5 Unforgettable Reasons To Never Skip "Toner" After Cleansing Your Face

Toner is the most underused and misunderstood skincare product; yet, it can make all the difference. 

1. Toners Boost Your Immune System:

The body is naturally armored by its acidic mantel which is its first defense against germs, bacteria, viruses and anything else evolved enough to damage the immune system. Each and every time you wash your body, you strip your skin of this acidity AND it takes up to 8 hours for your body to rebuild this protective layer. To speed up this  process and restore your body's pH, as well as hydrate your lipid mantle... use toner*!  Toner isn't just for your face, you can use it for your entire body...even your hair. Go crazy, indulge your immune system and spray a thin layer all over after each shower! (Get a toner enriched with different vitamins and essential oils for add benefits). Fun Health Fact: to stay healthy while traveling, you should never bathe the day of boarding a plane or bus. Instead, bathe the night before to ensure your acid mantle is restored enough to  protect you! 

2. Toners Make The Most Of Your Money:

One of the greatest benefits of using a toner is that it prepares your skin for your other products. Even after cleansing, your skin can still have minerals and hard water deposits which block your other products from penetrating the dermis. Toners eliminate and dissolve any impurities that are left on your skin which allows your serums and moisturizers to  penetrate deeper; thus, optimizing the benefits of each and every product that follows your toner. When you don't use toner as a part of your skincare regime, you're wasting  money on all of your other products because you're not allowing them to work to their fullest!  Stop doing yourself a disservice, and TONE UP!

3. Toners Heal Skin and Neutralize Free Radicals:

Toners worth using contain beta carotene proteins, which you usually hear about when talking about the foods that are healthiest for you, such as cruciferous vegetables. Beta carotenes are important because they protect your from and neutralize free radicals, which are pollutants known to age and cause damage to skin. Toners are also infused with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that make them naturally antiseptic to help heal minor scratches and soothe inflammation; thus improving your overall appearance within seconds and within the first steps of your skincare regime. 

4. Toners Provide Shaving Relief:

Shaving creams use alcohol to soften hair so that it can be shaved. Unfortunately, alcohol drys skin; thus, defeating the purpose of shaving! For the best shave for you face or body, for both men and women... Use your toner (without alcohol or exfoliating ingredients such as glycolic) as an aftershave. Toner will close exposed pores, hydrate, and soothe irritations caused by shaving! 

5. Hydration, Hydration, Hydration:

Does your skin ever feel tight after washing your face? That's because your skin is dehydrated! Same goes for itchy,scaly skin in the winter. Hydration is the key component to having a "healthy glow" that you desire. Don't wait! Use toner before applying your moisturizers to provide extra hydration to even the driest alligator skin.


*FUN FACT: Toners and astringents are different: Astringents were created during a time when women used cold creams to remove extremely heavy makeup. Cold creams create a lipid layer on the skin that clogs pores while astringents contained alcohol to break up this lipid layer. Do not use any toners with alcohol as an ingredient as it defeats the entire purpose of toner because alcohol dehydrates the skin and damages living skin cells. Also, some toners designed for acne contain ingredients like glycolic...only use these for the face or back, but not the rest of your body. 


**Additional Tip for Using Toner: always wait for skin to completely dry before applying other products. 


What do you think? For us, this only scratches the surface... 


Article written by Samantha M. Harders, Business Development Manager: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-m-harders-87540759

IG: @averygrahamskincare

Ways Exercise Makes You Ugly

1. High Impact Sports Age You:

Exercises like running break down the smallest tissues that support the structure of your muscles.  Each “pound of the pavement” forces gravity against you, pulling and tearing your skin towards the ground. Sagging skin caused by this traumatic and cyclic activity is usually most visible on the face, knees, and breasts. Save your skin by remaining active, but with low impact sports and activities such as swimming or walking.

2. Loss of Essential Vitamins & Nutrients Devitalizes Skin:

Exercising and then eating unhealthy, improperly re-nourishing, or failing to hydrate your body after a workout is especially detrimental to skin. As the largest organ on your body, your skin needs you to stack up on more than protein  post workout. You need essential vitamins and minerals that only proper food can provide. For glowing and healthy skin, eat the plots of the rainbow - all veggies continue beta carotene proteins which come from the pigment of the vegetable or fruit... This is what re-nourishes your skin from the inside-out post workout. Lastly, let me ask, "how does a grape become a raisin?" Dehydration. Even though I shouldn't need to remind you to drink water, allow me to do so anyway: drink more water for supple, beautiful, healthy skin!

3. Sweating = Compromised Skin, Dry with Clogged Pores

It's no secret that exercising can cause you to breakout, especially during summer months when there's no reprieve from the heat and sweat. An improper skincare regime can take this problem worse by over drying the skin. But, what can you do about it? Introduce skincare into your exercise regime.... Here's how:

A.  Wash your face with your regular face wash before you exercise to purify the surface of your skin. Whatever is on your skin before you exercise will sink into your pores as they open throughout your workout. Avoid cleansing brushes and make-up removing wipes, as brushes can irritate and inflame the skin while wipes usually contain ingredients that lay on your skin which  precludes your pores' ability to fully breathe and expel impurities as you sweat. 

B.  Avoid cross contamination. Sweating allows  bacteria to transfer more easily from other people’s hands to the surfaces of exercise machines and weights. Be sure to disinfect machines before and after use, and still avoid touching your skin, even to wipe off sweat from your forehead. Same goes for your exercise partner: if you touch each others hands or bodies while sweating and working out, avoid cross contamination of bacteria by washing your hands with antibacterial soap before, during and after a workout. 

C. Use a salicylic cleanser after your workout, while your face is still warm and wet from sweat. This ensure that the exposed pores can be thoroughly cleansed and closed before contamination can continue from sweat and dirt post-workout. Salicylic dissolves dead skin cells without causing damage to or over drying the skin. 

For More Expert Advice and Skincare Information, visit Avery Graham Noble Skincare at www.averygraham.com or email me at info@averygraham.com!