I've been wasting my money on eye makeup remover all these years- is expensive toner another rip off?

[LostMarbles99]

I have used Gatineau eye makeup remover for years as I fell for the hype that it was also an eye treatment! The QVC lady said "just look at how you can see the the tracks of eyelashes on the cotton pad, it just glides off."

Well yesterday I bought some Simple eye makeup remover and it did exactly the same job but even better I had NO black panda eyes this morning the way I normally do with the bloody Gatineau stuff!

It made me wonder if expensive toner is also a rip off and if the cheap Simple stuff wouldn't do the same job?

Any other things I can be saving on?

Never seen the point of toner. I've occasionally used rosewater.

I used to spend £££s on beauty products but following a change I didn't notice any difference - felt like a bloody gullible fool. I use aveeno moisturiser for everything and simple make up remover and save my pennies for clothes and other nice stuff that genuinely makes me look better.

Another one here for the Boots Botanics range. Their rosewater toning spritz is THE one, for me. Just read the ingredients list on that one- glycerin, alcohol and rosewater. That's it. Yet makes my skin tingly clean and taut. Absolutely brilliant!

And sometimes they do 3 for 2. You can get it for next to nothing...

Have never used toner for decades and have good skin. Toner simply wipes off the excess cleanser. Warm water does the same. If you want to fork out it's better to spend your dosh on a good moisturiser and some high SPF products.

You shouldn't put alcohol on your skin - it dries it out and is an irritant.

What's the issue with wipes, is it the alcohol? What about wipes that don't contain alcohol?

True, missbo, but my skin is soooo oily. It literally drips, yuk! And alocohol is the only thing that seems to keep it at bay. That, and Soap and Glory BB cream.

So far, so good...Let's see.

I like a nice exfoliating toner such as the Clarins one or Liquid Gold. My skin glows after using these.

Ordinary toners? Waste of time.

'Toner' is just a word for an active product you slap on after cleansing. It makes zero sense to say all toners are pointless! Sure, some are, but plenty aren't.

Just choose one that has active ingredients which do what you want it to. I use Shu Uemura 'moisturising lotion' which is a liquid splash on thing, it has hyaluronic acid which exfoliates and also clings to water, which has the effect of making skin feel softer and more hydrated. Follow with a comfortable moisture cream. It's about the ingredients, not the name 'toner'. But yes definitely avoid alcohol ones, so most Clinique ones!

Jemima - I still using up a Simple spray as the hydrating one, then I may go back to elemis (all Alcohol free)
Using Clarins for the aha
And also trialling the Hydraluron serum she raves about - was 1/3 off in Boots...

I'll join any beauty mouth thread that starts up!

I use baby wipes, a cheapo day cream with sunscreen from Aldi, and Astral at night. Occasionally MIL, who spends a fortune on beauty stuff, will send me some v expensive lotions and potions. I have yet to see the difference. My skin is fine - looks pretty darn good for someone in their mid-forties, even if I do say so myself

I remember reading an interview with some dermatologist (can't remember her name) and she said that there were no miracle creams, the only miracle was that women still believe the hype and still spend so much money.

I use simple eye make up remover, and usually use eve lom cleanser. very expensive but when I don't use it I break out. argh. stuck in a cycle of endless usage for the past...7 or 8 years I think
if I have run out of everything, I use coconut or olive oil

Bonsoir, I used Bioderma once and it was fab then I accidentally bought Biotherm which was not fab

I have thankfully broken my addiction to crème de la mer, now that was ridiculous. I use Kiehl's instead as moisturiser.

It's all rubbish! I used to use Clinique or Clarins everything. I now use simple cleanser, water and simple moisturiser under tinted moisturiser (dry skin).

I use sudocrem as a face mask overnight when I feel my skin needs a bit extra.

Oil is the best makeup remover, any oil from baby to simple olive oil.

I do use primer, it makes make up glide on but don't go for the pricey stuff, body shop Matt works fine but my mum hates it - she's a cosmetics snob, so I wasn't surprised.

Thing is, you have to try and figure out whether you are buying something because it works for your skin or because you've fallen for all the marketing hype because I had problematic skin I really thought I had to buy the best, except it wasn't the best - it was just the most expensive.

Yes I watched a you tube clip a while ago saying to we is unnecessary if you are using water it's old fashioned now it was for the days of taking make up of with cotton wool and no water. Agree boots botanics range is good I think best eye make up remover is body shop camomile stuff

Just think about the word toner- it's meant to give the impression that your skin will be toned- like your body- in other words tightened. Which is rubbish- if the toner contains alcohol then what you will get is a temporary tightening of the skin, or a glow as it sucks out moisture and actually irritates the skin. AHAs do the same- salicylic acids.

My gran ( who'd be about 120 now were she alive) used to get the same effect with beaten egg whites- used as a face mask.

I'm not convinced that Simple is the best either- their shampoo is full of SLS - so although they omit perfume and colourants, they are not really hypoallergenic products in the true sense.

For most people skin is a barometer of lifestyle- diet and exercise. Hormones come into play too.

If you think about it, nothing that is on your face for 1 minute ( cleanser) is going to make that much difference.

The only thing cleanser can and should do is remove make up and dirt without stripping your skin of natural oils.
If you use a harsh cleanser or toner your skin will compensate by producing more oil- so you get into the vicious cycle of thinking you can only use that product to 'control' the sebum.

I stopped using toner years ago. Tis pointless at best, and drying at worst