The main difference between toners and astringents is the alcohol content. Toners have no alcohol while astringents contain alcohol.

Both are used after cleansing the skin morning and night but this is where the comparison ends: They have very different functions, and there are differences from brand to brand. Use: step 1 of the skin care routine is cleansing, step 2 is spraying the toner; note that astringents are usually placed on a cotton ball and wiped on the skin.

A high-end toner improves the skin through various ingredients and adjusts the pH of the skin; the pH makes a very big difference in how the skin absorbs and benefits from active ingredients. ATZEN has 3 toners with various pH to best address different skin conditions and correct skin problems: Balancing and hydrating sensitive skin (BALANCE line: Hydrating Toner), correcting acne and sensitive skin (PURIFY line: Toner), and brightening and reducing brown spots in sun damaged skin (RENEW line: Facial Toner). A second function common to all three ATZEN toners is that they are formulated to make the skin more receptive to serums (step 3) and moisturizers (step 4) that follow the use of the toners.

Other brands may have different functions and ingredients.

Astringents are formulated to remove traces of oil, perspiration, or makeup from the skin; astringent are alcohol- or chemically-based and are used to deep clean the skin and pores; some are promoted to “shrink pore size” but there is no evidence of that scientifically. Astringents are recommended to oily and acneic skin, although new research indicates that alcohol irritates, dehydrates, and prematurely ages the skin; furthermore, alcohol irritates oil glands in the skin and oil glands produce even more oil starting a couple of hours after alcohol has been applied on the skin. Clinical data indicates alcohol actually enlarges pores over time, not the opposite. Astringents are more “old school” and used to be very popular starting in the 70’s, before better ingredients were developed, and inexpensive to produce. Skin care formulating has come a long way especially in the high-end category. More advanced lines tend to avoid astringents and alcohol-based products, and can do so by developing excellent cleansers that clean the skin and pores to perfection, leaving no oil or makeup residue; therefore eliminating the need for an astringent altogether.

Many skin care products containing acids or alkaline ingredients can disrupt normal pH balance. Using a toner after daily cleansing helps restore the disrupted acid mantel quickly. In addition, many skin toners help keep moisture locked in, refresh the skin / make the skin feel better, and can be used on-the-go when there is no time to wash the face. Toners can reduce or remove harmful minerals and chlorine that may be present in tap water. Don’t skip the toner - it makes your skin care routine more effective, and feels so good when you apply it.

Check out our three toners.