Toners are water-based products that are applied to dry skin.
The purpose of a toner is to get rid of any excess residue from cleaning and prepare your skin for other skincare products.
You apply a toner after you’ve cleansed your face using fingers, a cloth, or cotton balls, but before you apply any other leave-on skin treatments such as serums or moisturizers.
Effective toner helps to ensure your skin is completely clean and clear of any leftover product, whilst also giving you an extra boost of active ingredients.
Toners should be used every day and you can apply your toner in the morning and/or evening, depending on the ingredients of your toner.
Toners have seriously developed since the old days of acne astringents, which were designed only to control excess oil in the skin.
Nowadays toners are much more advanced, containing so many skin-enhancing benefits, including hydration and exfoliation.
Why not check out our reviews of the Best Charcoal Masks for a clearer complexion and the Best Brightening Vitamin C Serums for healthy glowing skin.
If pores are a problem area for you we also have reviews of the Best Pore Minimizers to help them look less apparent.
What You'll Learn...
- 1 Best Face Toners
- 1.1 THAYERS Alcohol-Free Lavender Witch Hazel Facial Toner with Aloe Vera
- 1.2 Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic
- 1.3 Mario Badescu Witch Hazel & Rosewater Toner
- 1.4 Clean & Clear Brightening Lemon Juice Facial Toner with Vitamin C
- 1.5 The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner
- 1.6 Hydraflora Probiotic Essence
- 1.7 Herbivore Jasmine Green Tea Balancing Toner
- 1.8 L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Essential Water
- 1.9 Bioré Witch Hazel Pore Clarifying Toner, with 2% Salicylic Acid
- 1.10 Neutrogena Alcohol and Oil-Free Toner
- 1.11 Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal Extract Toner
- 1.12 SK-II Facial Treatment Essence
Best Face Toners
The best toner is the one that’s right for your skin type and concerns, so we’ve created this list of the 12 best toners to help you find the ideal toner for you.
THAYERS Alcohol-Free Lavender Witch Hazel Facial Toner with Aloe Vera
This toner has earned the number one position on Amazon and it’s easy to see why.
This toner is based on a few naturally derived ingredients, including witch hazel and aloe. This plant-based formula is great for any skin type and is a great value product.
The formula is also alcohol-free and comes in various different scent varieties.
There is the classic unscented version which works a treat.
The lavender formula contains acne-solving properties and works effectively to calm irritable or sensitive skin.
Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic
The Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic has become a cult classic.
This toner works against many different skin issues.
It contains astringents, to help combat excess oil, soothing aloe, and glycolic acid to exfoliate. Not only this but it also contains moisturizing humectant ingredients.
So not only does this toner gently exfoliate the skin but also hydrates and boosts radiance in your complexion.
This toner smells great and is alcohol-free and works well on all skin types.
Mario Badescu Witch Hazel & Rosewater Toner
This natural face toner contains a powerful mix of witch hazel and rosewater which works to soothe the skin.
This toner removes impurities from the surface of your skin and creates a healthy glow on the skin.
This is a fantastic choice if you have dry skin, as this combination of ingredients focuses on cleaning the skin effectively without stripping it of moisture.
Clean & Clear Brightening Lemon Juice Facial Toner with Vitamin C
This toner is super affordable and has a simple but highly effective formula that works to keep your skin clean, clear, and soft.
It has a formula containing vitamin C and lemon extract, which also help to ensure your skin looks bright and healthy.
This softening toner is oil and alcohol-free, so you can be sure it won’t dry out your skin.
It also contains glycerin to further soften and purify the skin. Oh, and it also smells amazing.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner
If you struggle with stubborn acne, this tea tree oil-infused toner from The Body Shop is a great choice.
Tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties which are both ideal for acne treatment.
In addition to cleaning your skin of any build-up or makeup, it also helps to mattify your skin to stop your complexion from looking greasy and rids your skin of blemishes at the same time.
Hydraflora Probiotic Essence
Hydraflora Probiotic Essence is packed full of amazing ingredients.
It contains coconut water, probiotics, and a whole bunch of fruit extracts, including lemon, orange, and grapefruit to brighten and boost the radiance of your skin.
This toner leaves your skin with a beautiful dewy glow.
Although this product is more expensive than some other toners we’ve mentioned, this probiotic face toner has so many great properties and is guaranteed to refresh your skin and leave you looking healthy and nourished.
Herbivore Jasmine Green Tea Balancing Toner
This toner by Herbivore is great at fighting against a greasy complexion.
If you struggle with excess oil, this toner will help to minimize oil on your skin and reduce breakouts.
It contains witch hazel and willow bark (a form of salicylic acid) plus jasmine water, which makes this toner smell incredible.
This toner purifies your skin, and you can feel the oil-reducing benefits almost immediately.
It also contains green tea extract which also helps to reduce the look of fine lines.
L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Essential Water
This toner water by L’Occitane is a great option for sensitive skin.
It’s full of natural botanical ingredients such as helichrysum, rose water, and sunflower seed oil to calm and soothe redness or inflammation on the skin.
It also contains hyaluronic acid for increased moisture. It smells amazing too.
Although this toner is very gentle, as it contains botanical oils, it might not be the best choice if you’re looking for something to combat oily skin.
Bioré Witch Hazel Pore Clarifying Toner, with 2% Salicylic Acid
If you’re looking to target and minimize your pores, this is toner is made for that.
This contains powerful ingredients to clear and purify your pores.
It contains salicylic acid and witch hazel to help dissolve oil and prevent clogged pores.
This toner might be slightly drying or irritating if your skin is very sensitive or prone to dryness. But if you’re looking to get rid of stubborn blackheads, this is the product for you.
Neutrogena Alcohol and Oil-Free Toner
This toner by Neutrogena is a great choice if you’re not looking to spend too much.
Despite the low price point, this toner is of great quality. It’s alcohol, and oil-free.
This toner is suitable for almost all skin types.
If your skin is sensitive and you’re looking for a gentle toner, this product is also hypoallergenic and very kind to the skin.
Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal Extract Toner
This face toner by Kiehl’s is iconic in the skincare world, thanks to the formula of powerful anti-inflammatory ingredients, like calendula.
This is an essential skincare item that helps to tackle redness, oily skin, and uneven texture, making it a truly versatile product.
No matter what skin issue you’re looking to solve, this toner can help!
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence
The last face toner on our list is this luxurious offering from SK-II.
This is another cult classic product that’s famous for its smoothing effects, especially on mature skin.
Not only does this product cleanse your skin’s surface but it also delivers anti-aging properties.
This face toner contains yeast extract which gently exfoliates and works to improve the texture and tone of your skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
To give your face a real treat, check our reviews for the Best Facial Steamers, they are a vital part of any professional facial treatment which you can do at home. They are the ultimate skin decongestant tool, allowing any active ingredients you use on your face afterwards to more effectively sink into your skin.