Walking down the wall-to-ceiling packed beauty isles of the local drugstore back in Tokyo, there is, unfailingly, an entire shelf dedicated to an assortment of cotton pads. Some are quite expensive, ranging up to $20 for a perfectly aligned box of 100 sheets! Shiseido, Kose, Kao, you name it, all the leading major skin care & cosmetics companies distribute various forms, textures, shapes, all packaged in their various pretty containers or tinted zip-lock plastic baggies. 
Why this phenomenon in Asia but not in the US? Beauty magazines and beauty television segments in both countries often focus on the cleansing & toning aspect for keeping skin healthy & radiant - but the US versions do not stress how crucial the 1 to 2 minute "patting" and "tapping" step is when applying the toner. Usually, it's an easy, "apply toner after cleansing with cotton or hands" and if you're good, you might have a tube of round cotton pads...BUT, the directions should actually say, 1. Get soft, 100% pure cotton, facial cottons that allows optimum administration of the toner into the skin's layers without scratching the delicate skin surface or causing any harsh rubbing by coarser cotton pads.
2. Soak the cotton pad with toner. Note - the toner should be exactly what it is named - a formula that hydrates and "tones" the skin after washing the face with the alkaline water (not good for your skin!)
3. Hold the toner-filled cotton, so that one end is tucked between the pointer finger and middle finger, the other end tucked between the pinky and ring finger so that the spread surface faces out from the inside, palm-side of your hand.
4. Pat the face lightly, allowing the skin to soak up the toner from the soft cotton. By patting and tapping the skin with the toner-soaked cotton, you stimulate the skin, allowing more microcirculation and better absorbtion of the hydrating agents in the toner.
5. If your skin needs extra hydration from winter dryness or summer sun damage, soak the cotton pads with an intensely hydrating or comforting toner and leave directly on the face as if you are wearing a mask. If the cotton is as good as it should be, the toner should penetrate into your skin rather than getting all soaked up by the cotton.
Once trying it, it's hard to go back to regular bla-US drugstore cottons! Save those for removing nail polish!!
Available also in the US, TRY:
Satin Box, SatinClouds Heavenly Cotton Pads - my beauty blog heroine, Bronwen at Meg's Makeup sent this my way to test and reminded me of how much I adore and terribly missed beautifully spun, perfectly soft & coccooning cotton pads in my skincare routine. Truly heavenly - a must!!
Shiseido Makeup Facial Cotton
xox
