I know, I KNOW. Another Paula’s Choice review. What can I say? Coupon codes and discounts are abundant for this brand and I. Just. Can’t. Help. Myself.
I’ve never really gotten the point of toners. In the past they dried the hell out of my skin and seemed to prove that my cleanser royally sucked seeing all the excess makeup on the cotton pads. But hey-ho, everyone says “they’re different now!” and “a good toner is essential for a good skincare routine.”
So I went to the Paula’s Choice website and picked up their moisture boost toner, mainly because I feel like I can never get too much hydration.
The thing is, this doesn’t really feel like a toner. Let me be nitpicky for a moment. I’ve always associated *toners* with something that takes icky stuff away. You know, like that nasty layer of dead skin that might just be chilling on the top of your epidermis. Then there are *essences* which I always consider as something that is being put into your skin. Like hydration. This toner doesn’t feel like a toner. It feels like an essence.
That being said, for once, a toner didn’t dry out my skin and make me want to scratch it off. It actually did seem to provide a light moisturizer effect. However, that’s about all I can say for it.
I almost wish it was in a facial mist form because this actually does feel nice and refreshing on the hot summer days that are upon us.
Has this turned me back onto toners? Is this a must have for my skin routine? No and no. It’s a good toner (essence?), I can tell that it is quality… And if I were any kind of proper skincare obsessive I would say that sandwiching as much moisture as possible into my routine is a necessity… But I also can’t help but feel that any moisturizing benefits could also be fulfilled by a good face cream/serum in my opinion.
And to be honest? I struggle with actually using the product every day or night or whenever. It just seems like one step too many in the everyday routine for minimal results.
If you are interested in trying this extra step, it’ll cost you around $21. You can find it in these places:
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Superoxide Dismutase, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium (Willow Herb) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Sodium PCA, Creatine, Lecithin, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Allantoin, PEG-4, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol.
Want other opinions? Check these out:
Sweet Pixie Dreams – Reviews multiple products from Paula’s Choice and includes the Moisture Boost Toner in her lineup.
Clumps of Macara – She also does a brand overview that includes the Moisture Boost Toner!
Image from Paula’s Choice
