You should have done your skin analysis and cleansed your skin before you go on to tone your skin.

Toning lotions are used to remove all traces of grease; cleanser and skin care preparations, can also restore the acidic PH balance to the skin, but if the toner is too strong – as it could contain alcohol – called an astringent.  This will disturb the PH balance also strip the skin of too much sebum, which will soon be replaced, but more excessively if too strong for your skin type.  It can also create a tightening effect on the skin, this is with an astringent, helping to close the pores and reduce the flow of sweat and sebum to the skins surface.

Other main actions are:

• Use after a mask to refine the skin texture
• Before make-up to refresh the skin and close the pores

Toners have a cooling effect on the skin due to the alcohol or water in it, which then evaporates from the skin surface.

There are several forms of toners:

• Tonics
• Astringents
• Skin fresheners and bracers

Your face should not feel really tight or tingle after you have applied the toner; this is an indicator that you are not using the correct product for your skin type or condition.  The products that can be used will be explained on another page.  

WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR TONING:

Damp cotton wool

The correct toner for your skin type and condition

Tissues for blotting

Headband  

TONING PROCEDURE:

You have already gone through the cleansing so this will be very easy to follow:

• With your headband in place.  Take some damp cotton wool and put some toner on them.  You will not need a lot, as the cotton wool is already damp.
• Starting at the base of the neck work your way upwards as you did in the superficial cleansing avoiding the eye area and work your way round the face finishing at the temples.
• With your tissues, place a hole in the center of it and place over your face, press gently to remove any excess toner and remove.

This should have been really easy to follow if you have read and understood the cleansing procedure.  If you are confused or didn’t understand any of the procedures then please do not hesitate to e-mail me.

Shall we go on to the moisturiser section?