Splashing Out

The Toner Wash Method Is an Effective Acne Treatment, According to Reddit

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We thought the 7 Skin Method was the most extra way to apply toner but the Toner Wash Method just topped it. The first K-beauty technique mentioned involves applying seven thin layers of toner to help hydrate skin. The Toner Wash Method, on the other hand, is all about clearing your skin. The process is similar to that of splash masks. You pour two capfuls of concentrated toner like the Natural Pacific Fresh Herb Calendula Tincture Toner into a sink or bowl full of water. Then, you splash your face with the mixture to help wash away makeup, dirt, and other grime your skin has accumulated throughout the day. The Toner Wash Method isn't supposed to replace normal cleansing, though. It comes after your usual cleansing routine.

A Redditor who goes by pdxbeautiful wrote on the Asian Beauty subreddit that she recently tried the Toner Wash Method in hopes of decreasing "blemishes, clogged pores and balance oil production." She compares the process of flushing out your skin with the Toner Wash Method to cleaning out a wound. After a couple weeks of incorporating the popular K-beauty technique in her morning and night skin care routines, she noticed her breakouts healing and decreased redness. "One blemish in particular has been hanging on for dear life and poof, it is almost gone," pdxbeautiful wrote. "I have also noticed that while I normally get a red scar after a blemish as come and gone, something I like to refer to as a partying gift! Since using this tincture in my daily routine, those red PIE (post inflammatory erythema) spots have decreased."

You can see the process in action below, thanks to pdxbeautiful herself.

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She isn't the only one touting the Toner Wash Method's skin-clearing ways. Style Korean, an online K-beauty retailer, recently posted a viral video that showed a woman trying it out for 50 days straight. The result: clear, glowing skin.

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We asked dermatologists if the Toner Wash Method is, in fact, an effective acne treatment. The verdict: It depends who you ask. According to Joshua Zeichner, the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, it is. Why? toner, on its own, can be used to treat acne because it helps remove excess oil from skin. When you add calendula to the mix, which is one of the active ingredients in the toner most often used with the Toner Wash Method, you get more acne-fighting results. Zeichner says calendula extract is often used in skin-care products for its anti-inflammatory, skin-healing, and antioxidant properties. "It is also rich in linoleic acid, which is an essential fatty acid," he explains. "Sebum, or skin oil, in acne patients is known to be low in linoleic acid, so replacing it using calendula extract may help explain its benefit in treating acne."

Shari Marchbein, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Hospital, disagrees, though. Sure, toner can help remove residual dirt and pollutants. But on it's own, it doesn't have the same strength as a true acne treatment. "For many patients with acne, using over-the-counter products like toners will have little benefit for their acne," she says. As for the calendula-spiked formula, Marchbein echoes Zeichner's explanation of it. However, she adds, "we have insufficient evidence to recommend this ingredient as a primary acne treatment." If anything, Marchbein says, "Using diluted forms of calendula occasionally and when in short contact with the skin may be mildly helpful to treat the redness and bumps of acne. However, caution must be taken, especially for those with sensitive skin, as calendula can cause contact dermatitis, or eczema, in those sensitive to it."

With both sides taken in account, the Toner Wash Method definitely won't hurt your skin or make your breakouts worse. We just can't guarantee that it will absolutely clear up your skin.


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