www.naturalskincarelady.com

I'll admit it. For years, I thought toner was one of those skincare products you could take or leave.

And as an oily skin girl—and I mean OILY—I really couldn't understand why I needed anything that might add even more moisture to my face. Trust me, I thought my face was doing a fine job of that all by itself. 😂

Boy, was I wrong.

What I didn't understand was that oil and hydration aren't the same thing. My skin could be producing plenty of oil and still need hydration. Once that little lightbulb came on, toner finally made a whole lot more sense.

If your first experience with toner was one of those old-school formulas that left your face feeling tight enough to crack when you smiled, I completely understand why you might have decided this was one step you could skip.

Thankfully, we've come a long way!

Today's facial mists and toners can help hydrate, refresh and balance your skin while getting it ready for whatever comes next in your routine.

Last time, we talked about cleansing and why we want to start with a clean canvas. This is our next step.

Clean first. Then hydrate and prep.

And no, we're not adding another bottle to your bathroom counter just for the fun of it. 😂 There's actually a reason for this one.

This was another lightbulb moment for me because I used the words hydrating and moisturizing like they meant exactly the same thing.

They don't.

Hydration is about water. When your skin is dehydrated, it needs water. A facial mist or toner can help give your skin that boost of hydration and get it ready for the products you're putting on next.

Moisturizing is about helping your skin hold onto that hydration. That's where your moisturizer comes in.

So here's the easiest way I know to remember it:

Hydration adds water. Moisturizer helps keep it there.

That's really it.

And suddenly having both a facial mist and a moisturizer in your routine doesn't seem quite so crazy, does it?

Oh, I hear you.

For YEARS I thought oily skin meant I needed to stay as far away from anything hydrating or moisturizing as possible. My face was shiny enough already. Why on earth would I add anything else?

Except I was confusing oil with hydration.

Once I stopped constantly trying to dry my skin out and started actually giving it the hydration and moisture it needed, I noticed a huge difference in how much oil my own skin produced.

Now, that doesn't mean every oily face is oily because it's dehydrated. But it does mean oily skin can still be thirsty skin.

And THAT was something nobody had ever explained to me.

There's a Difference Here, Too.

Here's where it gets a little confusing.

Dry skin generally needs oil. Dehydrated skin needs water.

Dry tends to describe your skin type, while dehydration is something that can happen to your skin—and it can happen whether your skin is dry, normal, combination or even oily.

So yes, you can be an oily-skinned girl like me and have dehydrated skin.

That was another one of those well, now that makes sense moments for me. 🤦‍♀️

Here's where I'm going to give you my favorite skincare answer:

It depends. 😂

There isn't one facial mist or toner that's right for everybody.

Maybe your skin needs help with oil and balance. Maybe it needs lots of hydration. Maybe it's sensitive and you need to keep things gentle. Or maybe you're looking for hydration along with a little extra support for aging skin.

That's why I'm much more interested in what's in the bottle and what it's meant to do than whether the front says mist, tonic or toner.

And it's also why I don't love one-size-fits-all skincare routines. Your skin gets a vote.

The differences among your current Lemongrass Spa options support that approach: Tea Tree is intended for combination-to-oily, blemish-prone skin; Watermelon Cucumber emphasizes hydration and sensitive skin; Prebiotic is designed for all skin types; and Peptide Renewal is geared toward normal-to-dry skin with additional barrier and aging support.

This part is easy:

Cleanse → Facial Mist/Toner → Treatment Products → Moisturize

Use your facial mist or toner after cleansing and before your serums and moisturizer. How you apply it depends on the product—some can be misted directly onto your face, while others are applied with your fingers or a cotton pad. Your Lemongrass Spa product directions vary accordingly.

And some facial mists can even hang out with you during the day for a quick little refresh.

No 14-step routine required. 😉

Oily doesn't automatically mean hydrated. I learned that one the hard way.

Tight and squeaky-clean isn't the goal. We're caring for our skin, not stripping it into submission.

Your friend's favorite product may not be yours. Her skin isn't your skin.

Your skin can change. Seasons, hormones, age, lifestyle—all kinds of things can affect what your skin needs at different times.

And maybe my favorite...

Know WHY you're using something. If there's a bottle sitting on your bathroom counter and you have absolutely no idea what the heck it's doing for you, let's figure that out. 😂

Do I really need a toner or facial mist?

I'm not a big fan of telling every woman she absolutely "needs" the exact same products. But if your skin needs hydration, balance or a little prep before the rest of your routine, the right facial mist or toner can be a really useful step.

Can I use one if I have oily skin?

YES! 🙋‍♀️ And I'm living proof that an oily-skinned girl can love her facial mist. Oil and hydration aren't the same thing, so don't automatically assume that oily skin needs to be dried out.

Is a facial mist the same thing as a toner?

There's definitely some overlap. Rather than getting hung up on what it's called, I look at what's actually in it and what it's designed to do.

Can I use facial mist during the day?

Some you can! Several of the Lemongrass Spa facial mists are specifically designed to be spritzed throughout the day for a refreshing boost.

Does facial mist go before or after moisturizer?

Before. Think:

Cleanse → hydrate/prep → treatments → moisturize.

And conveniently enough, moisturizer is exactly where we're headed next. 😉

Sometimes this stuff makes a whole lot more sense when we can just talk about it!

That's why I started Coffee Chat in my Facebook group. Grab your coffee and join me as we dig a little deeper into topics like this, answer questions and hopefully make skincare feel a whole lot less complicated.

Bring your coffee. Bring your questions.

No skincare degree required. 😂

→ Join Naturally & Authentically You

Ready to Find the Right Facial Mist or Toner?

There's no single "best" facial mist or toner. There's only the one that makes the most sense for your skin.

Whether you're oily, dry, sensitive or somewhere in between, the goal isn't to add another product just because somebody told you that you should. It's to understand what your skin needs and choose accordingly.

Not sure where to start? I'd be happy to help you figure it out.

→ Ask Kim

*Opens texting app on your phone.