Toner is a product which has been under constant attack by everyone saying it is a useless step and doesn’t really do anything for skin. But, you might have checked out my many DIY toners. So, yes, I do use a toner on and off and since face mists have hit the market, they have been favorites with every gal. So, I wanted to share a tip today. Using a toner regular can improve the hydration levels of the skin. And, for that, you need not go any far.
A simple rose water is enough to do the job. Or, green tea as well. I had also prepared a toner with essential oils which I had shared here. Frankly, I have used only one commercially available spritzer otherwise all my toners are DIY’s. They are inexpensive and also I can play with them as I want.
How do I use the toner?
I store my toners in spray bottles and try to use them both morning and night but generally, I miss them in the mornings!!! I collect the toner in my palm by spraying 5-8 pumps and rub the palms and apply the toner on my face and neck. No, generally, I don’t spill the product.
Results
Whenever I apply the toner on my face and then, follow immediately with facial oils, I have always noticed that the products get absorbed super fast and also leave a very dewy look. Also, the amount of moisturizer / oil required is less comparatively to when skin is not dewy. And, if you use green tea as a toner, it also helps with breakouts and acne!!
My skin is more hydrated and supple and if I miss toner 2-3 days continuously in a row, my skin goes dull again π So, I am working on making ‘applying toner’ a very religious affair. Do give this tip a try and lemme know how it goes for you π
makeup and beauty by prayati says
thats a really informative post….i use dabur gulabari’s face freshener as a toner…
Swati Murti says
thanks Prayati, glad it helped π somehow gulabari doesn’t suit me at all!!!
Simran says
Me usin patanjali gulab jal:)
Simran says
actually it is best also:)
Swati Murti says
that’s cheap if not the best π
backey says
Hi simran do not use that
Divine Blush says
Good post.. i have a query.. after cleansing the face i use to apply toner..then directly can we apply moisturizer??? or do we have to wipe the toner in the face using a cotton and then apply moisturizer..
Swati Murti says
oh yeah, good point…Divya π forgot to mention about that. no, you do not need to wipe it off. just let it get absorbed into the skin ad then follow with moisturiser π
Rukhsar says
If I am using glycerine and rosewater as toner so I need to wash or wipe my face before moisturising or not..
Tanmayee says
I use patanjali rose water, sparay it on my face with a spray bottle…..nice tip !! CTM is a must in my daily skin care …….
Swati Murti says
yeah, patanjali is sasta and that’s the only reason I use it!!
Shalini Srivastava says
Love the tips. I too use rose water… I feel so clean & fresh and yes it does make a whole lot of difference
Swati Murti says
yes, I love using toners π
makeup pedia says
Nice post! I too have started using toner into my regime! And yes i too have started loving using toners π
Please do check my blog : http://makeuppedia.blogspot.in/
Krishna Patel says
I tried the rose water toner but it dried out my skin π so then i tried the tea tree toner from Lush and its absolutely amazing. It also kills bacteria so it helps people with acne so i really love that one π
Swati Murti says
yeah, adding some of the essential oils is absolutely great for skin!!! even the roman water or something smells awesome from lush but too expensive π
Lancy says
Informative post swatz.. As you said rose water is enough for me π After a day out in sun, it really calms down and relaxes my skin! I crush basil leaves and put into the rose water.. Store it in a spray bottle and refrigerate! This is my after sun skin tonic π
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Swati Murti says
oh yes, crushing basil leaves is an awesome option!!! will try that too π actually, I have never tried basil leaves thingy till date.
Anonymous says
When to apply toners after makeup or before???
Swati Murti says
after cleansing your face before applying moisturizer!!!
snehu says
Im using toner daily at night &thn aply moistrizr……its good for my skin or not
Swati says
Yes
Anonymous says
Do you have any tips for newborn baby’s with dermatitis rash??like natural creams or moisturizes to help??
Swati Murti says
use natural soaps and follow with natural oil. do not use any moisturizer on the baby.
Himadri Sharma says
hey i use vlcc rose water toner…
at night..aftr cleansing my face n den i apply moisturizr
is it ok??
Swati Murti says
hey Himadri…yup, its absolutely fine!!! if you do get an organic brand, you can use it as well π
Anonymous says
which toner is best for dry skin??
Swati Murti says
rose water.
Anonymous says
Is modi care toner is gud..?I have oily skin with acne n scars
Swati Murti says
no idea!
viviennie says
How long does homemade green tea toner can be store ?
Anonymous says
Which s best tones for oily skin?
Swati Murti says
you should definitely try out green tea as a toner. it helps with oily and acne prone skin. after drinking green tea, use the remaining tea leaves to prepare left-over tea and use it as a final rinse after washing your face. or just like you would use a toner. preparing it fresh every time is a great idea but if you want, you can store in fridge for two days. put it in a spray bottle and use it for two days. refill it again with fresh one π hope this helps π
Anonymous says
hi swati,
i just wanted to ask you that which green tea are you consuming… coz i have been buying some but i dint like those at all… i have tried all expensive n cheap ones… but not liking any..
my mom used to use one that my dad brought from china, which i used to love, those small rolls of tea tree… but i m not finding them in india…
Please suggest some good green tea…
Thanks
Keya
Swati Murti says
hey Keya…i have used only tetley tea which i liked enough. actually its all in making it properly. may be that might have been the issue. can you please follow this post and check if you might be going wrong:
https://swathyandsky.com/2011/07/how-to-make-green-tea-diy.html
Anonymous says
Hi Swati! Just discovered your blog. Good job!
I want to make the green tea toner with fresh tea bags. It sounds nice!
But will it last only two days? How long do you think I can store it? Will it harm my skin if used after 2 days?
Swati Murti says
thanks a lot for the kind words π
at max you can store it for a week and not more than that and you would have to preserve in the refrigerator. no, it will not harm the skin but if it goes bad, it will not really do you any good. it will start decomposing.
Anonymous says
Is Der any gud natural product to get rid of Pimple n scars …pls help me ..ma marriage is on march I want to get ma skin clear before dat..
Swati Murti says
you can check the acne skin care section in skin care on categories page (its in the navigation bar on top of the page). for a start check this:
http://perfectskincareforyou.blogspot.in/2012/04/my-top-5-home-remedies-this-summer-diy.html
and, you can also use potato slices for acne scars.
Anonymous says
Will potato cause any side effect to acne ?
Swati Murti says
no, it won’t π
Riya says
m 20yrs old n m using ayur toner..ma fce z oily …is ths gud for me or not..
Ahgmish says
Face wash is must? When I use toner
Swati Murti says
washing your face before any treatment is a must.
Monica Arora says
Hi Swati I love your articles they are so informative I loved your orange peel uses and benefits and Now rose leaves is also very informative. I don’t use soap daily but I use a mixture of wheat flour besan multani mitti chandan haldi on my skin as soap. Sometimes I add milk malai rose water lemon juice a few drops curd juices of potato kheera and tomato and exfoliate may be once in 10 days or 15 days or before going somewhere For ages I have been wanting to use dried powder of orange peels which I wanted to mix in with the mixture that I use but was not sure if orange shud be used daily as it is acidic in nature just as lemon shud not be used daily but after reading that it is mildly acidic I have mixed just 2 spoons in a lot of mixture. and I nevr use it as pack but use it as soap to clean it daily on my whole body not just face. But once in a while I do use soap π
Swati need your advise here please.
Can you please tell me if I can also mix powder of dried leaves of tulsi and Rose (Indian rose desi gulab it has more fragrance and is considered the best ) this is offered in temples to gods. Do you think rose and tulsi leaves and petals wud have the qualities in dried leaves as it is alwys not possible to get those ready. Though I can manage it sometimes but not daily that is why I want to power the dry leaves of both and mix with the bathing mixture.
I just want to inform about benefit of band gobhy cabbage if a few leaves of cabbage is boiled and after it has cooled then face shud be washed with this water the face gets instant glow and it looks so bright that even make is not needed I do not use make up at all except for kajal This is what we all do before going to get instant glow.
If tomato juice is mixed with curd and applied and left for 20 – 30 mts this also gives instant glow
kheera also can be mixed for skin looks fresh
natural bleech very very effective apply juice of potato and then see the magic it instantly removes tan and blackness from the skin I regularly apply it on my arms and face with the mixture and i get what I want
Hope people wud try this and get the benefits of all that mother nature has gifted us.
Thanks for the lovely inforamtion. Look forward to hear from you.
Swati Murti says
hi Monica…thanks for the detailed comment. it was very inspiring to do all those home remedies however time taking and messy they might be π
regd your query, yes you can use the dried petals of tulsi and rose. just make sure they are not dried in the sun directly. dry them in shade for about a week and powder them. make sure you do not dry them in humid atmosphere either π
Monica Arora says
Patanjali’s kanti lape is damn good and removes acne completely and your skin is smooth clear of blemishes and glowing.
You can use it daily over night or atleast till four hours but otherwise twice a week is also good but overnight My sister had a lot of acne now she applies it twice a week overnight and rest of the days she applies on the acnes only if they are there.
Even I tried once I loved the glow but then I am daily using flours of several products and my skin glows naturally. So it did not make much difference to me. It costs just 60 rs not at all expensive easily can be affordable.
I have been using patanjali’s many products right from the begining and cannot do without them they are the best from beauty cream to shampoo from their flour to masalas I love it all My sisters daughter also uses rose water to wash her face daily after coming from College. She finds it very refreshing.
But best I find that I am helping generating employment in our country and getting all the benefits from mother nature. Thanks to baba ramdevji π
Swati Murti says
glad to know the product suits your sister so well π
Anonymous says
Hi Swati I love your articles they are so informative I loved your orange peel uses and benefits and Now rose leaves is also very informative. I don’t use soap daily but I use a mixture of wheat flour besan multani mitti chandan haldi on my skin as soap. Sometimes I add milk malai rose water lemon juice a few drops curd juices of potato kheera and tomato and exfoliate may be once in 10 days or 15 days or before going somewhere For ages I have been wanting to use dried powder of orange peels which I wanted to mix in with the mixture that I use but was not sure if orange shud be used daily as it is acidic in nature just as lemon shud not be used daily but after reading that it is mildly acidic I have mixed just 2 spoons in a lot of mixture. and I nevr use it as pack but use it as soap to clean it daily on my whole body not just face. But once in a while I do use soap π
Swati need your advise here please.
Can you please tell me if I can also mix powder of dried leaves of tulsi and Rose (Indian rose desi gulab it has more fragrance and is considered the best ) this is offered in temples to gods. Do you think rose and tulsi leaves and petals wud have the qualities in dried leaves as it is alwys not possible to get those ready. Though I can manage it sometimes but not daily that is why I want to power the dry leaves of both and mix with the bathing mixture.
I just want to inform about benefit of band gobhy cabbage if a few leaves of cabbage is boiled and after it has cooled then face shud be washed with this water the face gets instant glow and it looks so bright that even make is not needed I do not use make up at all except for kajal This is what we all do before going to get instant glow.
If tomato juice is mixed with curd and applied and left for 20 – 30 mts this also gives instant glow
kheera also can be mixed for skin looks fresh
natural bleech very very effective apply juice of potato and then see the magic it instantly removes tan and blackness from the skin I regularly apply it on my arms and face with the mixture and i get what I want
Hope people wud try this and get the benefits of all that mother nature has gifted us.
Thanks for the lovely inforamtion. Look forward to hear from you.
Anonymous says
i hav small wholes in my cheeks due to pimples can they be removed ? hiw?
Swati Murti says
hi…i don’t have much experience in that area so i shall check out on that topic and let you know π
Anonymous says
Hi, I’m new to all this face care stuff and I just recently bought a toner. Is it okay to skip the Moisturizing part after applying the Toner? My skin type has lots of moisture so I think I don’t need it but I can’t be sure since all of this is new.
Swati Murti says
no, it is not ok. i would suggest you to get a really light moisturizer like aloevera gel or something. i would suggest this product:
https://swathyandsky.com/2012/03/rustic-art-aloevera-gel.html
Anonymous says
hello..
can i use toner without wipe it with cotton, i means apply the toner on my face and let it dry just like that.
Swati Murti says
yes, you can π
Swathi says
Hi Swathi,
Really I love the way you ate maintaining article a lot. Hats off for your patiency to give the replies as well.
I am having dry and sensitive skin with little acne. So nights I will cleanse my face with pure milk and then I am applying dauber rosewater. I want to know is milk is fine for cleansing? if not which product suits my skin type.
Dabur rose water is fine? and applying moisturiser is must after toning? if I have to apply moisturiser which one will suit for me? Please feel free to suggest me.
Thanks !!!
Swati Murti says
hey Swathi…ummm…nope, milk is not good for acne! so, please stop using it! also, instead of using rose water, use green tea toner:
https://swathyandsky.com/2011/04/homemade-oil-regulating-skin-toner-diy.html
this helps with acne as well.
yes, applying moisturizer is very important! i would suggest this product:
https://swathyandsky.com/2012/03/rustic-art-aloevera-gel.html
and, for cleansing, does any oil suit your skin??? if yes, then i would suggest you to use it for cleansing. that’s the best.
Swathi says
Thank you for all your suggestions Swati! Frankly speaking I used to browse soomany blogs regarding these. But in all the cases i can seen only questions and no where answers.
I will follow the instructions and will definitely let you know the results!!!
Thank you once again π
Swati Murti says
hey Swathi…haha, thanks a lot for kind words π and, i am sorry did not reply on time! please do let me know the results!
Pragya Pandey says
hey,
should we just apply toner and let it dry,or clean face with toner on cotton balls and then moisturize skin??
Swati Murti says
hey Pragya. i would say you can do both of the things. the days you have exfoliated your face, apply the toner using your palms on the face and other days, you can wipe with cotton ball. the whole idea is when you apply using cotton balls, the cotton ball being a little abrasive exfoliates the face as well.
Shambhavi Dikshit says
Very helpful… Will keep in mind! Well I use Ayur toner, it consist of rose water and aloe Vera.. so is it good..? I apply it every night after Washing my face.
Swati Murti says
i would say if the product suits you then yes continue with it π
Anonymous says
Hi..swati.. ur blogs r realy gud…have some doubts…
is medicated Emolene creme a gud moisturiser? cn it b usd sftr using toner?
n after using moisturiser, aftr how long make up cn b done on face?
n is it ok if i wash face vt face wash n directly apply makeup afr dryng skin vtout aplyng any toner?
Anonymous says
HI Swati,
I observed my face having open pores recently n dey r clearly visible…mine is oily skin
1)how can I use a toner for the best result
2)can I use it on daily basis…like wash my face..apply toner…apply rose water(generally I apply daily) and den go for a face cream?
Swati Murti says
you can use it in either way mentioned in the post. do check out this toner for oily skin:
https://swathyandsky.com/2011/04/homemade-oil-regulating-skin-toner-diy.html
yes, you can use it on a daily basis after every time you wash your face!!! and then apply moisturiser.
aira says
Hi……i am 23 yrs old having normal skin tone till now not finded a cream or moisturizer for me…can u plz help me……
Swati says
hi Aira. sorry but that is something no one can help you with. I can only recommend products. do check out this:
https://swathyandsky.com/2012/03/rustic-art-aloevera-gel.html
also, you can check out cetaphil moisturizer. it is available in the pharmacies.
aira says
Mam….i also wan 2 know…..dat can i use besan mix with lemon daily in place of soap……
Swati says
do not use lemon juice. instead go for tomato juice and yes you can use this everyday but after you return from office / college in the evening, this is not enough so use a face wash to get rid of the pollution. use this in the morning to cleanse your face. and, no do not use soap after using this. it itself acts like soap. hope this helps π
Ananya jaiswal says
Hi,, i m ananya,i have normal skin . can you please suggest me ki mai toner daily use kr skti Hu ki n..
Ekta jain says
How much time we have to use a toner in a day…..and how??
Swati says
hi Ekta. it really depends. you can use it as many times as you want, for hydrating your skin, refreshing it or just for cooling it.
alekhya says
i have oily skin……..
can we apply our daily face creams and powders after my ctm routine??????
Swati says
hi Alekhya. yes, but use hydrating serums instead of rich creams. Vichy and H2O has good products if budget is not a problem!!
tbsbet says
Toner is a product which has been under constant attack by everyone saying it is a useless step and doesnβt really
diksha rathore says
my skin is little bit dry….which toner is good for me?
Swati says
go for vichy. it is amazing!
https://swathyandsky.com/2016/05/vichy-thermal-spa-water-kama-vetiver-water.html
serena says
I too had oily skin i was worried about what to use then i got solution from your site .That is working.
preethi says
Can we apply toner in every 2 hours (just to ensurei remove dirt from my face since my face is too oily)
Swati says
hi Preeti. I think that might be a little too much even if you have oily skin. first of all, what do you do? working in an air-conditioner environment, normal environment, student, traveling job? your skin care depends on what your lifestyle is and you must apply sunscreen in the morning even if you have oily skin and stay at home. sheisido or dry touch sunscreens in various brands are good and can be tried out. and, once you apply sunscreen, it is best not to touch up often. if you sweat a lot, you could use a tissue to just absorb. even wiping off with toner would not actually solve the issue. and, excess oil does not mean it is dirty, just absorb it with tissue and give your skin a thorough cleanse in the evening. what you need to work on is using products which will reduce your oil production. one very good product I can recommend is grapeseed oil. it brightens skin and controls oil. but, make sure you use sunscreen with it. i hope this helps a little π
Rinki says
Hy
M using a dabur gulabari as a toner so can I put a moisturizer after that or l have to wash off my face
Swati says
hi Rinki. after a toner, you just apply moisturizer, no matter what brand. you do not have to wash your face. if the product is getting too sticky, I would suggest changing your rose water as gulabari is not really natural. go for other brands like Kama.
suvra says
when I use toner then I get little bit etching prob on my face but it is tolerable.Is it good for skin? plz let me know and I also use tomato juice ,1 half lemon juice and rose water also that tym also I get eatching on my face.. plz suggest me what should I do? Is it good?
Swati says
hi Suvra. I am not sure which toner are you talking about so may be you could change the brand and see. also, it is better to stay away from alcohol toners. Go for rose water or make green tea at home and then use it as a toner. Usually, toner should not itch. and, do not use the face mask or juice mix which you are talking about everyday. mix it with a face pack and apply it twice in a week. lemon must not be used daily. instead, use potato juice from next time. hope this helps π
suvra says
My skin is normal to dry and T zone oily. I am using aromatherapy green coconut water toner (keya seth aromatherapy ). Is it good for my skin?
Swati says
hi Suvra. I have no idea how that product is but if your skin feels good, you can continue using it π otherwise go for the rose water or make green tea at home and use that!
Prapo says
Hey. Thank you for reaching out to so many of us! I have dry skin with breakouts and open pores. I have been using rose water toners(khadi india and lotus brand), but it has not helped much with breakouts. Should i shift to greentea toner?? Also i have extremely extra extra sensitive skin.
Lekshmi says
Shoul i apply toner before putting my day and night creams?
Asawari tripathi says
Hi i generally never used toner regularly, but a month back i had a sudden breakout of acne on my skin, somehow with combination of a cream and natural remedies i managed to cure it by 75%. Now again it seems like a breakout, and i dont want it. i searched how to prevent it, so now i am using diluted apple cider vineger as toner! i am confused if i should wash my face after toner or not! as I also apply a ointment on acne!
Abhilasha says
Hie Swati mine is acne prone skin. Can I use ayur toner??
Swati says
hey Abhilasha. I am sorry but I really can not give you an opinion on that because I have myself not used the product.