THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER. NOW INTRODUCING… TONIC!
It’s hard to believe that after 2.5 years, I can finally share this product with y’all! It feels like yesterday that I started developing it, but it somehow feels like forever ago, too! So let’s get right to it - how did I get here? Why this product?
For those of you who have followed me from the very beginning, you may remember my initial stance on toners — unnecessary. And here’s why. For the past several decades, a toner’s sole purpose was to accomplish two things:
1. Restore the skin’s pH after cleansing
2. Remove leftover dirt your cleanser leaves behind
Personally, I found both of these reasons inadequate. First of all, the skin is an amazing organ, and simply put, it can restore it’s own pH pretty dang quickly. And secondly, if you’re relying on a cotton pad to remove the makeup your cleanser wasn’t able to, you’re probably using the wrong cleanser… I mean it’s called a “cleanser” for a reason.
But then I started getting responses from so many of you saying things like “but I love using a toner!” and “I’ve just always used one, it would feel so weird not to!” — and that’s when my wheels started turning. What if I gave you a toner that actually CHANGED the skin. We’re talking brightening, lightening, and tightening!
This is when the research started — I read every clinical study and piece of literature I could get my hands on. I decided on the main ingredients I wanted to use, and ordered every skincare product on the market that contained those ingredients. My sweet husband couldn’t understand why I “needed” multiple boxes of skincare products delivered every single day, but it was all “in the name of research!”.
I compared the textures, the scents, the sensations, and the results. I learned what I liked and what I didn’t. And after many months, I was ready to start actually formulating. Now that I knew what ingredients I wanted to use, what strengths/doses did I want them to be? I wanted our active ingredients to be strong enough doses to produce real change in the skin, but also gentle enough to not irritate the skin. And what about the scent? Some great active ingredients have rather unpleasant odors, so what could I use to remove the smell without reducing it’s efficacy? This just skims the surface of the development process — I could go on and on, but I don’t want to lose you. We’re just getting to the good part!
Fast forward two years, thousands of hours, and EIGHTY-TWO formulation adjustments later, and TONIC was born!
SO WHAT DOES IT DO?
Have you ever had a facial and notice how your skin glows afterwards? Have you been bummed when the next day you feel like that glow already went away? Me too. What if you could apply a product daily at home that would not only give you that “post-facial” glow, but would also stimulate collagen & elastin production - providing both short and long term benefits? Well that’s exactly what TONIC does. This “facial in a bottle” is just that — a treatment to the skin that can be done daily.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY INGREDIENTS?
For those that know me, you know I love skin acids — I even dedicated a full blog post to them here. These powerful ingredients can do wonders for various skin concerns like acne, hyperpigmentation, reducing pore size, and more. So let’s break down some of the acids included in TONIC.
Lactic Acid: ideal for skin brightening, gentle exfoliation, and collagen/elastin stimulation
Glycolic Acid: targets fine lines and wrinkles, stimulates collagen production, exfoliates, and hydrates skin
Mandelic Acid: targets acne and hyperpigmentation
Salicylic Acid: targets blackheads, acne, and sebaceous hyperplasia, reduces oil production, unclogs pores, and reduces pore size
Kojic Acid: skin lightener that targets melasma, acne scarring, and hyperpigmentation
Phytic Acid: ideal for skin brightening, lightening, and exfoliation
WHAT SKIN TYPES AND CONCERNS IS IT GOOD FOR? AND WHO SHOULDN’T USE IT?
One of the main reasons that it took 82 formulation adjustments is because I wanted this product to be good for all skin types. TONIC has been tested on patients with the most sensitive skin, with acne prone skin, oily skin and dry skin patients, patients with melasma, and patients with chronic black heads. If everyone didn’t love it, I tweaked it and retested every skin type and concern again. So that being said, if you are a living, breathing, human, my guess is that you’ll love it! And yes - that includes my pregnant and breastfeeding mamas out there, too!
HOW TO APPLY:
Once you receive your product, you want to make sure you’re using it correctly. Here is what I recommend for each skin type:
Sensitive skin: Apply at night 2-3 times a week and gradually work up to nightly.
Normal/Combination skin: Apply every night after washing.
Oily skin: Apply AM and PM after washing.