By EMMALIE COOPER
Staff Writer
As the trend of having smooth, glowy skin has taken over social media, so has skin care advice. Some influencers are giving out amazing advice – some not so much. One of the main things “prescribed” by these people is the use of witch hazel as a toner. Witch hazel is an astringent, meaning it goes deep down in the pores of your skin and pushes everything out. Sounds great right? Wrong! An astringent can go too deep and actually strip your skin. When a person strips their skin it damages the natural oil production and could cause either too much or too little production of oil – both of which can lead to the damage of your moisture barrier. Once you damage your moisture barrier your skin is unable to protect against transepidermal water loss (TWEL). TWEL is what causes water to leave the skin, causing it to be dehydrated and age faster than normal. Instead of using witch hazel there are many hydrating toners on the market for both high end lovers and drugstore lovers.