Toners Explained

When a fragile beauty whose name is Wafa went to get her masters degree in distillation processes in Portugal, she did not know that she will be creating the best vapor distilled toner in the world that is called Katari Roseau, rose water toner...

We will get back to Wafa and why what she makes is an absolute golden standard of any toner. But first, let's explore what the heck this thing called toner IS...

Toner, adj. as described by Merriam-Webster Dictionary is 'a liquid cosmetic for cleansing the skin and contracting the pores'. Simple enough!

A slight disagreement here with the esteemed dictionary, as not all toners are good cleansers and vice versa, some might combined the properties described but do they?  Some toners do not cleanse skin period. Some cleansers, if not all, do not tone. Hmmmmm.... Today we will talk only about toners that do the toning job, which is described in the second part of the 'toner' definition - 'contracting the pores'.

Other products apart from toners, can shrink pores, like some masque (see Argil facial masque, for instance). So, I guess, various products can have 'toning' properties.

My favorite toner is rose water toner. 

Putting toners in one category or even remotely thinking that they are all the same is like comparing Ugo and Tesla when it comes to cars. Both are cars, though Ugo used to come with a bus schedule as standard equipment in the glove box (ha-ha). There is no comparison when it comes to describing what separates toners in general and rose toners in particular.

I can go on an on about ingredients, active ingredients, their concentration, the purity of ingredients, the temperature of their extraction, the season and freshness of the crop, the location of the crop, the pH of the product, the mixture of ingredients and whether the preservatives were involved and which ones. Oh my, the list can go on and on and this is why it is so hard for me to narrow it all down, for there are SO many darn variables and all can make or break a wonderful product. And you, as a consumer, rely on shiny label, on advertising and hoping that you get the freaking best toner in the world.

Most of the time you would not. A word toner, by itself does not mean you are getting a toner. Just spray your face with some alcohol-containing toner. Would it feel dry? Yep. It will and fast. Regular water will tighten your skin faster then you think - just pour a few gallons on your face while in the shower. This the effect and the typical feel from most commercially produced toners.

It is virtually impossible for companies to produce toners without the use of preservatives. Think of product 'shelf life' and you get an idea. When you introduce preservatives, often times they are alcohol-based. Alcohol dries skin. Fact. 

A toner, does a very different job. It goes into capillaries and shrinks those broken and damage capilaries and restricts enlarged pores. At least this is what it should do. With that, it also creates lifted and more tight effect without dry feel. So, you skin will be lifted, tight and youthful and redness and capilllary damage will be diminished because of the active ingredients in a toner that regular this skin function that affects pores, redness, capillary damage and rosacea.

Why do I love Wafa's rose water so much and why did I spend 10 year scouting Mediterranean in search of the best rose water toner?

Artisanal Rose Water from Katari from Katari Beauty on Vimeo.

Well, because when you tone skin, skin feels tight. Rose water when it is created the way ancients did, as Wafa does now, does not make skin feel tight. Katari Rose water (Roseau) has the most coveted rose essential oil in. It is nourishing and healing skin inflammations and SUPER DUPER TONING! We do not REMOVE the rose essential oil, we do not ADD anything. We let roses and their ancient toning and healing powers do their job.

So, when you are on a quest to buy a multi-tasking toner that heals skin from rosacea, acne, inflammation and tones it like no other, give Katari Roseau a try. Worst case you will be obsessed. Best case, you will be emailing me to take you on a trip in May when we make a very tiny amount of the best rose water in the world... with Wafa.... and eat the best cookies in the world she makes.... with rose water.

Hugs and stay toned!

~ Kate (who wasted 5 lbs of rose petals, distrubed the 2019 distillation process and ate most of the cookies Wafa made).