Cleanser Vs. Toner in a Clean Skincare Routine

In the skincare community, there is a debate about cleanser vs. toner. What is the difference between a face cleanser and toner? Do you need to use both cleanser and toner in your natural skincare routine? How do you compare cleanser vs. toner?

So many questions are asked about face cleansers and toners. Learning the difference between a face cleanser and toner will help you build your skincare routine and understand why using both products is beneficial to your skin.

Cleanser Vs. Toner

When looking at your skincare routine, cleanser and toner are the first products you use. What is the difference between them and what benefits do they offer your skin?

Difference Between Cleansers and Toners

When answer the debate between cleanser vs. toner, you need to understand the difference between a cleanser and toner. To understand the difference between these two skincare products you need to look at both individually. Cleansers and toners have unique properties to offer your skin.

After a long day of wearing or not wearing makeup, you need to wash your face. The best way to remove your makeup and free radicals from the environment is to use a face cleanser. A cleanser will remove dirt and toxins from your face, leaving it clean and fresh.

Toner comes after a cleanser in your skincare routine. You do not wash off a toner after you apply it to your skin. Toners are created to prep the skin for the other skincare products you will be applying, such as serums and moisturizers. It also helps remove the dirt and grime that the cleanser left behind.

Benefits of Using Cleansers and Toners

Cleansers and toners are created to be used together because they complement each other. In reality, it can not be cleanser vs. toner, but it should be looked at as them together to keep your skin happy and healthy.

Balances the Skin’s pH

We want the pH of the face skin to remain around 4.5 to 5.5. Cleansers can disrupt the pH of your skin by making it more alkaline.

 Using a toner after a cleaner will bring the skin back to an acid pH. A toner’s pH level should be right around 5 to bring your skin back to the middle of the range your skin’s pH should be.

Removes all Impurities From the Skin

Another reason why toners and cleansers should be used together is that the toner wipes away the impurities on the skin that a cleanser may have missed. 

Even though a cleanser is designed to wash away all the dirt, makeup, and toxins that have gathered on your skin throughout the day, it will miss a few impurities. Using a toner after a cleanser will help finish removing these impurities from the face.

What is a Cleanser

If we are going to deep dive into cleanser vs. toner, you need to look at the different cleansers you can use on your face. You want to find a cleanser that cleans the face of all impurities but will not strip the microbiome of all the nutrients it needs.

What are the different types of cleansers that a person can use? There are seven different types of cleansers.

1. Gel Cleanser

Gel cleansers are designed to deeply clean your pores.

The skin types that gel cleansers are best suited for are oily and combination. Depending on the ingredients in gel cleansers, they can be formulated to be beneficial for all skin types.

The Rose Water Gel Cleanser from 100% Pure is a clean and natural gel cleanser to try on your skin. It is for all skin types, but it is especially beneficial for dry skin. This Rose Water Gel Cleanser hydrates and balances the skin’s pH. 

2. Foaming Cleanser

Lather up!

A foaming cleanser will create a lather on your face while applying it. Foaming cleansers does a deep clean of your pores and leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean.

The reason why some people like foaming cleansers is because they enjoy the lathering feeling. It makes it seem like it is working better than the other cleansers.

The ideal skin types for foaming cleansers are oily and combination. This is because foaming cleansers can be more drying than other cleaners because of the sodium lauryl sulfate that some have as an ingredient, mentions Iclal Eroglu. If you want a foaming cleanser that is not drying, look for one that says it is sulfate-free.

The Green Tea Cloud Foam Cleanser from 100 % Pure is for all skin types. It helps to cleanse, reduce redness, and depuff the face.

3. Cream Cleanser

People with dry skin types will enjoy using a cream cleanser because it adds moisture to the skin while removing non-waterproof makeup and other impurities.

Cream cleansers are also sensitive skin friendly because they are not as harsh. It does not strip your skin of its natural oils.

Creams cleansers contain emollients and humectants, which help soothe, soften, and hydrate the skin.

A decadent cream cleanser filled with clean and natural ingredients is the Cocoa Cream Cleanser from 100% Pure. This clean cream cleanser helps soften skin and wash away impurities from the face.

4. Oil Cleanser

Acting as more of a makeup remover than a cleanser, oil cleansers remove impurities from the face by melting them away. Some would even consider oil cleansers as a pre-cleanser.

Oils loosen and remove dirt while moisturizing the skin. Some people will use oil cleansers to remove the toughest makeup and not disrupt the skin barrier.

The skin types that benefit most from oil-based cleansers are dry, combination, and normal. 

5. Clay Cleanser

Time for a pore clean-out.

Clay cleansers clean out and minimize pores. Clay is a wonderful ingredient that helps clear the skin of excess oil, toxins, and other impurities. If someone wants to cut down the oil build-up on the skin, clay will help remove that excess oil.

If you are looking for a cleanser to remove makeup, then clay cleansers are probably not the cleanser for you. 

Charcoal Clay Cleanser by 100% Pure is a clean ingredient clay cleanser that will purify and refresh your skin. The charcoal powder ingredient in this cleanser helps to detox your skin while the clay purifies the pores. It is for all skin types.

6. Powder Cleanser

A powder cleanser comes in powder form. This cleanser is not as popular as other cleansers, but it still works the same. 

To use a powder cleanser, you will need to add some water to the powder and mix it in the palm of your hand. Then massage it gently onto your face.

Because it is a powder, there are fewer ingredients. One pro of using a powder cleanser is if someone does not want a preservative in their cleanser, a powder cleanser does not need one. It does not need a preservative because it does not contain water. Water is a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, making these products need a preservative.

The skin types that powder cleansers are typically best for are oily and combination.  

A powder cleanser from 100% pure is the Lavender Oat Milk Soothing Cleanser. This powder cleanser is for normal, oily, and combination skin types. It helps wash away makeup and other impurities on the skin. 

7. Cleansing Balms

Cleansing balms are typically in an open container filled with a buttery product. When you are looking for a cleanser that will remove all of your makeup quickly, a cleansing balm is your answer.

Some would consider cleansing balms as a makeup removal product. There are some skincare routines have you use a cleansing balm before applying a cleanser.

Some cleansing balms will leave your face feeling greasy because of the thick buttery type of product it is.

People with oily, acne-prone, or combination skin may want to steer clear of cleansing balms because of how heavy it is. It may cause breakouts.

The Blood Orange Cleansing Balm is a clean cleanser that you can use to remove your makeup. It is created for all skin types but works best with normal and dry skin. Keep in mind not to bring this balm into the shower because it does not contain any preservatives. If you introduce water into the product, it will start to develop bacteria and mold.

How to Use a Cleanser

Because of all the dirt, grime, and free radicals that come into contact with our face, we should wash our face once to twice a day.

Some people will use cleansers in the morning before putting on makeup. Others enjoy using cleansers in the shower.

When applying cleanser to the face, you can use your hands and gently rub it onto the skin. After massaging the cleanser on your face, wash it off with warm water.

What is a Toner

What are toners in the cleanser vs. toner debate? Face toners are a gel or liquid skincare product that you apply after using a cleanser in your skincare routine. 

Toners provide a variety of different benefits to the face. Some of the benefits that toners have for the skin are:

• Adjusts the pH back to 4.5 to 5.5 range
• Prepares the skin for serums, moisturizers, and other skincare products.
• Removes the impurities missed by the cleanser.

There are two different types of toner that people use hydrating and traditional.

Hydrating Toners

Hydrating toners moisturize and refresh your skin. They help replenish the moisture that is lost when using a face cleanser.

Hydrating toners will not contain any ingredients that are drying to the skin like alcohol. When looking for clean skincare products, we want to stay away from any items that have alcohol in them unless it is a fatty alcohol.

An ingredient that is present in hydrating toners is humectants. Humectants bring moisture to the skin by attracting water to your skin from the air around you. An example of humectant ingredients is aloe vera and glycerin.

All skin types benefit from hydrating toners. 

Fermented Rice Water Toner from 100% Pure is for normal, dry, oily, and combination skin types. It promotes hydration and plumping of the skin. This hydrating toner also contains shiitake mushrooms which help to brighten the skin.

Traditional Toners

Traditional toners focus on removing excess oil and dirt from your skin. These toners are sometimes called astringents. 

Some traditional toners will use alcohol to clean the skin. When looking for a clean traditional toner, you will want to look for one that does not have alcohol in the ingredients.

Traditional toners do not need to contain alcohol to give your face the refreshed feeling of your desire. You can use clean ingredients such as glycerin or non-alcoholic witch hazel.

For traditional toners, you want something hydrating that does not strip, dehydrate, or irritate the skin.

People with oily skin types will lean towards using traditional toners.

 Tea Tree & Willow Clarifying Astringent by 100% Pure is created for oily and combination skin types. It helps soothe and clear up acne and fight breakouts. This astringent hydrates, nourishes, softens, and purifies the skin.

How to Use a Toner

In a skincare routine, you will apply your toner after using a cleanser and before applying serum and moisturizer.

You can apply your toner to your face by using your hands or pumping it into a cotton swab. Gently apply the toner all over your face. Do not wash off the toner after applying it. Let the toner soak into the skin. Do not let it dry before applying the serum.

Conclusion on Cleanser vs. Toner

What since the debate in cleanser vs. toner? The answer is they both compliment each other and should be used together in a skincare routine.

Understanding the difference between a cleanser and toner will help you better know what each product is doing in your skincare routine. 

Find the right cleanser and toner for your skin type. This will help keep your skin happy and healthy.