This summer I have been interning in an office that has the temperature set to 65 degrees, so with the constant AC, my skin has been so dry. After I ran out of the YULI elixir, I realized that I NEEDED a toner in my life STAT. Previously I didn’t think toners were a necessity but I saw how wonderfully my skin responded over time to the Yuli elixir. However, despite my internship I’m still a college student so I decided to venture out to try some budget friendly options.
The first I tried was the Blossom & Leaf toner from Andalou Naturals. It is a toning refresher for all skin types with organic aloe vera, fruit stem cells, and Vitamin C, quite a list for something that costs $12.95! Here is the full ingredients list:
Aloe Barbadensis Juice*, Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Lauric Acid, Fruit Stem Cells (Malus Domestsica, Solar Vitis) and BioActive 8 Berry Complex*, Resveratrol, Ubiquinone (CoQ10), Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Aspalathus Linearis (Rooibos), Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis and Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Extracts*†, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium (Petitgrain) and Geranium Maculatum Oils*
Amazing right? When I tried this in store I found it light and refreshing so I knew this would be my next purchase. After using up the entire bottle I have to say, I don’t think this will be a repurchase. Although the sample worked well in store, when I spray this on my face it would get really red and I felt a stinging sensation. I told myself that maybe this was the alcohol or the Vitamin C causing slight irritation. However even now when I’m nearly finished with the bottle, I still experience this stinging and redness. And my skin doesn’t seem to like it. I just notice that it is a little more prone to breaking out especially around my t-zone. Facial oils also don’t seem to blend as well. I still think this is a decent product, I just wish it worked for my skin because the price certainly does!
Next I tried Alaffia’s Rooibos & Shea Butter Antioxidant Facial Toner which seemed to offer a lot of hydration when I tried it in the store. It reminded me a little of the Tata Harper foral essence sample I got one time, so at $14, I knew I had to try it in case I found a secret gem! The toner is indeed one of the most moisture intensive toners I have ever tried. Here is the full ingredients list:
Aqueous extracts of Shea (Butyrospermum parkii) Leaf*, Fair Trade Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), and Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana),â„¢ Aloe Vera, African Wild Honey*, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Vanilla Extract, Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, Limonene (from essential oil), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
Unfortunately there is phenoxyethanol preservative in here. I think the moisture comes from Shea butter and Honey both of which make this toner thicker. I could tell that my skin felt happier in the environment of constant AC but I just didn’t feel that “light refreshing” feeling that I wanted from a toner. With facial oils, this can be a bit heavy so I ended up reducing my facial oil by one drop.
Between the two, I prefer the Alaffia toner as I didn’t get redness/irritation from it despite the fact that the Andalou toner had a more impressive ingredient list. I wish one of these hit it out of the park because they’re priced so well but to be honest, I kind of couldn’t wait to finish these up so I could go back to the YULI elixir which I’ve now ordered in their gigantic size. I guess sometimes you really do get what you pay for, and after trying these two products I’m happy and comfortable to pay more for a more expensive elixir that meets all my requirements and makes my skin happy.
Coco Beaute 