It’s likely that you’ve already got one in your beauty cupboard, but are you using your best toner enough? (And for the right reason?)
‘Everyone thinks that the toner is your second cleanse,’ says Joanna Czech, celebrity facialist and esthetician. ‘It’s not. It’s your first treatment step.’ According to Czech, your toner is there to rebalance your skin’s pH levels after you use water to rinse your cleanser off. Your toner is integral to your skincare routine as it improves the efficacy of the rest of the products in the following steps. (You can buy Czech’s own toner as part of her skincare kit from her website.)
In fact, that’s not the only thing that Czech, who counts Kim Kardashian, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Aniston, and Cara Delevigne as clients, says that we’ve not quite grasped. ‘Your nighttime routine is the most important,’ she says. That’s when you treat your skin issues. Your night products are 60% more potent for that reason.’ She says we spend longer worrying about our daytime routines and then rushing in front of the sink at night. Czech also says that we neglect a lot of areas during our routines. ‘Skincare starts at the nipples and ends at the hairline,’ she was keen to point out.
And it doesn’t stop at skincare – she says that we should be bathing or showering at night, just like children do. Because it calms the mind and body and get’s us ready for a night of recuperation. ‘Don’t bring the streets to the sheets,’ as she says.
So if you were considering skipping any steps, make sure it isn’t your toner, and be sure to really hone your nighttime skincare routine, by arming yourself with the best night cream.
Shop toners
Decree Prepatory Mist, £52 | Cult Beauty
Dr. Anita Sturnham, the founder of Decree, agrees completely with Czech’s advice on toners. She says that she has seen studies and trials that show that skincare routines are more effective when we use a toner after cleansing.
Byoma Balancing Face Mist, £11.95 | Cult Beauty
When skin is a little stressed – maybe you’ve gone a little too heavy with the acids, maybe you’ve just started using retinol for the first time – spritz your skin with this mist. It’s infused with the brand’s tri-ceramide complex to help get your skin barrier back to its former glory.
