! I just use a cotton round to apply this to my face before adding any other moisturizers or products.
2. BALANCING FORCE OIL CONTROL TONER
Suprise, surprise another Ole Henriksen product! Now, this has been my everyday toner for the past six months and I am 100% buying another bottle when this one runs out. It does a great job of getting rid of any excess dirt, which you can see on the cotton pad when you are done using it, and does not irritate my skin in the slightest. Since it is from the same line as my everyday face wash, it is made with the, according to their website, "Green Fusion Complex, a proprietary blend of potent active botanicals—green tea, eucalyptus, algae (kelp) and Irish moss extracts—with natural antiseptic properties." So, not only does it help to minimize the appearance of pores and freshen my skin, but it also helps to leave my skin bacteria free and really feeling clean. I would recommend this toner to basically anyone, not to mention the fact that it is a great price!
3. JOSH ROSEBROOK HYDRATING ACCELERATOR
My third tone is something I mainly use in the summer. This is my second bottle of the product, and I really do stand by it. This hydrating accelerator is great for those days when you get back from the beach and after you shower your face is feeling (and looking) a little puffy, red, and (no surprise for me) sunburned. Since this product has aloe in it, it really helps to soothe my skin and bring down the redness and irritation. Normally, I just spray this directly onto my skin with the mister on the bottle: the best feeling ever after a long day at the beach! Combined with my SkinCeuticals serum and Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, this is my favorite summer skincare routine!
Xoxo,
Salut Sophie