For those of us who use toner and are familiar with its many benefits, good on us. But for those out there who are yet to discover its many benefits and reasons why they should be using it, that is the reason this article has been brought into existence! But on a serious note, what’s the fuss?
There are many reasons men should use toner, which include balancing the skin’s pH levels, control of the skin’s oil production, acting as an exfoliant by unclogging pores, allowing for better absorption of other skincare products, and adding a layer of protection to the skin.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, there’s so much more to dive into on these benefits. We’ll look at how to find the right toner for you once you’re ready to take the plunge and also give our recommendation on the best toners for different skin types to get you started on the craft of toners for men.
Why should men use toners?
There are many benefits for men to use toners, as we just mentioned. It would obviously be more beneficial for men with certain skin conditions like oily skin, but other benefits would help promote healthy skin in all men.
Let’s take a look at our 5 reasons why men should use toners:
1. Balances the pH level of your skin
The optimal state for your skin to thrive and be at its healthiest is to return it to a neutral pH level.
There are many factors from our daily lives and environment, such as pollutants, dirt, cleansers, etc., that cause disruption to the pH levels of our skin. If left untreated, our skin can go into a kind of hyperdrive state by trying to rebalance the levels, usually by producing more oil.
Toners are great for helping to restore skin to a neutral pH level, which is its healthiest natural state. Removing excess oils and rebalancing your skin’s oil production can also help prevent any unwanted ache outbreaks.
2. Control oil production
As just mentioned, by restoring your skin’s neutral pH levels, toners help control your skin’s oil production, making a big difference in the appearance of your skin.
You don’t want to be mingling with your co-workers or friends all day with shiny, sweaty, oily skin.
Toners will therefore help your skin to look and feel healthy and give it a nice matte appearance instead of a golden shine that is inches away from a bad acne outbreak.
3. Acts as exfoliants
Toners also act as exfoliants, thereby allowing the shed off dead skin cells and stimulating the growth of new ones. This has many benefits for men like stopping ache outbreaks, preventing blackheads, and can even help prevent ingrown hairs.
Exfoliants also unclog your pours, which will help your skin to look healthy and give you a much clearer complexion.
4. Allow for better absorption of other skincare products
As mentioned in the previous points, toners remove excess oil from your skin and help with exfoliating by removing dead skin cells and unclogging your pores. This will leave your skin in a much better state to allow for the absorption of other skincare products.
5. Adds an additional layer of protection to your skin
Once applied, toners can add an additional layer of protection to your skin, closing pores and allowing skin cells to tighten, thereby protecting your skin from daily environmental pollutants.
Is there a difference between toners for women and men?
Since women use toners as well, or more frequently, in fact, you might wonder if there’s a difference between toners on the market for women and toners for men, or if you can simply use some of your partner’s toner from time to time to still enjoy the benefits of it.
There is a difference between toners for men and women, and it is due to the differences in skin between men and women. Men generally have about 25% thicker skin than women because of testosterone. Other skin differences include the density of collagen, collagen loss from aging, hydration, texture, etc.
For all of these reasons, toners for men are specially formulated, and you will be get the best results if you stick to men’s toners.
How to choose the right toner?
Let’s start off with the obvious… oily skin.
If you suffer from oily skin, you will most likely need a toner specially formulated to get rid of the oil and restore the skin’s neutral pH levels.
Toners for all skin types would be recommended for guys with fairly normal pH levels and don’t overproduce oil from their skin. However, my recommendation would be to introduce it slowly and maybe start with once or twice a week only and see how your skin responds to it. If your skin’s pH levels are perfectly fine, you don’t want the toner to dry out your skin.
If you have more sensitive skin, toners shouldn’t cause any issues for you. However, before using any toners, my recommendation would be to consult a dermatologist and discuss your specific situation to find the best solution for you.
How should men use skin toners?
The best time to use toners is after cleansing and/or exfoliating.
In most cases, guys will use toner once per day, usually in the morning and after washing, to start the day with a non-shiny, fresh and clean look.
You can also use it after a shave to help prevent clogged pores or ingrown hairs from happening.
How to apply toner the right way?
Applying toner is a fairly straightforward process and doesn’t require much training.
Here are the 5 simple steps to get you started:
- Mix the bottle by giving it a few good shakes.
- You can either spray a bit of the toner onto a cotton ball and then apply it onto your face or simply spray a bit directly onto your face. Avoid the eyes!
- Now you’re gonna want to slightly dab or pat the parts of your face where you can spot the oiliness.
- This step doesn’t require much more than just chilling and waiting for the skin to dry completely. When completely dry, you can apply your other products.
- And lastly, take a good look in the mirror at that sexy mother fu… let me stop right there before I get carried away. You’re done and can confidently go about your day.
Best toners for men
Here are our recommendations for the best toners for men according to the different skin types:
Toners for oily skin (with alcohol)
Best toners for men for oily skin that contains alcohol:
Neutrogena Rapid Clear 2-in-1
Toners for oily skin (all-natural, no alcohol)
Best all natural toners for men for oily skin that does not contain alcohol:
Pure Witch Hazel Toner
TreeActiv Balancing Herbal Toner
Toners for all skin types (with alcohol)
Best toners for men for all skin types that contains alcohol:
Anthony Astringent Toner Pads
Kiehl’s Oil Eliminator Toning Mist Spray
Toners for all skin types (all-natural, no alcohol)
Best all natural toners for men for all skin types that does not contain alcohol:
Baxter Of California Herbal Mint Toner
DTRT So Fine Toner for Men
Geneva Naturals Clarifying Face Toner
Pure Rose Water Facial Toner by Poppy Austin
Conclusion
If this was your first introduction to the craft of toners for men, then I hope you got all the information you need to get you started on healthy, clean, fresh-looking skin every day.
Just remember that the best way to get started is to pop into your local dermatologist’s office for a quick chat to see which toner would be best suited for you.
After that, come back here, pick one of our recommendations for the list, and get toning on your skin!
