What Is An Exfoliating Toner?
When people hear the term exfoliator, they typically think of spa masks, scrubs, or chemical peel treatments. However, nearly any substance designed for skincare can have exfoliating benefits with the right active ingredients. At Epicuren Discovery, we’ve developed toners capable of helping exfoliate and visibly brighten your face throughout the day with mild but potent exfoliating ingredients.
What are Exfoliating Toners?
Not everyone has heard of exfoliating toners. These are a type of skincare product that are generally less potent than your typical face mask or exfoliating scrub so they’re able to be used on a more regular basis. They contain exfoliating chemicals like alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids that chemically dissolve dead skin cells and some excess oil that might have built up on your face.
Who Should Use Exfoliating Toners?
Not everyone needs to use exfoliating toners, although they are known for specific benefits that you might be after. This includes people who want consistent, smooth skin texture and a brighter appearance to their complexion. Dull skin is often due to the buildup of dead skin cells, whether this clogs pores or not. It can also contribute to uneven skin tone, with some areas having more dead skin than others.
Exfoliating toners aren’t designed to replace more potent products like Retinol Anti-Wrinkle Complex Cream. Serums or skin tightening formulas, but they are a way to infuse even more of your skincare routine with exfoliants.
Types of Exfoliating Toners
As mentioned, toners that exfoliate can have one of a few chemical compounds that provide the exfoliation. The ones we’ve chosen to include in our exfoliating toners are alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs).
AHA Toner
The common alpha hydroxy acids used in skincare products are glycolic acid and lactic acid or similar synthetic compounds. AHA toner is helpful for brightening the skin tone as well as preparing it to better uptake moisturizing oils and creams. There have also been some reports of products with AHAs helping diminish the appearance of large pores or fine lines and wrinkles.
BHA Toner
Our beta hydroxy acid of choice is salicylic acid. This may be familiar to people with oily or acne-prone skin as a gentle exfoliant that clears pores without stripping too many oils from the skin’s surface. This is the main reason we include it in exfoliating formulas, although it has many other benefits on its own.
How do Toners Exfoliate the Skin?
Most toners are not formulated with exfoliating chemicals like AHAs and BHAs. Instead, toners usually contain compounds like aloe vera, and moisturizing ingredients like colostrum, or protein enzymes. However, there’s no reason why chemical exfoliants can’t be included in these products since their oil-dissolving effects aren’t negated by the water-based formulas that toners are known for.
Acids (including AHAs and BHAs) work by breaking down the membranes of skin cells, the contents of which can then be easily dissolved by the rest of the toner ingredients.
Our Recommended Exfoliating Toners
Vegan Mist Toner (AHA)
Our lactic acid-based formula is balanced with aloe vera leaf extract to ensure it’s effectiveness for sensitive skin types. It prepares the skin for receiving potent clarifying compounds in the serum or your other skincare products and can also help refresh your complexion throughout the day. For added hydration, pair with our Strengthen and Rebuild Serum Concentrate.
Clarify Exfoliating Astringent (BHA)
This exfoliating astringent is best suited for people who struggle with blemishes, acne, and excess facial oil. It helps with blemish-causing oils and helps prepare your skin for the hydration it needs from other high-quality moisturizers. This product can be used at night, which could be helpful for people with acne-prone skin who might experience worse breakouts due to their pillows or bedsheets not being changed regularly.
High Quality Skincare Products by Epicuren Discovery
Our toners, serums, and moisturizers are crafted with formulas that have been proven to offer real results to people who have struggled to find a skincare company producing cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable products. To learn more about which products might be right for your skincare concerns or your skin type, take our Skin Quiz today.