3 stepsSkincare regime

3 steps: cleansing, toning and moisturising. Is that a marketing gimmick whereby they make something unnecessary a need, or is it a real need?

There are many professionals who disagree; stating it really is an unnecessary step in your skin care regime unless you have oily skin or just love using a toner."Today most dermatologists agree toner isn't necessary. Its main purpose is to remove traces of makeup and residual cleanser, but a high-quality cleanser, even a creamy one, should rinse off easily with water alone. Some women like the fact that toner leaves their face tight and smooth. But that taut, tingly sensation actually indicates dryness." -- InStyle's "Getting Gorgeous"

Personally, i feel that it depends on your needs.
Toners with alcohol are like astringents, which are solutions that remove surface skin cells, soap residue and oil from the skin, which might be good for acne skin. But on the other hand, some acne is caused by dry skin, then this will actually worsen the condition.

A big misconception is that a toner will close enlarged pores, but actually it gives the appearance of minimizing pores as the toner irritate the skin and make it swell slightly.

A toner remove excess oil from the skin, whisk away impurities that remains after cleansing, which can lead to blemishes or breakouts. But if you cleanse properly, maybe the toner isn't even needed?

Different toners have different uses:

 1. Freshener - contain virtually no alcohol (0-10%), water, and a humectant such as glycerine. Humectants help to keep the moisture in the upper layers of the epidermis by preventing it from evaporating. A popular example of this is rosewater, or neutrogena lotion.

2. Astringents-
strongest form of toner and contain a high proportion of alcohol (20-60%), antiseptic ingredients, water, and a humectant ingredient. These are commonly recommended for oily skins as they are drying. e.g witch hazel.

I use Neutrogena myself, what about you?

How to wash your face

To keep your skin glowing and fresh, you need to follow a daily skin care routine of which cleansing forms a major part.

1. Rub a small amount of cleanser between your hands. After you create some lather, rub some gently onto the face with your fingertips and rub from neck up to your hairline in a circular motion.

Lathering or foaming is important because the action or rubbing helps to emulsify a quarter-sized amount of shampoo, which can activate the cleansing ingredients. This should be true for all soaps, such as shampoo and bodywash as well.

2. Rinse the skin with lukewarm water. Repeat this until you remove all cleanser. Splash cool water as a last step to help keep skin taut.

3. Pat the face dry with a thin, cotton towel. Then apply a toner to refresh the skin and a facial moisturizer to replenish natural oils.

Interesting Fact:

There is a big difference in the composition and formulation of a soap, cleanser and a scrub. Soaps and cleansers are both surfactants, but soaps usually have a vegetable oil source whereas cleansers are made from synthetic chemicals.

To read more, go here.