Brightening toners for dry skin???

[esskay94]

Hey guys! So I've been trying to invest some more ~love~ and ~self-care~ into my routine and over the past few months have built a very basic skincare routine that I'm really happy with. In the beginning I went a lil crazy and added a new cleanser, toner, and serum all at once to my moisturizer and my skin was NOT happy, so I backed off and worked with the cleanser first, ditched the serum, and now I'm starting the toner back up again. It's a really basic toner - 10$ from the body shop - and honestly I don't really feel like it's doing much. I'm on the market for a new toner!

Some things about my skin: I've got *really* dry skin, especially this time of year, but I don't really get dry patches so much as occasional tightness on my face. One of my biggest complaints right now is dullness and acne scars so I'd love to add a toner that brightens my face and maybe clears those scars. I'm 23, so my skin's still pretty young, and my skin isn't too sensitive.

Any recommendations? I'd like to not spend above 30$, ideally, but tbh I have my eye on the Fresh deep hydration toner. Worth the splurge?

[Amanda1851]

The Fresh toner is excellent. It is extremely hydrating because of the various forms of rose as well as hyaluronic acid. It doesn't take much either. Just 4-5 drops on a cotton round or in the palm of your hand and press into your skin. It tones while also refreshing and hydrating the skin. The only issue I have with it is that it contains fragrance, so if you have sensitivity to fragrance I would go to your local Sephora and get a sample to try before purchasing. 

Other toners you could try are the Belif Witch Hazel Herbal Extract Toner or the Algenist Hydrating Essence toner. Both are under $30 and still work great. What's nice about these two is that they give the hydration of an essence but also smooth and tone the skin as well. 

[figu0020]

Unfortunately, I haven't tried Fresh's toner, so I can't speak to it.  However, I really like IT Cosmetics' Miracle Water™ 3-in-1 Glow Tonic.  I use it as my second step in a double cleanse, and I find that it really works well as a exfoliating, hydrating toner.  Almost immediately I noticed it started to lighten my old acne scars and take away dullness.  I too have really dry skin (Minnesota here!) and I was worried that another exfoliator would dry me out further.  But, miraculously this takes away any flaky patches I may have, and allows my next skincare step to sink right in.  So far, this has been my favorite beauty addition from 2017.

Good luck finding something that works!

[darlyndar]

@esskay94 You neeeeeeeeed to watch Gothamista on YouTube! There’s a Korean beauty practice called the 7 skin method. It’s very simple. Use a hydrating essence and apply it 7 times in a row. I practice this everyday but with 3 different essence (you don’t have to, I just prefer that). An essence is technically a Toner but contains zero alcohol. If you’re in the US, Korean beauty can be found at CVS and Target! I just purchased an ElishaCoy hydrating essence for $10 and it works amazing! I wish my face, lightly pat excess water off and pour about 5/6 drops of essence in my palm then press it into my face. I repeat that 7 times and at the end, my skin is ridiculously plump and hydrated. This is a wonderful practice that gives immediate results! If you stick to it, dry skin will be a memory.