Most of us have a skin care routine we stick to. Cleanse, tone, treat, and moisturize is a regimen that almost everyone is familiar with. But Dr. Graf says that if you're using a retinol, you can skip one of those steps. Traditionally, toners are used to rebalance the skin after cleansing, but Dr. Graf says that that practice is outdated, since cleansers on the market today are pH balanced. "Toners are from the days when cleansers were not pH balanced," she says."

The benefit that people get from using toners these days are from added ingredients, like salicylic acid for acne, or chamomile for anti-inflammation. Depending on the toner formulation, it can be irritating (if it's meant to treat acne), or just plain unnecessary (if it's meant to exfoliate) when used in combination with retinol. "If you're using retinol, you don't need the addition of toner," says Dr. Graf, who adds that besides being unnecessary, using toner in conjunction with retinol can be irritating if it's formulated with harsh ingredients like alcohol. Retinol evens skin tone and treats hyperpigmentation (the darkening of skin) and acne, which are the same benefits we're hoping to get from daily toner use. Moral of the story? While your face isn't going to burst into flames if you combine these two skin care products, it's not going to be beneficial, either. At best, it does nothing. So, save your money and skip the toner.