When and How to Use Toner

When and how you use a toner in your skincare routine will dramatically effect how well all of the other products in your skin routine work. You may not even need a toner in your routine- but if you do- make sure you use them correctly.

This blog discusses how to use toners (also called essences) and how toners differ from micellar water and cleansers. The advice i give my patients is “Know your Baumann Skin Type before buying any skincare products so you know you are using the correct products in the right order of your skincare routine.” Once you get our skincare routine advice, you will know exactly how often to apply toner and what step to use toner in your skincare routine.

How to Apply Toner

Always apply toner after cleansing. If you have very delicate eye skin, you can apply your eye cream before using a toner. After applying a toner, follow with a serum or moisturizer that is right for your Baumann Skin Type.

You can learn about types of toners here.

To apply toner, use a cleansing pad or a cotton call. Wet it thoroughly- but not so much that it is dripping. Wipe across the T-zone first and then the remaining part of the forehead and chin. If you have dry cheeks, you can skip using toner on your cheeks and just do the central face. If you are using a hyaluronic acid or glycerin-based toner, treat your cheek areas as well.

How to Apply Toner Without a Cotton Ball

Moistened pads containing toner and can be used if you do not want to use cotton balls. In some cases, there are prepackaged and easy to use on the go. I like to use the individually wrapped acne treatment pads for my teenage patients with acne. However, this is not the best for the environment.

So if you wan to reduce waste and avoid increasing garbage, you can use a soft facial cloth or an old soft that. (Make sure to wash it every day so bacteria does not build up in the fabric).

You can also pour toner in the palm of your hand and apply it to your face with your fingers but this wastes toner and can dry out the skin on your palms. So- always rinse your hands and apply a hand cream after using.

How to Use Toner

Toner is not necessary for most skin types because serums are often used instead. Once you take our skin type quiz, we will tell you if a toner or serum is better for you, how many times a day to use it and when to use it in your skincare routine.

How often to use

How often to use toner depends upon many things such as:

which skin type do you have

what ingredients are in the toner

how is your skin feeling that day.

For example, if you have sensitive skin and your skin burns and stings- skip your toner because it may dry and irritate your skin.

However, if your skin is sensitive, a soothing toner with anti-inflammatory ingredients can be used when your skin feels sensitive. It is hard to give you advice without knowing your skin type, so take the quiz and we can give you better recommendations on what toners to use and when to use them.

Toners and Cleansing

If you washed your face before you went to bed, you can use a toner in the morning instead of a cleanser (for most skin types). But never replace your night cleanser with a toner. You need a true cleanser to remove the oil, sweat, makeup, sunscreen, and pollutants from the day.

Cleansers vs Toners

There is a big difference between cleansers and toners.

Most toners have alcohol and astringents. They often have ingredients that are left on the skin when the liquid part of the toner evaporates.

Cleansers have surfactants – also known as detergents- that remove oil, dirt, sunscreen and sweat from the skin’s surface. Some cleansers have hydrating lipids that are left on the skin once the cleanser is washed off. Toners usually do not have lipids.

Toners vs Micellar Water

Some people think micellar water is a type of toner, but it is actually a type of skin cleanser. Micellar water contains small amounts of detergents and should be washed off the skin. I know the skincare companies tell you that micellar water can be left on the skin, but this is a bad idea if you have dry skin, sensitive skin, eczema, or are on topical retinoids or benzoyl peroxide.

Toners can be used to remove makeup, but micellar water does a better job of washing off cosmetics.

Wash off Toner

Toners are left on the skin and not washed off. Micellar water should be rinsed off.

When to Use Toner in Your Skincare Routine

Toners are always used in Step 3 of your am and pm skin routine.

Many skin types do not need a toner and a serum will be used in Step 3 instead of a toner. It depends upon which Baumann kin Type you are. In my opinion as a dermatologist, I think you should only use a toner if you have acne or oily skin. You can also use a toner to apply hydroxyacids and salicylic acid to treat rough skin or as part of an antiaging skincare routine.

Day or Night Routine

If a toner is right for your Baumann Skin Type, when to use it depends on the other products in your skin care routine. It does not matter if you use toners in the morning or at night, but they will dramatically effect how well other products in your routine work so you really need to consider the order you use them based on which ingredients they contain.

Using Toner with Moisturizer

You always use toner before your moisturizer. You would not want ot use it after the moisturizer because most toners have alcohols and other ingredients that will dissolve the lipids in your moisturizer and interfere with the barrier repair effects of the moisturizer. It is best to apply toner first and let it absorb and the solvent sin it evaporate. After waiting a few seconds, you can then follow toner with a moisturizer.

Toner or Serum First?

Toners always go before serums. If you put a toner after a serum it can inactivate some of the important ingredients in the serum. Properly matching a toner and a serum can make the serum work better. An example is Vitamin C serums. Most Vitamin C serums need a low pH to penetrate well. Using a low pH hydroxyacid toner or a toner with hyaluronic acid and no lipids before an ascorbic acid serum can help the Vitamin C absorb better.

How Often To Use

How often to use toner depends upon many factors such as your skin type, what ingredients are in the toner, and your lifestyle, and what other products are in your skincare routine. I am going to address the question of how many times to use toner based on your skin type.

Dry Skin

Dry skin types often do not need a toner. Again it depends on what is in the toner, but most toners are not hydrating enough. Hyaluronic acid and glycerin humectant toners are good for dry skin types and can be used 2 times a day, but they should be followed with a barrier repair moisturizer.

Oily Skin

Toners are great for oily skin types if you choose one that helps clear pores. Do not use a toner for oily skin that has oils and fatty acids in it. It is better to use an alcohol-based toner. Oily skin types can apply a toner 2 times a day after cleansing the face.

Oily types can apply toner with cotton balls or use presoaked pads.

Acne

If you are using an acne treatment toner with ingredients that kill acne bacteria, you should use the acne toner 2 times a day. This is because acne bacteria takes about 12 hours to reproduce so to kill it- you must apply an antibacterial 2 times a day. These are the an antibacterial ingredients found in toners:

alcohol

antibiotics (prescription only)

benzoyl peroxide

hypochlorous acid (HOCl)

sodium hypochlorite

silver

Good acne treatment toners usually have one of these. They may also have anti-inflammatory pore cleaning ingredients like these:

salicylic acid (BHA)

willow bark (A natural form of salicylic acid)

I want to give you personalized advice on how to use toners, but you can see from this blog that it depends on a lot of factors. Take the quiz and then you will get emails with personalized advice that is much more accurate than a generalized skincare advice blog.

DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek. “Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more. Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals. Sunscreen “We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.” Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup. Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand. Vitamin C Serum “A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging. Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation. Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants. Peptides Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.” Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively. This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek. At-Home Peel Pads Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate. “The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.” According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says. Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection. KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids. Emollient Night Cream “In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.” “Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products. Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid. RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme “The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.

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