Howdy! Today I have another Natural Instinct product to review from their facial line. It is their Clarifying Toner*. I haven't tried too many toners in my life, and to be completely honest, I still don't really know what their purpose is, but I feel like they are necessary in my skincare routine. I feel just plain weird if I don't use one. So I was very eager to try out this more natural, gentle alternative!
The packaging is nice and practical like all of the Natural Instinct products. It comes in a small plastic bottle with a flip top lid (that can sometimes be very hard to pry open!) and a small spout which does a good job at not dispensing too much product.
One thing that appeals to me most about this toner is that it doesn't contain any alcohol (or any other nasty ingredients!). The toner I was using previously (T.N Dickinson's Witch Hazel Toner) does contain alcohol, and although it's a rather small percentage, I still feel uneasy about using it. Now that I've tried the Natural Instinct one - I don't think I want to go back! In comparison, it doesn't dry out my face at all. The T.N Dickinson's one doesn't leave my face feeling tight or uncomfortable, but it is eager for moisturisation. This one, as the label suggests, makes my face feel refreshed.
The Clarifying Toner* contains some really nice ingredients like Witch Hazel, Rosewater and orange flower. The smell is pretty unassuming, a little bit nutty/wheaty? I don't really know what I'm smelling, it's neither bad nor pleasant, but just 'there'. I've been sweeping this over my face morning and night for quite a while now, more than two months. Like I said before, I'm not entirely sure what the true purpose of a toner is. I've been cleansing really efficiently lately so there isn't a lot of extra dirt left for this to pick up, but if there is, it does. My skin has been in quite good condition lately which could be due to a number of different products, but this certainly hasn't deteriorated my skin's state, and if anything, it is doing good.
While toning is a bit of an extra step, it's one that I couldn't imagine myself not doing. This toner is a really lovely basic one that will do the job without drying out your skin and in fact feels lovely on the skin. It retails for AUD$9.95 for 125mL of product which I think is a really great price!
What is your favourite toner?
*Product provided for reviewing purposes
