What is the Difference Between Astringent and Toner

The key difference between astringent and toner is that astringents help in cleaning the skin, tightening pores, and drying out oil, whereas toners help in cleaning the skin, hydrating, and nourishing the skin and balancing out the pH level.

Astringent is a type of skin toner. Skin toners are chemical substances that come in liquid form and are useful in cleansing the skin and shrinking the appearance of pores in the skin.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is an Astringent
3. What is a Toner
4. Astringent vs Toner in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Astringent vs Toner

What is an Astringent?

Astringent is a type of substance that can cause shrinkage or constriction in body tissues. Sometimes this substance is also named adstringent. This term comes from the Latin word adstringere, which means “to bind fast.” Some common sources of astringent substances include calamine lotion, witch hazel, and yerba mansa (a Californian plant). Some common substances that act as astringents include alum, acacia, sage, yarrow, bayberry, distilled vinegar, etc.

The astringency of some fruits causes a dry, puckering mouthfeel as a result of the presence of tannins in unripe fruits. This astringency is important for fruits to let themselves mature by deterring their consumption by birds and animals. However, there are some ripe fruits that are still astringent, e.g., blackthorn, chokecherry, bird cherry, rhubarb, quince, etc. Banana skin is also very astringent.

There are different uses of astringent material in medicine because it can cause constriction or contraction of mucous membranes and the tissues that are exposed to air. These substances are often used internally for the reduction of discharge of blood serum and mucous secretions. This type of discharge can occur due to sore throat, hemorrhages, diarrhea, and peptic ulcers. When astringent materials are used for external applications, it can cause mild coagulation of skin proteins, dry, harden and protect the skin.

What is a Toner?

Toners or skin toners are simply toners that refer to lotions, tonics, or washes that are designed to cleanse the skin and shrink the appearance of pores. Usually, this is used on the face. Moreover, toners moisturize the skin to protect and refresh the skin. Moreover, we can apply toners on the skin in different ways; using a cotton round, spraying onto the face, or applying a tonic gauze facial mask.

There are different types of toners such as skin bracers or fresheners, skin tonics, acid toners, astringents, etc. Skin bracers or fresheners are the mildest types of toners. These toners contain water and a humectant, E.g., glycerin. Furthermore, it can contain a small amount of alcohol that can range from 0 – 10%. Rose water is a typical example of a skin bracer. Rose water is suitable for dry, dehydrated, sensitive skin as well as normal skin. However, it gives a burning sensation to sensitive skin.

Skin tonics are slightly stronger compared to skin bracers and contain a small amount of alcohol along with water and humectant. E.g., orange flower water, which is suitable for normal, combination, or oily skin.

Acid toners are a stronger type of toners consisting of alpha hydroxyl acid and beta hydroxyl acid. These are formulated for the chemical exfoliation of the skin. e.g., salicylic acid is a commonly used beta hydroxyl acid that comes in acid toners.

What is the Difference Between Astringent and Toner?

There are different types of toners that we can use for skin. Astringent is a type of skin toner. The key difference between astringent and toner is that astringent substances are helpful in cleaning the skin, tightening pores, and drying out oil, whereas toners are helpful in cleaning the skin, hydrating, and nourishing the skin, and balancing out the pH level.

The below infographic presents the differences between astringent and toner in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Astringent vs Toner

Both astringent and skin toner are popular products in cosmetics. The key difference between astringent and toner is that astringent substances are helpful in cleaning the skin, tightening pores, and drying out oil, whereas toners are helpful in cleaning the skin, hydrating, and nourishing the skin, and balancing out the pH level.