Very important blog post alert! This is a key piece of skincare knowledge and for some of you, learning this will change up your current skincare routine. A toner and a liquid treatment solution are NOT the same things. These 2 products actually have very different functions in your skincare routine. Toners and liquid treatment solutions are often mistaken as the same product and confusing labeling by some skincare companies really doesn’t help. This confusion leads to many people using these products incorrectly in their skincare routine and not getting the desired results.

scrub me secret: ingredients like lactic acid and glycolic acid are used to exfoliate and soften the skin by dissolving dead cells and creating cell turnover. When used sparingly these acids are really helpful for most skin types. Some companies have skincare products that are fluids that contain a higher percentage of these acids and label the product as a “toner” or “toning solution”. The problem I have with this is that it is misleading to us as the buyer because it’s not a toner, it’s an exfoliating solution. A toner should be used twice daily and an exfoliation fluid should be used only 1-4x a week. A good example of this is the “Youth to the people Kombucha exfoliation toner”

What is toner and what is its purpose?

A toner helps re-set skin and bring balance back to the skin’s barrier after using a cleansing, detoxifying, or exfoliating product. A toner will also help any serums or moisturizers work with your skin better and have a greater effect. Toners are water-based products with added ingredients that aid in balancing your skin; these ingredients vary but are usually different plant-based extracts, minerals, and anti-inflammatory items. Some toners are geared towards oily skin, like ones that contain witch hazel or willow bark. Other toners are geared towards dry or sensitive skin types, these usually but do not always contain hyaluronic acid and aloe.

When we skip the toning step, our skin is off balance and won’t be able to absorb and utilize the ingredients introduced by aftercare products. Toners are best used morning and night. Use your toner before applying your serums and moisturizers. You can even use toner midday to refresh your face before reapplying your facial SPF.

scrub me secret: I talk more about toner and offer recommendations in my blog posts “Talking all about toner”, “Incorporating hydrating toners into your skincare routine.”, and “Quiz! test your toner knowledge.”

What is a treatment solution and what is its purpose?

A treatment solution is a liquid skincare product that is made with an exfoliating acid or a blend of exfoliation, oil clearing, and/or antibacterial ingredients. Ingredients you will often see in a treatment solution are lactic acid, glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid. These solutions are meant to even your skin tone, reduce oils, reduce breakouts, and smooth texture.

These solutions are helpful but can be potentially sensitizing for some skin types and if used too often can cause redness and breakouts. Skin sensitivity depends on the percentage of acid in the solution and how often you use it in your skincare routine. Check with your esthetician or skin care technician to see what treatment solution would be good for you and how often you should be using it. Typically I have my clients using something like this 1-4x a week.

scrub me secret: if you have a dry or aging skin type you should seek out treatment solutions with lactic acid and glycolic acid. Sensitive skin types do best with treatment solutions that are lactic acid only ( I like BYBI day glow). Those who are oily and struggling with acne will do best with something that has benzoyl peroxide in it and salicylic is an extra bonus.

Why it’s so important to know the difference between a toner and a treatment solution

The confusion between these two very different skincare products often ends up resulting in sensitized skin that looks red, blotchy, irritated, and may even have small bumps. This happens when an exfoliation solution is used daily or twice daily like you would a toner. Most of our skin types won’t benefit from consistent daily use of an exfoliation fluid, it’s just too much cell turnover for the skin and it won’t ever have a chance to heal and re-set. There are instances where if your skin type is very oily and resilient then it may be able to handle a daily exfoliation fluid well. But most of the time this isn’t the case.

scrub me secret: I think it’s beneficial to have both a toner and a liquid treatment solution in your skincare routine. Your toner would work to balance and hydrate your barrier to make it really healthy and strong before you apply the liquid exfoliant. On days (or evenings) you are using your treatment solution you will cleanse, apply toner, apply treatment solution, serums(optional), and moisturizer.

Toner is something that everyone needs and will benefit from in their skincare routine. It’s what’s going to help keep your complexion even and all your other skincare products working their best. A treatment solution or exfoliation solution is a helpful but optional item to have in your at-home skincare routine. Now your job is to go take a look at your “toner” or “tonic” and make sure it’s an actual toner and not a treatment solution containing something like AHA, lactic, glycolic, or benzoyl peroxide. If it does happen to be a treatment solution now you know how to best work it into your skincare routine. And if you don’t have a real, true toner in your routine I definitely suggest purchasing yourself one. You can use the blog posts linked in the “what is a toner” section of this blog to help you shop. Your skin will thank you!

My main goal is to help all of us find the path to the clearest and most radiant skin. If you liked this blog post you’ll definitely love the tips and info in other posts like “going makeup-free: tips to achieving this goal”, “8 complexion clearing tips from an esthetician.”, and “Skincare Q&A”.