Choosing a Skin Toner for Men

A healthy, clean, and glowing skin is one of the basic requirements of a pleasing personality. This statement holds true not only for women but also for men.

Fortunately, in this beauty, looks, and health conscious age, men have started understanding the importance of having good and attractive skin. They agree with the fact that 10 - 15 minutes spent on skin care is well paid off in the long run.

However, most men don't know how to take proper care of their skin. If you find your case to be similar, the following paragraphs are definitely a thing for you.

An ideal skin care regimen includes three steps―cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. Cleansing removes dust, chemicals, and micro-organisms from the skin surface. Toning closes the skin pores to prevent the entry of unwanted substances. Moisturizing maintains the level of moisture and natural oil in the skin.

According to many dermatologists, men have about 15% oilier skin and considerably larger skin pores than women. This means that, a man's skin is more prone to getting greasy and oily, and that too more frequently. This can develop whiteheads, blackheads, and acne, if not cleaned and nourished well.

When you clean your skin with a face wash or some other cleansing agent, dirt, dust, and dead cells get thoroughly removed.

During the process of cleansing, the pores on your skin open up. When the skin pores are open, dirt, dust, micro-organisms, chemicals, and various other unwanted substances can easily enter the skin through them. In other words, open skin pores can make all the cleansing work go in vain. Here comes the necessity of a skin toner.

As has already been mentioned, a skin toner cleanses the skin as well as closes the open skin pores. Thus, it prevents the skin from getting dirty and giving shelter to harmful microorganisms.

Human beings share a common skin structure, but each individual's skin is unique with little differences. Scientists have divided human skin into three main types―oily, dry, and normal skin.

Some people's skin can be more or less sensitive than others, while others have both oily and dry skin on their face. The latter is known as combination skin. Though your skin is unique, yet, it would have a lot of similarities with any of the given skin types.

The best skin toner for you is the one which suits your skin well, and does not make it drier or oilier, but works to balance its level of moisture and oil content. Whichever skin type you have, you will get a suitable skin toner. This is because, skin toners are also grouped in accordance with the types of human skin.

There are basically of three types of skin toners for men and women―skin fresheners, skin tonics, and astringents. All these types contain alcohol, water, and a humectant, but in different concentration. The humectant is usually glycerin.

Skin fresheners contain 0 - 10% of alcohol, water, and a humectant. A common example is rosewater. They are ideal for sensitive, normal, and dry skin. Skin tonics contain 0 - 20% of alcohol, water, and a humectant. A common example is orange flower water. Skin tonics are suitable for normal, combination, and mildly oily skin.

Astringents suit excessive oily skin. The amount of alcohol present in them is anywhere between 20 and 60%. Apart from alcohol, water, and a humectant, they contain ingredients of an antiseptic. Astringents are drying in action. This is the reason why they are recommended for oily skin. Witch hazel is a common example of astringent.

But, do you know which type of skin you have? If no, then there is an easy way of finding out. Wash your face with plain water. Allow the skin to air dry. Wait for 15 minutes. Do not apply any type of skin cream or any other substance on your skin.

If your face becomes greasy and shiny, your skin is oily. If your face remains normal, you have normal skin. If you feel dryness and stretching on your face, you have dry skin. And if you feel greasiness in the T-zone (forehead, nose, area around mouth and chin) and dryness on the rest of the face, you have combination skin.