Do I need to use a toner?

Wash, tone, moisturize.. I remember a few years ago it seemed so obvious for everyone to use a toner after they've cleansed their face. 
Nowadays it seems no one even knows it exists or why they should incorporate it into their skincare. 
The question a lot of people ask is "Do I NEED to use a toner?". Well, I'm here to tell you that no, you do not NEED to use a toner.
I know a lot of beauty gurus and aestheticians will tell you otherwise, but trust me.. I've done my research. 

Toner is known to restore your skin's natural pH-balance, which is why a lot of people suggest you use it. But the thing is, the cleansers that are out on the market right now don't actually take away from your skin's pH-balance. 
Now if you use a bar of soap to clean your face then you SHOULD use a toner, because those are really damaging for your skin. If this is you, then the best thing you could do is to stop using that bar of soap right now and invest in a good cleanser. 
The reason I like to use toner is because it whisks away any residue that your cleanser might have left and it also takes away the dead skin cells that are still on your face. I do have to say that a good cleanser will already do that for you, but I feel like it doesn't hurt to kind of double cleanse my face. 

On a more important note.. Toner isn't recommended for every skin type. If you have dry or normal skin, then feel free to completely skip this step. Toner can be overly drying on your skin. It is mostly meant for people like me who suffer from extremely oily, acne-prone skin. What toner will do for us is take away the layer of oil that spreads across our face. 

If you don't have oily skin, but you like what your toner is doing for your skin then by all means keep doing it. Most toners aren't as drying as they used to be, so it shouldn't do much harm to your skin. The one thing I do have to point out is to stay away from alcohol-based toners. They are the worst for your skin. I know when you have oily skin that it feels like it's the only thing that's helping you from getting super oily and shiny throughout the day, but it's actually really really damaging for your skin. The only type of toners I suggest are water-based toners.  
Also, don't use rosewater as a toner. I know that there are people who swear by rosewater and say it's really soft and gentle on your skin, but it's really not. Because it's overly fragranced it can really irritate your skin. 

I hope I've helped some of you out with this. If you have any more questions about skincare please ask me in the comments below or on twitter @_MakeUpDiary_

Xoxo Nathalie