The Holy Trinity (Part Two)

Arrgh. I hear you think. Toning up. It's too hot for toning anything. Fair enough. When I hear the word toning I immediately think of doing several hundred painful crunches, a couple of undignified squats (because lets face it, who apart from professional athletes and gymnasts can manage more than a couple) and a pathetic attempt at Pilates. That's what toning means to me. Misery followed by disappointment followed by abject failure (by which I mean giving up when the aforementioned crunches, squats and attempts at Pilates fail to turn me into Elle McPherson overnight).

Fear not, it's not this form of toning of which I speak. No I'm talking about facial toner, the vital link between cleansing and moisturising in our facial holy trinity. Why do we use toner? What exactly is its purpose? Well basically toner gets you skin really clean. If you've failed to remove all of your makeup or the days grime with your cleanser, which is easy done, then toner will seek out and destroy what you missed. As well as giving the skin a final cleanse it helps to decrease pore size to help minimize clogging and give skin a better appearance. This is a necessary and vital step in your beauty routine so don't be tempted to skip it on the grounds of time or expense.

As with every other beauty treatment around at the moment the sheer amount of choice currently available can make; picking the right toner a chore rather than a pleasure. That's why The Irish Examiner has taken time to pick out the very best toners on the market at the moment.

Speaking of reducing surface shine, check out the Biore Pore Perfect Shine Control Oil Blotting Sheets a handy portable pack of pad which will instantly remove that greasy glow that no girl wants to be seen with - ever. If you are such a girl (trust me there are far more of us out there than you would believe) then you might also want to take a look at the Biore Pore Perfect Shine Control Clay Mask a lovely soothing face mask designed specifically to help those of us afflicted with excess shine. Something even the coolest of chicks are experiencing in the current heat.

Still keeping with the subject of troubled skin Vichy Laboratories Normaderm for Acne Prone Skin range have a Purifying Astringent Toner which contains salicylic acid and helps reduce the appearance of visible pores.

If you have sensitive skin then the Aveda All Sensitive Toner is probably your best bet with its extra-gentle dermatologist tested formula.

For sheer luxury try Laura Mercier's Perfecting Water a hydrating fluid that temporarily over-hydrates and prepares the skin for further treatment. This unique skincare product allows moisture to penetrate the deep layers of the skin and has active ingredients that help adjust the skins PH balance. Perfecting Water minimizes and reduces the appearance of pores and rebuilds and repairs the skin's surface layers. There are two types Perfecting Water - Light which is best suited to normal to oily skin while the Perfecting Water - Rich is better suited for dry to normal skin.

The lovely Sanoflore Cosmetique Bio Toning Lotion in Rose & Aloe is suitable for all skin types. Osmotics have two Tonic Facial Mists. The Firming Tonic Facial Mist is a rejuvenating treatment which firms, nourishes and hydrates normal, dry and mature skin. It contains a unique blend of botanicals and pure essential oils which will help give your skin a healthy glow. It contains soothing Aloe Vera and is alcohol free. This product will work well on all skin types but is recommended for mature skin.

The Osmotics Balancing Tonic Facial Mist is a refreshing toner for normal/oily and combination skin. Like the previous product it also contains pure essential oils, aloe Vera, purifying botanical extracts and is alcohol free. Daily use will help reduce redness and irritation associated with breakouts and troubled skin; this is partly due to the inclusion of Vitamin B6 which helps normalize oil production.

The last product this week is by no means the least. Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 is an essential component of many girls' bathroom shelves. It is one of the perennial toners and with good reason. It is an essential part of the Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System used in conjunction with the Facial Soap and Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. I think this was the first toner I ever bought (way way back in the dark mists of time) and even though I often stray and use other toners there is always a bottle of this stuff in my bathroom. It leaves skin feeling fresh and tingly clean.