We’ve all heard of the traditional fundamentals for any skincare routine: Cleanse, Tone, Moisturise. Toning however, has become so much more complex in recent years. A lot of skin toners now feature many other beautifying benefits that help the skin to remain healthy, hydrated and glowing. Not sure which one is right for your skin type? We have selected the best skin toners below to get you glowing!
Why do you need toner?
While it can be easy to skip the toner in your regime, you probably shouldn’t. Using a toner is the easiest way to aid your whole skincare routine. It’s just one additional step for the whole host of extra benefits that you want to see – and you can even tailor your toner to your personal skin type and concerns!
A toner should be used after your regular cleanser, both morning and night, to clear any remaining impurities or debris left on the skin. Not only do toners help to cleanse, but they also balance out the skin's natural pH levels as well as adding moisture and bringing soothing properties, leaving complexions feeling refreshed and balanced. What’s more, toners even allow the rest of the products in your routine to absorb more effectively – and even help to minimise the chance of pore build-up, thereby helping to reduce breakouts.
For dry skin
If you have dry skin, your complexion is most likely longing for a boost of moisture. We recommend choosing a toner that contains soothing and hydrating ingredients – and we’ve rounded up our top recommendations!
Lancôme Tonique Confort Toner
Housed in the iconic big pink bottle, this toner is enriched with a delicate blend of acacia honey and sweet almond oil to hydrate and lock moisture in the skin. The formula gently but effectively uplifts dirt, impurities and leftover makeup from the skin’s surface while locking in moisture to leave your complexion feeling soft and supple.
Caudalie Vinoclean Moisturising Toner
Combine your cleansing and toning steps into one this water-like formula features organic rose water to remove the last of your makeup while giving your skin a more refined surface and moisturising your complexion.
Coco & Eve Antioxidant Hydrating Milky Toner
Boasting a formula that not only hydrates and nourishes the complexion, but this toner also works to visibly brighten the skin and encourage a plump, dewy-looking base. Enriched with coconut water and dragon fruit extract, the lightweight liquid delivers a boost of moisture to leave a radiant-looking face.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner
A pharmaceutical brand dedicated to creating efficient and natural formulas, Kiehl's have the perfect alcohol-free Ultra Facial Toner when it comes to nourishing dry skin. The gentle lotion uses squalane and avocado oils to drench the skin in moisture, helping to keep it soft and supported. High in vitamin E, the toner also works to protect and balance the skin, offering a shield from environmental aggressors throughout the day.
For oily skin
If you have oily skin, toner could be your best friend. Even after double cleansing your skin, traces of makeup, sunscreen or oil can linger. Choosing a toner formulated for oily skin can help to re-balance the complexions while also seeing decongesting benefits.
PIXI Glow Tonic Glycolic Acid Toner
Formulated with 5% glycolic acid, this famous PIXI toner features a blend of aloe vera, ginseng and botanical extracts as it sweeps effortlessly on your skin to help eliminate excess oil and leave pores looking more refined to promote a more radiant complexion.
Antipodes Resurrect Clarifying Facial Toner
Especially suited to oily skin types, this toner is designed to clarify the complexion and reduce the appearance of open pores while re-balancing your skin’s surface. Use both morning and evening to refresh and nourish your base with its lavender, sweet sage and chamomile-enriched formula to achieve noticeable results.
Garnier Organic Thyme Toner
This vegan blend is perfectly suited for oily skin as it works to delicately purify and mattify while helping to improve shiny areas with a boost of organic thyme essential oil and salicylic acid, promoting a more refined base.
For combination skin
From minimising shine and unclogging pores on the oily parts of your face, to keeping the dry areas hydrated and managing texture, it’s difficult to find the right toner that strikes a delicate balance and keep your combination skin type looking and feeling it’s best. Here’s some that we recommend.
REN Clean Skincare Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic
After cleansing, try this toner to moisturise, soothe and exfoliate your complexion. With a blend of AHAs and BHAs, the gentle yet powerful formula helps to refine the skin, while lactic acid breaks up dead cells for a refreshed and polished appearance.
Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner
An ultra‐light facial spritz that refreshes and hydrates the skin while smoothing the surface, this toner is perfect for a quick addition to any skincare routine, thanks to a nourishing blend of skin‐repairing aloe and moisture‐binding humectants.
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Purifying Toner
Remove excess makeup and residue with a dual-phase system that soothes and calms your skin. Activated when shaken, phase one (peach) contains botanical extracts such as chamomile and sage to gently cleanse and purify your skin while phase two (milky) contains ceramide that help to strengthen the skin barrier and protect from external aggressors such as weather and pollution.
For sensitive skin
For sensitive skin types, toner can be a tricky product to choose well. Often infused with ingredients like witch hazel and alcohol, they can be particularly drying and even cause discomfort in reactive complexions. However, not all toners are created equal – and there are definitely soothing options out there!
Kiehl's Cucumber Herbal Toner
For a gentle, alcohol-free formula, try this Kiehl’s blend featuring cooling cucumber extract to soothe the skin and leave a refreshingly delightful scent, topped with a boost of allantoin helps to offer a comforting element.
Aveeno Face Calm and Restore Soothing Toner
Choose this delicate, cooling toner formulated to remove impurities and makeup and gently cleanse while comforting sensitive skin without compromising its cutaneous barrier. With prebiotic oat and antioxidant-rich feverfew extract, the toner creates a slight film on the skin that helps to maintain hydration and elasticity for a healthy-looking and stronger appearance.
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Soothing Toner
This lightweight, milky toner by First Aid Beauty uses a mixture of squalane, oat extract and honey to help keep the skin moisturised and nourished. Enriched with naturally antioxidant rich green tea extract, the toner also helps to reduce dryness by protecting the skin and leaving a soothed and supple complexion.
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