“I have oily skin so I only need to apply toner.”
“I don’t even need toner.”
If you have oily skin, perhaps you think one of the above.
Oily skin is a skin type where there is an imbalance between water and oil inside the skin.
Therefore, it is essential to replenish moisture to the skin with the correct product.
If you have oily skin, please read this article to learn about the necessity of toners and how to care for oily skin.
FAQ about toners for people with oily skin
“I don’t use toners because my skin is oily.”
“I only use toners because my skin is oily.”
And yet…
“Why does my skin get so sticky so quickly?”
If you have oily skin, you must have many questions like this.
Below are answers to some of those questions about toners and oily skin that no one else will tell you!
I don’t use toners because I have oily skin. Is it necessary?
A: Yes, toner is necessary.
The role of toners is to hydrate the skin.
Oily skin has very little hydration within the skin, so toners are necessary to compensate for that missing moisture content.
As the name implies, oily skin is a skin condition in which sebum secretion is excessive.
Even though the skin surface is oily, the inside is dry.
But because the skin feels moist on the surface, you may not even be aware that your skin is dry.
This condition is also called ‘inner dryness.’
The skin has a barrier function.
Skin with a strong barrier function is glowing and healthy.
Skin with a weak barrier function is unhealthy.
The barrier function only works well when the skin surface is well hydrated.
So when moisture is provided and maintained, the skin can be remarkably healthy.
Oily skin with an imbalance of water and oil is unhealthy.
Therefore, if you “do not use toners because you have oily skin,” your oily skin will never improve.
Why does my skin feel sticky within an hour after washing my face and not using toner?
A: This is because immediately after washing your face, the skin begins to secrete sebum and tries to return to the state it was in before washing.
Therefore, the entire face is immediately covered with sebum.
Our body has a function to active sebum secretion when the sebum on the skin surface decreases.
Even after washing your face and removing sebum, the amount of sebum on the skin surface will return to normal in about 2 hours.
Therefore, even if sebum is removed after washing your face, it does not immediately stop being secreted.
Why does sebum not stop even if I use toners for oily skin? Why does it still feel sticky?
A: This is because oily skin does not stop with toners alone.
And this is because even with toners for oily skin, it is not effective enough to stop the body’s natural sebum secretion.
Toners for oily skin
Most toners for oily skin use ingredients that have a firming effect that lowers the skin’s temperature.
They also have an astringent effect that denatures proteins and constricts pores, so the skin feels tight the moment it is used.
After using these toners, you may feel refreshed.
But the temperature will soon rise with body heat.
The effects of these toners are only temporary.
It is a mistake to think that toners for oily skin can completely stop sebum.
Sebum cannot be stopped by toners
Sebum is originally secreted from the sebaceous glands in the proes.
Therefore, the secreted sebum forms a thin film on the surface of the skin.
Sebum may seem like an enemy for oily skin, but it performs the following functions that are essential for our lives:
5 essential functions of sebum
・Smoothes the skin and gives it shine
・Prevents evaporation of moisture from the skin
・Prevents acid-sensitive bacteria and mold from invading the skin
・Reduces friction caused by external stimuli
・Prevents water and toxic substances from entering the body
Sebum is essential for healthy skin.
It is also has important functions for the body.
At the end of the day, toners for oily skin are merely toners, and their purpose is to hydrate the skin.
Their purpose not to change the body’s abilities to protect the skin.
For these reasons, sebum secretion cannot be stopped just by using toners for oily skin.
Do I need to apply a cream even if I already applied toner?
A: Yes, you do.
If you only use toner, the hydration will evaporate immediately.
When hydration evaporates, it takes the skin’s natural water content, causing excessive dryness.
The skin becomes drier, and overproduces sebum to protect itself.
Therefore, oily skin will not stop with toner alone.
It may actually accelerate oily skin.
After applying toner, you need to apply a cream to prevent the hydration from evaporating.
Just by adding this extra step into your skincare, oily skin can subside.
Types of toners and how to use them to prevent oily skin
There are 3 major types of toner.
The appropriate way to use a toner differs depending on the type of lotion.
Not knowing how to use a toner can further promote oily skin.
| Type of toner | Characteristics |
| Softening toner | ・Moisturizes and softens the skin ・Moisturizing ingredients give the skin a refreshed look ・Contains ingredients with high moisturizing power |
| Astringent toner | ・Temporarily firms the skin and controls the secretion of sweat/sebum ・Preferred by people with oily and acne-prone skin ・Contains few moisturizing ingredients ・Contains astringent ingredients that shrink tissues and blood vessels ・Contains high amounts of ethanol |
| Blotting toner | ・Removes light makeup and wipes off dead skin cells ・Contains ingredients with a peeling effect ・Contains cleansing ingredients, ethanol, etc. |
Characteristics of softening toner and how to use it for oily skin
Softening toner is the most common type of toner that moisturizes and conditions the skin.
It is composed of almost 90% water and 10% moisturizing ingredients.
How to use softening toner for oily skin
- Take an appropriate amount of toner and gently apply it over entire face.
- Let the toner sink into your skin by gently pressing it with your palms.
Characteristics of astringent toner and how to use it for oily skin
Astringent toner is typically used by men and/or people with oily skin and acne-prone skin.
Compared to softening toner, it tends to contain about 20% more alcohol.
This is because when the alcohol volaizes, it temporarily lowers the temperature of the skin, giving it a refreshing feel.
Astringent toners should not be used on the entire face.
Be sure to use it correctly.
How to use astringent toner for oily skin
- Take an appropriate amount of toner and gently apply it over entire face.
- Let the toner sink into your skin by gently pressing it with your palms.
- Only apply it to certain areas where shiny is a particularly concern.
Characteristics of blotting toner and how to use it for oily skin
Blotting toners are used to wipe off dirt and oil from the skin.
It often contains detergents and alcohol.
Its purpose is to give the skin a refreshed feeling and to improve the penetration of cosmetics used afterwards.
Blotting toners should not be used on the entire face.
Be sure to use it correctly.
How to use blotting toner for oily skin
- Take an appropriate amount of toner on a cotton pad and gently apply it on areas where you want to remove dirt.
Prevention measures that everyone with oily skin should know
【If your skin is oily in certain areas】Use toners to balance the skin’s sebum content
If your skin is partially oily in certain areas, you most likely have a combination skin type.
Some areas are dry, some areas are oily.
For these types of people, change the way you use toners according to each area.
Refer to the following picture to identify areas with high sebum production and areas with low sebum production.
Toners to use for ①T-zone
・Astringent toners
・Blotting toners
Toners to use for ②U-zone and chin and ③Eyes and mouth
・General toner
・Softening toner
・Moisturizing toner
After applying toner, please be sure to apply a cream or other oil-based moisturizer to prevent the hydration from evaporating.
【If your skin is oily seasonally】Prevent sweating excessively
If you have oily skin only during the hot, sweaty seasons, you most likely have seasonal oily skin.
Sebum is one cause of oily skin, but sweat makes it even worse.
Sebum is produced from the sebaceous glands within our pores, and it protects our skin from drying out by creating a film on the surface of our skin.
Sweat is a natural toner that also moisturizes our skin.
However, in the summer when you sweat a lot, your body produces excessive amounts of sweat to regulate body temperature.
This type of sweat typically dries out quickly, but when it mixes with sebum, it does not evaporate so easily.
This is why it is important to wipe off the sweat before it mixes with sebum.
Just b doing this, you can prevent oily skin.
You may have noticed already, but people with seasonal oily skin do not actually have oily skin.
The skin is just a little sweaty.
Therefore, you only need to take care of it during the hotter, sweatier seasons.
How to wipe off sweat to prevent oily skin
There is no need to wipe or scrub harshly.
Use an absorbent towel and press the sweat off.
After doing so, make sure you conduct your skincare and replenish moisture to your skin.
【If your skin is oily overall】Choose your cleanser and toner wisely
If you have overall oily skin and your skin is constantly producing sebum, skincare with toners is not enough.
You must also choose your cleanser carefully.
As explained above, your body quickly produces more sebum even if you wipe it off because your body has a function to active sebum secretion when the sebum on the skin surface decreases.
Therefore, it is important not to remove too much sebum.
People with oily skin tend to use the following types of cleansers.
These cleansers remove too much sebum and cause the body to produce more sebum.
Please avoid these cleansers.
Cleansers to avoid for oily skin
・Cleansers with high cleansing strength
・Cleansers for oily skin
・Cleansers labeled "For people concerned with sebum"
・'Refreshing type' cleansers
・Solid soaps made with 100% soap base
After cleansing, make sure to immediately moisturize with a toner.
After apply toner, make sure to use lotions, creams, and serums to replenish oil and moisturizing ingredients.
Summary
Oily skin is a skin type where excessive amounts of sebum are produced.
The skin tends to have less water within it.
Therefore, the skin barrier of oily skin is weakened, and can often become very sensitive.
In order to restore the barrier functions, it is impotant to hydrate the skin with a toner.
After hydrating the skin with a toner, it is also important to apply creams to seal the hydration within the skin and prevent excessive sebum production.
By properly moisturizing your skin, you’ll notice that the sebum production will decrease significantly.
As long as you choose the correct toner and products for your oily skin, you should have no problem.
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