Michael Todd Blue Green Algae Toner

I'm a big fan of white noise - and YouTubers.  On the dreariest of work days, I sometimes que up some videos by my favorite WebCelebs (FleurdeForce, Tanya Burr, Zoella, Elle and Blair Fowler, Daily Grace....) in the bottom left hand corner of my screen while plugging away.  This has really helped keep me in good spirits on bad days and given me some not-so-necessary reasons to online shop during lunch.
Always in search of a good organic skin care range, I was intrigued by the vast quantity of Beauty Gurus who rave about Michael Todd True Organics and last spring, I figured I should try it out for myself.  A huge fan of sample bags, I snagged a discovery kit that contained the Blue Green Algae Toner everyone covets.
 The exact kit doesn't seem to be available anymore, but you can find them here and I'd highly recommend giving them a shot - it will help you decide which of the fantastic products you might want to grab in a full size.

The standout product in my mind was definitely the Blue Green Algae Toner.  While I also really loved the Honey Oat Facial Wash and the Charcoal Detox Cleanser, the toner truly left my skin feeling refreshed and amazing.

It doesn't contain alcohol - a serious win in my book.  I've used witch hazel as a toner for years, but can only really use it once a day because most varieties contain alcohol, which severely dries out my skin.  If it doesn't feel amazing, regardless of the benefits (witch hazel helps clear up acne and random blemishes), I'm not going to use it regularly.

This toner not only lacks alcohol, here is the full list of ingredients as found on the company website:
Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Leaf Juice, Ascophyllum Nodosum (Organic Kelp) Extract, Aphanizomenon Flos Aquae (Organic Blue Green Algae) Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Salix Nigra (Black Willowbark) Extract, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai Fruit) Pulp Powder, Sodium Chloride (Dead Sea Salt), Polysorbate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Essential Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Glucolactone, Citric Acid, Lavendula Angustifolia (Certifed Organic) Hydrosol.

The first ingredient is aloe - and that sold me.  With newly famed hyaluronic acid, willowbark, tea tree oil, organic kelp, and organic blue green algae, this product packs a LOT of benefit into one swipe of your cotton pad.  If you let your skin dry slightly longer than usual after washing, it will soak the liquid joy right up and your skin will feel amazing afterward.

After a few months, I noticed that my skin dries out and flakes a lot less, my blackheads are smaller and of a lesser intensity, and my skin feels "bouncier" to the touch.  I also swear it's helping moisturizers soak in and work better!  I was using it twice a day, every day, so if you are looking for results, you'll want to give the product enough time to really work.  Michael Todd's toners are $18.50, which I would normally say is crazy steep, but the amount of beneficial ingredients and the quality of them completely justifies the price in my mind.

Here's a closer look at some of the ingredients:

• Aloe:  If you aren't aware of the moisturizing and healing properties of aloe, where have you been for your entire life?  Our aloe plant is the first thing I grab when I get a burn and it helps the wound heal a lot more quickly.  It's soothing for sunburn and eczema, as well.  In terms of what I've personally noticed it has done for my face - products containing aloe always help my skin stay hydrated longer.  The products absorb more quickly and decrease redness by a TON.  With long term use, I really think it's helped with scarring
• Kelp and Blue Green Algae: If you search the internet, you'll find that products from the sea are topical heroes.  They are said to be antibacterial and rich in antioxidants. You can also find these types of products as supplements (Blue Green Algae is the same thing as spirulina, a common ingredient in green juice/smoothies), but if you have acne I'd recommend steering clear of kelp supplements.  While I've had great experiences with it topically, it actually increased my breakouts when taking it as a supplement
• Hyaluronic Acid:  I'd call this the most raved about ingredient of the past few years.  Hyaluronic acid is said to be one of the best moisturizing ingredients on the market. To me, it sounds like it trains your skin to retain moisture better, while instantly relieving dry skin on contact.  The only thing I will warn of is that, according to the EWG Skin Deep site, sodium hyaluronate is derived from animal cartilage - while I'm not sure if this is the case, vegans might want to take a closer look
• Black Willowbark: According to WebMD, it acts in a similar fashion to aspirin.  Taken orally, it can be used for pain management, treating fever, and helping with arthritis.  The Burt's Bees website notes that it contains natural beta hydroxy acids including salicylic acid.  This is something I typically avoid, as I'm apparently allergic to it, but honestly I haven't had any issues with it in this form!
• Acai Fruit Pulp Powder:  Antioxidants, baby
• Sodium Chloride: The Truth in Aging site explains the use of sodium chloride in beauty products and I'm guessing that, in this liquid product, it's used to help speed the drying process of the toner on the skin.  I assume it's more gentle than alcohol - but let me know in the comments if you know differently!
• Tea Tree Oil:  Ah, tea tree oil, an age old acne, dandruff, and skin issues remedy.  Tea tree oil has so many fantastic uses - I think it gives the toner it's refreshing feel on the skin.  It's great for acne prone skin, for fighting bacteria, and reducing scaliness
• Sodium Benzoate: A preservative used in foods and cosmetics, this is a widely discussed (and even more widely used) ingredient that may not be on the best-of list.  You can check out the EWG's report here 
• Gluconolactone is a solvent or additive and does not appear to have any negative or beneficial properties
• Citric Acid: This is being used more and more in anti aging products.  According to EWG, it serves to help with cell turnover/to help the skin shed
• Lavendula Angustifolia (Certifed Organic) Hydrosol:  English lavender scent.... :)

Let me know if this ingredients breakdown would influence your decision to try a product - I always spend hours in stores reading over and Googling ingredients, so I'll keep posting these if you find them interesting or helpful!

Thanks so much for reading!xx