Article: Because astringents remove excess oil from the surface of your skin, they can also help prevent clogged pores and acne. If you want to add even more acne-fighting power, find an astringent with a blemish fighting ingredient like salicylic acid or glycolic acid listed among the active ingredients. For acne-prone skin that is not oily, skip the astringent. Drying your skin out too much may increase your breakouts. If your skin is prone to redness or irritation, take special care when choosing an astringent. Alcohol-free astringents are much gentler on the skin. If you feel any burning or stinging, or if your face turns red after applying astringent, stop using it. Other ingredients you may want to avoid if you have sensitive skin include fragrances, colorants, menthol, and sodium lauryl sulfate. If you already have dry skin, an astringent can take out even more moisture and make the problem worse. In this case, you may consider using a toner instead of astringent. They have the same cleansing properties as astringents, but they can help soothe and draw moisture back into the skin.  Toners also prime the skin so your moisturizer can penetrate even deeper. To soothe dry skin, look for moisture-enhancing ingredients in your toner like glycerine, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, aloe, hyaluronic acid, and sodium lactate. Witch hazel is a natural astringent made from the bark and leaves of a plant called Hamamelis virginiana. The astringent properties of witch hazel come from natural compounds called tannins. It is a quite gentle astringent that usually works well for all skin types. Sometimes witch hazel products have high concentrations of alcohol. If you want to find the most gentle form of witch hazel, check the ingredients to make sure there is no alcohol, and look for “witch hazel extract” in the ingredient list instead of “witch hazel distillate”.

What is a summary?
Use astringents with blemish-fighting ingredients for acne-prone skin. Choose alcohol-free astringents if you have sensitive skin. Consider using a toner instead of an astringent for dry skin. Try using witch hazel if you are unsure what to choose.