I have talked about how much I love Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish it is my one constant. Whilst I’m forever altering, tweaking or completely overhauling my other products and regimes I always use Cleanse and Polish even when I’m really ill it is one thing I insist on being able to do. But one thing I almost never do is tone. A toner is not part of my regime – is this a terrible a thing to admit?
When I first started reading beauty magazines in my teens the skincare mantra was cleanse, tone and moisturise, but that instruction is surely out of date now. Serums would have to be added, so would masks, eye creams/gels, lip balms, topical treatments etc. Skincare has advanced, yet when it comes to toners I feel that have stalled what is the point of them now, was there ever a point? Toners were supposed to remove the last bits of cleanser, close the pores, prep it for the moisturiser but any good cleanser wouldn’t need a toner to clean up after it and serums have far more functions and benefits than toners – don’t they?
The main reason that I don’t use toners is that they were generally awful when I was starting out in skincare and I came to see them as an uncomfortable and unnecessary expense. Most toners need to be applied with cotton wool and I hate cotton wool. Even cotton wool is scratchy and irritating to my sensitive skin. And the toners were mostly contained alcohol and left my skin tight, tingly and damn right sore that I came to hate them and whilst toners have improved I still can’t bring myself to like them. The Liz Earle toner has a gorgeous fragrance and is calming on the skin when used as a spritz in the summer but I don’t even like using that as its primary role as I don’t see a difference. The Elemis Apricot toner is quite pleasant to smell and non-offensive on the skin but again I feel no benefit, no motivation to use it in my skincare routine. I would rather use the money I save on a toner to pay more for an excellent serum or moisturiser. So am I missing out? Do you tone?
the modern girl's guide to being sick 
I don’t. I have bought them because, as you say it’s like a mantra, but as I use cold cream wiped off with a warm wet flannel, I don’t feel like I’m missing out. I have very sensitive skin too so the most recent one I tried was an old fashioned glycerin and rosewater one. But i still felt like I needed to splash my face with water after lol.
You’re not alone, dont worry 🙂
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I tone twice a day! When you wash your face you are stripping away not only make up and dirt but essential oils that your skin needs to repair itself throwing off your skins pH. L’BRI’s toner, our Freshener as we like to call it, uses ALL NATURAL ingredients to gently rebalance your skins pH helping to heal and restore your skin. Also, we use the amazing Aloe Vera as our first ingredient instead of water. You mentioned pleasant fragrances, are they made from chemicals? This will throw off your skin, drying it out or causing a reaction. As will anything with alcohol in it, which 98% of products have as one of their main ingredient.
I was in the same boat as you with toners, but now I’ve been educated and they do serve a purpose…well the right one for you will serve a purpose! it took me fifteen years to find a Freshner that I not only liked but loved!
As you get older serums serve a purpose too to help replace elasticity and keep wrinkles at bay. I suggest introducing a serum into your daily regimen in your mid twenties as that’s when you really start to lose collagen.
I would also like to point out that it is not good for your skin to use a variety of different brands on your face, especially for people with sensitive skin. It’s true, products are formulated to work with each other. So don’t “hodge podge” with Liz Earle face wash and Avon moisturizer for example. Use all Liz Earle products.
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Thank you. That’s really helpful info. I agree that serums are amazing. I did as you said and started using them in my mid twenties. Also never heard of the word ‘freshner’ for toner before so thanks for giving me a new meaning to a word. X
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oh and Glycerin was once thought to be good for the skin, when in actuality it dries the skin by pulling water from lower layers of skin to the outer layers, giving you a false sense of moisture. Over time it will continue to dry the skin out mute and more. it can be derived in a lab or naturally. I would use caution with this ingredient if you have sensitive skin.
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Hi. Thank you for my Liebster Award nomination- sorry it took me a long time to respond-but I finally got there:) x
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