THE BARE ESSENTIALS OF AT-HOME SKIN CARE: TONE AND MOISTURISETONE
There’s just something about toners that people really love. Toners are actually relics of the days when most cleansers left heavy residue on the skin and one needed to remove it with this extra step. Today’s cleansers pretty much clean up after themselves, so a toner with strong astringent actions is unnecessary, not to mention dehydrating. A benefit is derived, however, from using a toner that is formulated with active ingredients, such as antioxidants. If you choose to use such a toner for these benefits, just keep in mind that the percentage of active ingredients in a toner isn’t as high as you’d find in a cream.MOISTURISEThere’s something comforting about a moisturiser, even if it’s just because they’re such a traditional part of the skin grooming process. Pretty much every complexion can benefit from a moisturiser, even an oily skin.Moisturisers don’t erase years off your age, but they perform another function that is almost as important: they keep your skin hydrated. As the uppermost level of the skin, the stratum corneum, confronts a daily assault from the environment, a moisturiser works by creating a barrier between your skin and the air. Without this barrier, the skin would flake and get irritated.Of course, many of today’s popular moisturisers, whether oil-based or water-based, don’t just hydrate. (And besides, where’s the sex appeal in that?) A moisturiser containing antioxidants, such as vitamin C and green tea, performs a double duty by adding an extra source of protection against free radical damage from UV radiation from the sun and other environmental influences.
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