Toner has strangely become one of my favorite parts of my skin-care routine. I don't know how it happened exactly, but I think I got hooked on that light, refreshed, hydrated feel a toner gives me post-cleanser. I know, if you're not quite into skin care, you might give toner the side-eye, but I promise you, it's been a game-changer for me ever since I started using it. Mamonde's Rose Water Toner, which is a rose-infused toner featured in Allure's March 2019 Beauty Box, is a great option.
Toner is a liquid that quickly gets absorbed by the skin to prepare it for anything else you're about to slather on your face, and it works to help remove some of the dead cells living rent-free on your skin. "It brings your skin back to its natural acidic state, sweeping impurities away and helping your skin absorb your skin-care products," Soko Glam co-founder Charlotte Cho told Allure. "Your skin is like a dried-up sponge. If you put a thick cream on a brittle dry sponge, it won't accept it and it isn't 'prepped' for moisture. But if you wet the sponge, the cream will sink in more easily." New York City dermatologist Amy Wechsler agrees that toner is an important step if you really want the rest of your skin-care products to sink in. "Most molecules penetrate the skin better when it is wet, so applying active ingredients immediately after cleansing delivers better results."
Now, there are toners that are astringent, but there are also toners that moisturize, which is what Mamonde's Beauty Water does. It's made from 100 percent organic Damask rose — ones the brand claims were hand-picked at dawn. Now, I certainly wasn't there for the harvesting of these flowers, but I can confirm that it definitely feels like they were hand-picked when I put this on my face.
I like to apply toner with a cotton pad, which I make sure is really saturated. Then, I swipe and/or dab the toner all over my mug. As of late, I've been using more toning sprays, but Mamonde's Beauty Water made me fall back in love with using a cotton round. The amount of hydration this one packs is major, but it isn't heavy, making you feel like you can't layer any other products on top. Yes, I realize that is the point of a toner, but I particularly love how this one feels on my face. Because sometimes you use a toner, go about your business, and two minutes later your face feels dried out again. Not so with this one. I've noticed that after toning, my skin won't feel dry as soon as the liquid absorbs into my face, which sometimes happens with other toners. Of course, it isn't like you can use this in place of a moisturizer, but I promise, you'll love it as much as I do.
