Baubles, Rouge & Tulle: Our Chemical Romance – Tone Your Face

By Nicolle

If you’ve been following along, you’re probably becoming a clean-beauty-product connoisseur, and you know that our beauty products are dangerous, which ingredients to avoid and what clean hair care and face washes I recommend. So what’s next? Let’s chat about a facial product you maybe haven’t heard a lot about: toner.

Also known as astringent, the traditional toner you buy at your local drugstore is usually a combination of alcohol and water, which can leave your skin feeling tight and dry. Because alcohol is so drying, it actually strips the skin of its natural hydrating oil, which can trick your skin into thinking it needs to produce more oil to make up for the dryness.

While we shouldn’t be scared of oil on our faces (more on that next week!), when our skin overproduces oil because we’ve used too many drying products, we run into problems (namely that greasy, I-want-to-scrape-the-top-layer-of-my-face-off-with-my-nails shine).

You may be thinking, “Why do I even need a toner then?” My answer: A good toner (or astringent or hydrosol) will actually hydrate your skin and help it soak up your moisturizer, leaving your face more balanced and less likely to flake or break out than before.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Evan Healy Immortelle Facial Tonic: This hydrosol (which is basically a distilled essential oil) helps open pores and nourish skin, and is great for wounded, bruised, congested or sensitive skin. A slight word of caution: It has a really distinct smell, so if you don’t like musky fragrance, avoid this guy. Other Evan Healy hydrosols I love: Orange Blossom Facial Tonic Hydrosol for acne-prone/oily skin, Lavender Facial Tonic Hydrosol for sensitive skin and Rose-Jasmine Facial Tonic Hydrosol for dry skin.

Pure witch hazel: A natural astringent that gets its acne-fighting properties from chemicals called tannins, witch hazel has been used for centuries as a natural skin toner. It usually comes in liquid form that you can pour onto a cotton ball and dab over skin. Just make sure you look for an alcohol-free, organic witch hazel that doesn’t have any additives (Thayer’s makes a good one, available at Whole Foods).

Galen Labs hydrosols: This local natural skincare line has so many great hydrosols to choose from. Go with the Rose Hydrosol for dry skin, Tea Tree Hydrosol for acne-prone or congested skin (or athlete’s foot!) and the Melissa Hydrosol for sensitive skin (or for a natural remedy for poison oak or Seasonal Affective Disorder).

DIY: Mix a one part apple cider vinegar (not just for your hair!) with two parts water and add in a few drops of your fave essential oil (tea tree for congested skin, lavender for sensitive skin, rose for dry skin). The vinegar is a natural anti-bacterial and the essential oil can be tailored for your skin’s needs.

What about you, beauty mavens? What toners or astringents or hydrosols have you tried (and loved or hated)? Let me know in the comments, or email me at [email protected].

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