Have you ever found yourself wondering what a toner actually does? And how to correctly use one in your skincare routine?
What about AHAs and BHAs? What do they stand for and what do they actually do?
Well you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got all your answers here.
What is a toner?
Toners are either water or alcohol-based skincare products that have a very lightweight consistency and contain active ingredients. Traditionally, they were created to remove excess oil from the skin and were catered to people who had blemish-prone skin. This means, back in the day, they used to be more on the drying side.
However, skincare formulations have come a long way and today’s updated, next-generation toners contain a variety of anti-ageing, brightening and soothing ingredients that are designed to nourish and replenish the skin after cleansing.
Toners have been created to assist in the cleansing process because they do a variety of wonderful things. This method of exfoliation uses chemical exfoliants to give the skin a deep clean, remove dead skin cells and impurities, smooth skin texture, and improves the absorption of other skincare products.
Enter our very own AHA/BHA Pore Refining Exfoliating Toner.
Our toner uses a unique triple chemical exfoliant blend of salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and lactic acid to work together and dissolve the day's impurities, minimise the appearance of pores and fight breakouts to reveal fresh and radiant skin.
What does AHA and BHA mean?
We know how important it is to understand what you’re putting on your skin. By now, you’ve probably seen these acronyms floating around, and chances are you’ve already used them in your skincare. Hydroxy acids refer to the categories of acids available in the skincare world.
Putting acids on your skin may sound terrifying at first, but don’t worry - they’re not as scary as they sound!
They are two classes of hydroxy acids - Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs). They’re divided into these categories because they treat different concerns for the skin.
Neither type is considered to be ‘better’, as both are highly effective in terms of deep exfoliation - the difference lies within their use.
Next to using sunscreen every day, the incorporation of an AHA or BHA (or both) in your skincare is key to maintaining a healthy, clear and hydrated complexion.
What are AHAs?
There are a few differing hydroxy acids available in the Alpha Hydroxy Acid family. Each is made from varying ingredients and does different things. They’re a group of natural acids, usually found in foods.
When applied to the skin, AHAs work by exfoliating the top layers of dead skin to repair dry, aging and sun-damaged skin to reveal fresh, softer, and firmer skin.
An additional benefit of removing this build-up is enhancing the efficacy of the next steps in your skincare routine, allowing serums and moisturisers to penetrate the skin more deeply.
Glycolic Acid:
Glycolic acid is derived from sugar cane. It’s great for treating pigmentation, light scarring, fine lines and dullness. Specifically, glycolic acid works by loosening the bonds that hold together the top layers of dead skin cells. By removing these layers, newer and healthier skin emerges.
Lactic Acid:
Derived mostly from milk, lactic acid is the gentler, more tolerable member of the AHA family. It works well with sensitive skin, is great for anti-aging and can help boost overall hydration.
What are BHAs?
Beta Hydroxy Acids work to get deeper into the pores to remove dead skin cells and excess sebum. They have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and are great at treating blemish-prone skin and blackheads. There’s only one BHA that’s commonly used when it comes to skincare, and that’s salicylic acid.
Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid occurs naturally in sweet birch and willow bark. Thanks to its molecular structure, it can get deeper into the skin’s layers to assist with dissolving and unclogging pores of debris and help treat blackheads.
It’s a well-known ingredient to help with blemishes and problem skin, as well as assisting in calming redness and irritation.
What’s the difference between an AHA and a BHA?
The main difference between them is that AHAs are water soluble only, while BHAs are oil soluble.
How do I use the AHA/BHA Pore Refining Toner?
After cleansing, saturate a cotton pad with the toner solution and sweep across your face, neck and decolletage. Be sure to avoid your delicate eye area.
Use morning or evening, 2-3 times a week for balanced, healthy skin with a whole lot of glow.
It’s important to remember that with the use of any acids, sunscreen is a must. You’re revealing fresher skin with exfoliation, that equals being more vulnerable to the sun, so be sure to follow with SPF!
The bottom line?
AHAs and BHAs share similar benefits, you’re able to get some level of exfoliation from both.
Yet when rolled into one product, they’re both certified glow-givers!
