When they hear the word "toner," most guys think of the cartridges that fit into laser printers. And why not? This is a technology we understand. Printer stops printing: change toner. Easy.

What those same guys don't always know is that the other kinds of toners aren't that complicated, either.

I'm talking, of course, about skin toners. And adding one to your daily grooming ritual is not only advisable, it's downright criminal if you don't.

Okay, that's crap. But a good morning ritual—that is, the grooming that takes place after you shower and shave and before you scent-test your underwear for freshness—should always consist of a facial cleanser, a bracing skin toner, and a light moisturizer.

What Are Skin Toners?
Skin toners are products for your face. They remove the slimy disgusting gunk facial cleansers dredge from your skin.

Why is this important?

If you regularly use a facial cleanser, then you may or may not be aware that it leaves a slight residue on your skin.

Don't recoil in terror: this is supposed to happen! Good cleansers are designed to lift dirt out of your pores, which you should wipe away or trapped bacteria starts getting up to no good. This, of course, leads to the inevitable crop of zits.

The Dirt on Toners
Aside from purifying your skin, there are other perceived benefits to toning (note the word "perceived"). Some people who use alcohol-based toners believe that these tighten skin and reduce fine lines. Others insist that toners hydrate their skin, leaving their faces feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

In reality, toners don't actually tighten skin—that's the alcohol at work— and any tonic (even water) will hydrate.

Aestheticians use toners to rebalance the skin's pH level after cleansing. Toner also prepares your face for the alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) in fine facial moisturizers, since these won't work on alkaline skin.

Toners are typically made for two skin types: dry and oily. (You can fit normal and sensitive skin types into one or the other of these categories.)

Finding the correct toner for your skin is important. Toners for oily skin ("astringents") control oil gland activity and bacteria, while dry skin toners help with dehydration.

Alternative Uses
Besides being the middle step in your daily cleanser/toner/moisturizer regimen, toners can also be useful during the summer months or in a perpetually dry climate. Under such conditions, it's best to drink plenty of water. But also try a toner to freshen and hydrate your skin. The results may surprise you.

After exercise is also a particularly good time to tone. (Use it instead of soap.) Or try toning after air travel; it'll counteract the effects of that dry, pressurized cabin.

So tone up. It feels great. And you won't get any of that powdery laser printer stuff on your hands when you do it.