AIDAMugwort 90 Pore Ampoule Toner

AIDA Mugwort 90 Pore Ampoule TonerThis interesting toner comes in a pump dispenser for a foamy product that spreads very easily for even, full coverage in short order. Absorbs readily and feels very soothing, nonirritating, and seems to provide a degree of moisturization. I still apply a good moisturizer afterwards, though. Leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth, works very well for me.

I have been using several products from AIDA and really like them, especially the ultra barrier ampuole cream so I was interested in trying this ampoule/toner. I take this to mean it is intended to combine the benefits of a serum and a toner in one product. While I do like the idea of multi-purpose skin care products, this one seems more like a toner and doesn't take the place of a serum or ampoule, at least for my skin. Skin care products containing artemisia tend to work well with my skin, so I was happy to see that this one has Artemisia capillaris listed as the first ingredient. I have really dry and dehydrated skin that is also sensitive so it can be a pain trying to find skin care products that work without causing irritation. This foaming toner has a nice, light, herbal scent that doesn't linger at all. The foam starts to liquefy rather quickly, but it does give me enough time to smooth it evenly on my skin. It is light easy to apply and is absorbed rapidly. It feels a bit tacky at first and while it doesn't leave a visible sheen or feel oily, it does feel as if it leaves slight film on my face. Once I apply a serum and moisturizer, this effect disappears. It does seem to help smooth out my skin and lessen any redness and feeling of tightness that I often experience. I'm switching from my lighter summer-weight skin care products to heavier, richer serums and creams that will help me deal with the excessive dryness I have been experiencing over the last year or so. This toner, while not particularly moisturizing on its own, does seems as if it enhances the hydrating and lipid replenishing capabilities of my serums and creams. This toner seems to work a bit better with my skin than the propolis based toner also offered in this brand, so I think it will fit right in with my new regimen. As is the case with my other toners, I do use a fair amount with each application, so the current price of $24.99 does seem a bit high, but is still within reason for this well formulated toner. The product arrived sealed and boxed -- normally I would take this for granted and not bother commenting on it, but recently I have received quite a few skin care products from various sources that are not sealed properly.

Before recently trying two different toners from AIDA, Propolis 50 Calming Toner and Mugwort 90 Pore Ampoule Toner, I had only tried two other toners, from Natural Outcome and LALUCELL. As I mentioned in my review for Natural Outcome Man Skin, I've come to the conclusion that it is the best of the ones I've tried, and my use of both these AIDA toners hasn't changed my mind about it. Every time I give myself a clean shave, I use Natural Outcome after showering and before applying a post-shave lotion. It's immediately clear, at least to me, that my skin looks much more smooth after using one of my favorite post-shave lotions with Natural Outcome than it does without it. While I've had mixed results with natural skin care products, it seems that natural ingredients is what sets Natural Outcome apart, even though LALUCELL also claims use of natural ingredients. Perhaps the key differentiator between these two products is witch hazel. While Natural Outcome makes use of witch hazel as its first ingredient (which means that witch hazel provides the highest volume of any of the ingredients), LALUCELL instead makes use of dandelion leaf extract as its first ingredient, with witch hazel demoted to tenth ingredient status! LALUCELL is also very expensive relative to its effectiveness, with a cost roughly 3x that of Natural Outcome. I'm on my second bottle of Natural Outcome now, and don't plan to use LALUCELL after my current bottle has been used up. And I'm on the fence with respect to both AIDA toners. While I really like how both AIDA toners are dispensed via foam, meaning no wasted product, this benefit is meaningless relative to effectiveness, and I honestly can't tell the difference between these AIDA toners after rotating between these dozens of times. Yes, these AIDA toners are much better than LALUCELL, but Natural Outcome is far less expensive and far more effective. While it would be great for AIDA competitors to offer foam dispensers, I don't see myself being a repeat customer.

I've grown to really like the trend of foam toners, minus somehow getting a little foam up my nose each time I use one, the spreadability and lack of wasted product are nice. This one from AIDA has the earthy scent I would expect from something made of concentrated mugwort (the first ingredient). It dispenses in an easy to spread, dense froth. One pump is plenty. Once on the skin, it melts into an invisible lightweight treatment toner rich in nourishing, soothing elements. I will note, this one does have witch hazel (see pics for other ingredients), but I'm pleased to report it doesn't dry me out (over 40, sensitive, combo skin). You get about 5oz of liquid toner for $25, as of this review, which is more than reasonable.No irritation, flares, new breakouts, excessive oiliness, flaking, or dryness. Pairs well with most of my other skincare.To use: Cleanse. You can use this as your toner or as a treatment essence. I prefer to apply it immediately after cleansing while my face is still a hint moist. One pump is more than enough to coat your entire face and neck (getting a little foam up the nose as I seem to). Then I follow up with my regular face lotion and SPF (in the AM).Alas, I've not had much of a wow factor with this one. I'm pleased with the use and performance in that it hasn't caused me any issues, but it hasn't given me much reason to repurchase either.