Beauty routines can be very intense and require practice and knowledge to execute. Young girls begin practicing with makeup in their teens when physical appearance becomes more important to them. In later life, men and women can begin applying makeup for various reasons depending on their lifestyles and intent. The reason practice is so important is that there are dozens of products that fulfill different roles.
Some makeup is exclusively designed to highlight certain areas of the face by adding color, while others are designed to cover up blemishes like acne or scars. Because some makeup products cover most of the skin, some transcend their role as cosmetic tools and double as skin care products.
One of the more common skin care cosmetics is a skin toner, which is often applied to most of the skin on the face. Like most cosmetic tools, skin toners are designed to be left on for an extended period. Most cosmetic products are designed to last a few hours to maintain the appearance the user is cultivating. Skin toners fall under the same general category, though the reason it is used differs from more traditional cosmetic products.
While skin toners are an important tool for many people, how they are meant to be used can be confusing. One of the biggest questions is whether skin toner should be washed off or evaporated naturally. Misusing a skin care product can interfere with the results, so understanding how to use skin toner is critical to your routine.
What Are Skin Toners?
Skin toners are a fairly common skin care product that helps promote the cosmetic health of the skin that simultaneously improves appearance. Skin toners usually take the form of lotions, tonics, or similar products that accomplish the same goal. Skin toners focus on cleansing the skin and reducing the size of the pores in our skin. Pores can often be hard on the eyes because they become more visible when the skin is dirty or exposed to harsh elements.
The visibility of pores often damages our self-image because it exaggerates a part of our body that is extremely difficult to alter. Highly visible pores are often covered up by concealers or similar cosmetic products that make it harder to see what is under the makeup. Unfortunately, skin with low elasticity or excess sebum is more susceptible to enlarged pores, and makeup can exacerbate this.
Skin toners work to reduce the factors that enlarge the pores so they are less visible and the skin is rejuvenated. Usually, toners work to moisturize the skin to reduce the body's need to produce more sebum while simultaneously eliminating bacteria and dirt to prevent inflammation. Though application via cotton balls or pads is the most common, toners can be applied via several mediums. Ultimately, skin toners are designed to improve the skin's health, so cosmetic issues are less likely to affect the user.
Skin toners are extremely common cosmetic tools that have been used for several years, but the use of certain products is known to carry certain risks. Fortunately, skin toner is fairly mild and carries little risk for the users. The only real risk associated with skin toner is that the user might experience skin irritation after the first few applications. It is generally recommended to apply moisturizer to the same area after applying the skin toner to combat this effect.
This can mitigate the initial irritation; eventually, the toner will not have as many issues. That said, the risk associated with skin toners can be raised if they are not properly used or the ingredients are particularly harsh. Nevertheless, skin toners have a valid place in modern cosmetic and skin care routines, and there is confusion about proper skin toner use.
Should You Wash Skin Toner Off?
While skin toner is a common tool for many people, others might not have much experience with skin care products like this. Even those with experience might have overlooked a detail that led them to use a product incorrectly. Skin toners are fairly straightforward in application, but proper use can be more complicated.
One of the biggest questions newer skin toner users have is whether to leave the toner on after application or wash it out after a while. The answer to this question is quite simple, as most skin toners specify in their instructions that the product should be left alone. Skin care products like toners must be absorbed through the dermis, which takes time.
Washing skin toners or similar products out too soon will reduce or eliminate their benefits because your body does not have enough time to absorb them. Therefore, your best bet is to leave the product in for an extended period or until you are satisfied with the effects. This means there is a little guesswork involved, but the longer skin toners are left in the skin, the more effective they are.
This does not mean you should leave skin care products on overnight, as it is usually recommended to cleanse your face every morning and every night. However, the morning cleanse is also the most important since it is after the initial cleanse that you should apply skin toner.
That said, you will only end up washing skin toner off if you have a set routine that only requires it to sit for a specific amount of time. For example, the average recommendation is to leave skin toner in for between 5 to 10 minutes, but this can be extended if your skin requires extra care. The issue is that everyone's skin is different and has different needs, making identifying a definitive guide for everyone almost impossible. The best course of action is to follow the instructions outlined on your skin toner's packaging for the first few weeks. If you are not seeing progress or minimal progress, you can experiment by leaving the toner on a little longer than you normally would.
As a general rule of thumb, you will seldom wash your toner off unless it causes a negative reaction in your skin. Most major skin care products are pharmaceutical grade and manufactured with synthetic ingredients that can be harsh on the skin. The effects of pharmaceutical-grade skin products can discourage those who want a more holistic approach to their skin's health. Fortunately, skin toners use natural ingredients that you can use instead. The question is: what should you look for in a natural skin toner?
What Should Be In Your Skin Toner?
Avoiding synthetic compounds in beauty and skincare products is more difficult than you might imagine. This is primarily because products with natural ingredients are more expensive to manufacture than those with synthetically produced chemicals. While the less expensive materials help preserve the financial status of the manufacturer, they can lead to issues for the customer.
Chemical ingredients, especially for skin care products, can be aggressive when applied to something as sensitive as our skin. Our skin is more receptive to natural substances we are biologically equipped to process. While true symbiosis with skin care products is impossible, we have a better chance of responding favorably to natural products than synthetic ones. While natural substances are favored among certain demographics, something being made with natural ingredients does not inherently mean it will work.
If you want to access a skin toner with natural ingredients that can work, you need to ensure it includes substances with proven benefits for skin health. One of the main substances that have found a following in the skin care industry is coconut oil. As strange as it might sound, coconut oil is one of the healthiest natural supplements substances. Coconut oil has been used in countless products marketed towards health and beauty, but one of its most significant roles is its benefits for skin care.
One of the main benefits of coconut oil is that it actively combats microorganisms that can cause infections. Skin infections include common issues like acne or folliculitis caused or exacerbated by bacteria or fungi. Modern research has proven that coconut oil can kill these microorganisms and protect the skin from blemishes or more severe infections. The cause of coconut oil's anti-microbial effects results from the fact that coconut oil's composition is 50% lauric acid. Lauric acid is renowned in human biology and responsible for coconut oil's anti-microbial benefits.
A study tested the antibacterial properties of 30 different fatty acids, including lauric acid, and tested them against 20 different bacterial strains. When the study was completed, lauric acid was identified as the most effective fatty acid against bacteria and could block bacterial colonization. Further studies determined that lauric acid can kill Propionibacterium acnes, the bacteria responsible for outbreaks of inflammatory acne.
This secondary effect of lauric acid, combined with the prominence of lauric acid in coconut oil, is further reinforced by coconut oil's use as an anti-inflammatory. However, lauric acid is not the only reason coconut oil is an effective anti-inflammatory. Coconut oil is high in antioxidants, which reduce inflammation by preventing oxidative damage that might promote irritation.
Another important benefit afforded by coconut oil is that it can help treat acne, the most common skin condition. Once again, the lauric acid in coconut oil has been proven to protect against a major skin condition. In this instance, lauric acid is known to kill bacteria that cause acne, reducing acne in users of coconut oil. Studies have proved that lauric acid is more effective than benzoyl peroxide at preventing the growth of bacteria linked to acne. Given the lauric acid concentration in coconut oil, it should not surprise anyone that it is gaining traction as a skincare tool.
Another surprising addition to your skincare routine is something you have likely enjoyed before. Oddly enough, coffee can provide slight benefits for skin care that make it a valuable addition to your skincare routine. Like coconut oil, coffee is a fairly effective anti-inflammatory that can prevent inflammatory conditions from affecting the skin when combined with coconut oil. Unlike coconut oil, the anti-inflammatory properties of coffee come from chlorogenic acid instead of lauric acid. Additionally, chlorogenic acid has been linked to reduced hyperpigmentation that could discolor the skin.
The chlorogenic acid found in coffee has the added benefit of helping suppress acne since chlorogenic acid is also antibacterial. This means coffee and coconut oil share several traits that make them highly effective at maintaining the health and appearance of the human skin. Therefore, natural skin care products that combine coffee and coconut oil are strong contenders for people looking for skin toners or other products designed to rejuvenate and protect the skin. The big issue is finding a natural product that combines these ingredients that can be purchased from a reliable vendor.
Keep it All Natural!
Skincare is one of the most common routines in modern society since our skin is among the first things people notice about us. The condition of our skin, especially around the face, provides a first impression that cannot be reclaimed. As much as we hate to admit it, we live in a society that puts significance on our appearance, almost equal to that attributed to our personalities. Therefore, maintaining the quality of our skin is important for those who want to take advantage of physical appearance to enhance their societal standing.
Insofar as skin toners are concerned, their use is simple, and washing them off is a matter of preference and routine. While most products advise allowing at least 10 minutes, it is your decision whether to leave it on longer. The trick is finding a toner you can trust that provides natural ingredients.
We at Bella All Natural wholeheartedly espouse the idea that natural health and beauty products are the best. That is why we have developed our specialized Coconut Coffee Scrub for the face and body. Our scrub is an effective skin care product with multiple uses to cleanse and revitalize your skin using natural substances. If you want to enhance your skincare routine, we encourage you to visit our website and peruse our products. Just remember that no matter what you decide, always keep it All Natural!
