w hether you are working full time, raising a family, or both and then some, time is precious, especially the time you spend taking care of your skin! With precious free time, we can sometimes skip out on steps of our skincare routine that don't seem essential. Applying toner can be a miss for many clients. However, it can actually be one of the most effective parts of your skincare routine! It all starts with the pH of your skin.
A quick science lesson: pH is the measurement we use to determine how acidic something is. The lower the pH, the more acidic something is, while a higher pH is termed "alkaline" or "basic". For example, all of us could describe a lemon or other citrus fruit as very acidic - this is because they have a pH of about 2. Meanwhile, a bar of soap has a much higher pH of 12, and is therefore much more basic.
Everything around us has a pH, including our skin; depending on our hormones, daily habits, and other environmental factors, the pH of skin can vary person to person, but healthy skin usually falls in between a pH of 4.5 - 5.5. When the skin is in that range, it does a fantastic job at letting beneficial nutrients in, and keeping harmful pollutants out. It can fluctuate throughout the day, adjusting to our activities and environmental stressors. But when it falls out of that range for an extended period of time, it becomes compromised, prone to dehydration and irritation that results in a dull, dry, and aged appearance.
One of the best tools we have to keep our pH in balance is incorporating using toner. In the early days of skincare, many cleansers had a higher pH, and so toners were created to help bring our skin back to a healthy range after cleansing. Most cleansers today are formulated with a pH much closer to our skin's happy place. However, using a toner can be an extra insurance that your pH is in balance, helping your other products to penetrate more effectively into the skin, and provide a major source of hydration. And hydrated skin is healthy skin! It keeps excessive oil production at bay and leaves the skin looking plumped and healthy.
Ultimately, using a toner is helping you to get the most out of the products you've invested in! At VRB, we have a couple of toners that we rave about, because of their added benefits on top of pH balance and hydration. Take the cult favorite Lotion P50 from Biologique Recherche, that uses a cocktail of AHAs, BHAs and PHAs to effectively and steadily exfoliate the skin, while balancing the pH to allow for your serums and moisturizers to penetrate more effectively.
If you're seeking something a bit gentler and hydrating, try the botanical-Infused Moisturising Toner by Environ which contains a variety of plant extracts which are known to promote the appearance of healthy looking skin. It may also assist in improving the appearance of uneven skin tone. This toner was formulated to moisturize and improve skin’s overall appearance. It leaves the skin feeling hydrated, perfectly refreshed and primed for the application of the moisturizer.
The lesson? Give toner the time and attention it deserves! Think of them as an extra little nutritional supplement in your routine, helping you to get the most out of the precious time you have with your skin.
