Moisturizing vs Treatment Toners

[scarletb]

Looking into a toner and it seems to me there are 2 types I'm looking at... one is more of just a hydrating toner and the other is more of an acid toner with actives like Salicylic Acid or Lactic Acid for example.  Both, I imagine, should be ph balancing (lower ph) to prep for other actives. 

My skin is combination and dehydrated, oily and clogged in the tzone and prone to the occassional zit or two but also sensitive to products that are overly drying.

Since I'm easing into my exfoliants, I'd like to start with a more mild hydrating toner.  But is this even necessary if I'm using a lower ph cleanser?  One I am looking at is the Fresh Rose Deep Hydration  Facial Toner .  I don't see anything that refers to ph balancing though... is this a ph balance toner?  Other "mild hydrating" ones I'm looking at are Son & Park Beauty Water, Caudalie Moisturizing Toner and, Blithe Vital Treatment Essence (a combo toner and essence?? called a treatment but with antioxidants not acids?)  and Clarins Toning Lotion with Chamomile  but I don't want to get something if it is so mild that it doesn't actually accomplish anything. With fall/winter approaching I'm also looking at Dr. Jart Ceramidin Liquid but I'm not sure if I need that yet.

Thoughts on if this is necessary, or worth at least trying? Thoughts on the differences between moisturizing and treatment toners? Favorites, suggestions? 

[JenniferOhJenny]

@scarletb I think your question is whether or not you need both of your toners to have a low pH? I would say no, since you would use the hydrating one after you put on your actives and your essence.

This is what I do, but of course with skincare YMMV - I use Mizon AHA & BHA Daily Clean toner as a pH balancing toner. I apply that after I wash my face in the morning, then put on my vitamin C serum, BHA, and AHA (waiting a bit between each step). I use Hado Labo Gokujun solution as a hydrating toner, and I don't worry about the pH of it because I don't use any actives after it, just layers of moisturizing products. 

[scarletb]

@JenniferOhJenny 

For instance,  Tarte Knockout Tingling Treatment is a toner (I think) that also acts as a treatment because it has SA and Lactic Acid. But if I want to use a different AHA/BHA treatment, I don't think I would want to use both in one night. So lets say I use an AHA serum, I would need a balancing and hydrating toner before that as well as an essence? See..I thought a toner comes after cleansing but you use it after your serum? Sorry still trying to get a handle on all of this! Thanks 🙂

[JenniferOhJenny]

@scarletb No worries - skincare can be so confusing! Like @quspork said, I would consider that Tarte treatment to be an active and so I wouldn't use another toner with actives in it at the same time.

I'm pretty into K beauty and there is a blogger I really like - Tracey at fanserviced-b dot com - who has a guide to routines that I refer to all the time (it's under Skincare Routines on her website). That might help you get the order straight, as well as help you figure out what products you need. 🙂

[scarletb]

Thanks @JenniferOhJenny I’ve been heavily reading/watching the blogs recently which have been informative and fun! But still figuring out these “multi purpose” products. Funny enough I discovered that blogger early today! I’m enjoying learning about K Beauty but I’d also like to make it more blended and not just with specific Korean brands. For example I still love the Truth Serum!

[JenniferOhJenny]

@scarletb Oh definitely - I like to mix things up. I love reading the K beauty blogs and I adore some of the products (like the Hado Labo) but you'll have to pry my Paula's Choice BHA from my cold, dead hands 😉

[quspork]

@scarletb  The only toner you would use before an active would be a pH-balancing one if you need it because of a higher pH cleanser.  You're right that some toners act more like a treatment by incorporating active ingredients, but then you generally wouldn't want to use that and follow with additional actives if your skin isn't used to it. For instance, the Tarte treatment you mentioned is something I would consider a straight active step. 

Hydrating toners are meant to help keep your skin hydrated. They come after active treatments in a skincare routine. These are especially helpful when you use actives because so many active treatments can easily dry out your skin. 

[scarletb]

 @quspork 

ah...so there are three types! So if I’m using a cleanser that is low ph I can skip the ph balance toner and go straight to an exfoliant, essence, then hydrating serum, and follow up with a hydrating (ph doesn’t matter) toner... I guess I’m having trouble figuring out which is a ph balance and which is a hydrating! I’m guessing because some are both lol the actives are easy to pinpoint! I’m also putting antioxidant ones in the “hydrating” group? Because I’m thinking you can use an exfoliant as well.    I guess the possibilities are truly endless 

[quspork]

So on your order there, @scarletb the hydrating toner would come after a first essence (one with ferments, if you're using that) and before other essences and serums. Those usually go thinnest to thickest. And all of that comes after your exfoliating step but before moisturizer. @JenniferOhJenny mentioned Tracey at Fanserviced B and she is a tremendous resource! Her pictorial guide is my favorite as well. 

You're right that there are really so many different types and a lot of overlap with so many of these products. Personally, I've found that pH balancing toners generally come right out and say that's what they are. They'll often have something about AHA/BHA in their names like the CosRx. Aha/Bha Clarifying Toner for instance. It can be a little confusing because it's easy to assume those are actually exfoliating toners but most have far too little AHA or BHA in them to exfoliate.

To know which ones are hydrating, you really just have to look at the ingredients and see what's at the top. Things like water, various oils, aloe, hyaluranic acid would be the type of thing you'd find in those types of toners. It's a lot to figure out but so worth it to dive into!  🙂