Toning Of Your Skin:

This category of skin-care products include cosmetics like skin fresheners, toners and astringents.They basically contain alcohol and water.Glycerine, witch hazel, menthol, camphor, boric acid, rose water and alum are often added.The basic difference in the formula is in the amount of alcohol these products contain.As alcohol has a very drying effect, there is little or none of it in the products intended for dry skin while the products for use on oily skin have a high alcohol content.

These products are used after cleaning the skin(with soap or any other cleanser), though they can be used as interim cleansers as well, as they can remove grime and oils.They freshen and tone up the skin and prepare it for application of make-up.They also restore the acid/alkali balance of the skin, because they are pH balanced.

Despite claims to the contrary, fresheners, toners and astringents do not close pores.As a Matter of fact, no cosmetic product can alter the actual size of the pores.What really happens after using these products is a mild irritation of the skin.This results in swelling of the skin and so the pores appear less prominent.

Home Made Skin Toners:
You can also make a natural skin toner at home.Tomato juice is a good skin toner
1.For Normal Skin:
A.Rose Water Toner:  For normal skin, you can use half a tbsp of alum and 50gm of rose water and a 100gm of glycerine.Mix them together and store in the fridge.
B.Cucumber toner: This is a refreshing toner for normal skins.Chop up a small sized fresh cucumber and liquidize it with half a cup of yoghurt.Apply the mixture for 5-10 minutes, and wash it off.The remainder can be stored in the fridge for future use.
2.For dry skin:
A.Mint toner: For dry skin, boil 2 handfuls of mint leaves in 100gm of water.This mint extract can be used as an anti-perspirant when you dilute it in water.Take 2 drops of it in a cup of distilled water to which half a tsp of alum has been added.A toner is applied to the face with cotton wool and it is quite refreshing.
3.For Oily Skin:
A.Alcohol And Alum Toner:   For this type, take one tsp of alcohol(available at the chemist's)100gm of distilled water.Add half a tsp of alum, and make your toning solution.Storing it into the fridge helps in preserving it for a longer time, and also when you are all warm and sweaty, a cold toner is wonderfully refreshing.
B.Honey and egg Toner:  Whisk one egg white until it thickens, then whisk in 1 tsp of honey.Finally add 1 tsp of lemon juice.Apply to your face and neck avoiding the delicate eye and lip areas.Leave it on for 10minutes and wash with warm water.

All these toners are exactly what you get in the market.There they have fancy labels and high price tags attached, and of course sometimes they also have some chemicals which are detrimental to your skin.The shelf life of a skin toner is 3 months and that is why preservatives are put into them.But when you make your own, you know what is going into them.

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