I’ll keep this one short and sweet.
A few weeks ago I purchased Neal’s Yard Rosewater Toner because it was one I had used many moons about as a teenager (I am SURE it was almost 100% pure rosewater back then) and loved.
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Alcohol denat., Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe vera) leaf juice powder*, Rosa damascena (Rose) essential oil, Levulinic acid, Glycerin, Potassium sorbate, Coco-glucoside, Citronellol, Eugenol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Linalool.
Now, this was the only different element to my skincare and I can no longer ignore the fact that the high alcohol content in this is drying my skin out badly.
I love how clean it makes your skin feel after cleansing, but I have been left with little clingy dry patches all over my cheeks. It makes my normal face cream sting when I apply it. I will have to abandon this one (have used half a bottle).
I will go and buy my favourite toner in the world tomorrow, Nars’s Hydrating Freshening Toner even though it’s a whopping £27, I’m sick of torturing my skin!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I like how it says on the label that its for sensitive skin. You can’t put a high alcohol product on sensitive skin its like rubbing salt into a cut.
will definitely stay away from that product.
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Hi Fum
The daft thing is I spotted the alchohol thing but bought it anyway !!! But I thought it would be ok – it really isnt for me
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I kinda think toner is a bit of a waste of time. A splash of cool water closes the pores effectively; I don’t think that a specific toning product is really *essential*.
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Hi Gemma
A facialist I saw recently said it rebalances the PH level on the skin?
I dunno, I like toner because it makes my skin extra clean but keeping it simple seems to be the order of the day!
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I’m a professional makeup artist and I have to say, I agree w/ Gemma. After years of training telling me that toner is essential, I finally deceided that it’s truly NOT. I’ve actually blogged in it myself, but I really think that unless the toner is performing a unique service to your skin that you can’t get otherwise (ie: I occasionally use a Glycolic Acid toner, since it’s less concentrated than any other form of the product, making it more suitable for my sensitive skin).
As far as the alcohol in the product goes, it definitely sounds as if it’s drying you out, but it reminded me of a product I was recently testing- it was also a toner, and likewise, it listed Alcohol as it’s 2nd ingredient. After doing some research, speaking to the president of the company on the matter, as well as a cosmetic chemist from an unaffiliated brand, I was told that if alcohols (meaning drying alcohols like denatured, SD, ethyl, etc…) are used in concentrations under 10%, they’re not drying to the skin. Since essential oils can be quite effective in low concentrations (even under 1%) it’s actually possible for the alcohol to be present in low enough levels, even as the 2nd ingredient, that they won’t irritate (but serves as a natural anti-bacterial & preservative) and the other ingredients will still work well.
Having said that, I’m still wary about alcohol in products myself, and since you changed nothing else in your routine, it’s pretty safe to say it was something in this toner. Just thought I’d mention it as food for thought for others out there!
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Hi Jessica
Very interesting, thankyou
it’s like when people see Limone in a product (especially Lush ones) and get curious about it – just that a lot of essential oils naturally contain it (I used to be a soaper in another life!) xxx
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You can use it to clean ur make up and vanity area in lieu of water and leave nice rose scent, or use it as a instant brush cleaner, or a foot spray.. I’m not sure if toners can be used these ways but why not give it another chance in ‘life’..
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Hi Kirsten
I think I will do that, clean or refresh my brushes in it
GAH! So drying!
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