Toners aren’t what they use to be. According to Glamour magazine, “generally speaking, toners help prep your face for serums and moisturizers by penetrating the skin quickly and removing any makeup or dirt left behind after the skin is cleansed.” Read the full article HERE

For years toners were simply used after harsh cleansers to help regulate the PH of the skin. Of course, it then morphed into an astringent that was supposed to help teenager’s hormone acne breakouts. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. One might say, toners have evolved a lot since the days of yore.

Like anything else in skincare, there are more toners out there then there are reasons to need them. But we can try and narrow them down to three different types: hydrating toners, astringent toners to minimize pore size and help with acne, and micellar like toners that can help to remove excess makeup, sunscreen and debris off the skin. In case you read that list and think you don’t need any of that, let me assure you, there is a toner out there that your skin needs; the trick is finding it.

Like many skincare revolutions, it is hard to pinpoint where the obsession for toners came from. However, you only have to look at Korean skincare to see how it has blossomed. I bring up Korean skincare here, because as you will note in the recommendations many of the toners originate from K-Beauty. If you are asking yourself what K-Beauty is, or even how it is different from American beauty, that is easy to answer.

If we look just at ingredients, K-Beauty usually offers more natural or innovative ingredients while marketing to a more sensitive skin type, while American beauty tends to lean more to ingredients that target a specific problem, like acne or aging. K-Beauty believes in a more natural skin look, so their products lean towards making the skin healthy enough that it doesn’t need makeup. While American beauty is much more diverse and comes from many different cultures, some of which see makeup as a means of self-expression. Neither one is wrong. Neither one is better. Blending the two can often give you the middle ground that brings you peace of mind on what products you are buying and why.

In K-Beauty, there is a process that involves 7 toners. Why 7? No idea, except that maybe 7 is a lucky number. In K-beauty you use either 7 different toners (which can be problematic) or you use a couple of toners multiple times on the skin, with 30 second breaks between each application. As I will explain more later, using too many products, even watery toners on your skin at one time, can cause damage to your skin barrier and produce red or irritated skin.

There are toners that are sticky and some that are absorbed so quickly in your skin you’ll wander where it went. There are some that are thick and some that are thin. There are some that feel like water and some that feel like milk. And there is everything in between. Most would agree that you want to put on toners from the thinnest to thickest; meaning those that feel like water first and those that feel like milk last. While I try and ascribe to this rule, some of my toners feel the same, so I just go by what the ingredients do and what I feel my skin needs that morning (if it needs a little hydration, I do that first. If it feels a little dull and lifeless, I do that toner first.) The one thing that we can all agree on (I think) is that you don’t need fifty toners. Like all skincare products, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing; and not every toner is going to mesh well with your skin. Whenever adding new products to your routine, it is always best to do it one at a time for a couple of days, so you can make sure your skin will tolerate it.

There is a wonderful influencer on TikTok named Ashley Mixon. Ms. Mixon uses numerous toners, one right after another, and actually has a process called the Mixon Method. But she has perfected this routine over time (she can even put Tretinoin on her damp face); but you might want to look her up to see her ideas about toners. I found it to very informative when I first looked into toners.

It should be noted that most people actually don’t need toners, unless they want to incorporate a certain ingredient into their routine. However, I find toners to be refreshing, and using them in the morning gives me that clean and ready to-go skin that makes it easier to wake my lazy self up.

There is one absolute rule regarding toners: do not use alcohol or menthol based toners on your skin. This is non-negotiable.

To apply toners, simply clean and dry your skin. If your skin is not dry, toners will have a hard time penetrating. You want the toner to penetrate the skin completely before you apply anything else because one could cancel the effectiveness of another. Some ingredients simply don’t play well together and mixing them can inactivate one or the other, meaning you are simply wasting time and possibly damaging your skin.

There are a couple of ways that you can apply a toner. I recommend using clean hands, pouring the toner into your hands, and gently patting it into your skin (please don’t slap your skin). If you wish to use a cotton pad make sure that you are not soaking the product into the cotton pad but rather using just a little on the pad then gently (very gently) swiping it on your face. Do not use pressure. Also, if the toner has acids in it, you only need one pass across your face. For a DIY mask, soak the toner in the cotton pads and place on face for five minutes (not recommended unless you know that toner is safe for your skin). Again, I recommend just gently pressing the toner into your skin with clean hands; it’s just easier and you can move on with your day.

There are A LOT of toners on the market; no matter which country they come from. The list here is a drop in the bucket. But because I wanted to give a comprehensive list, I am not going to do my normal paragraph explaining the ins and outs of each toner; instead I am going to simply provide the link, the active ingredient, what that ingredient does, and what skin type the toner would be best for. Most toners are suitable for every skin type (toners for sensitive skin for example, are great for everyone’s skin). So I would ultimately recommend that you take this list, find the kind of toner you are looking for, the ingredient it uses, and go from there. Most, if not all these toners, are extremely popular and can be found on your social media feeds.

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Others to check out: Torriden Dive-In Hyaluronic Acid Toner, Round Lab Birch Juice, Pixi Glow Tonic with 5% Glycolic Acid, or BYOMA Brightening Toner with Lipids & Lactic Acid. Also, Dr. Jart makes a ceramide toner that is wonderful for sensitive skin or those that are dealing with a compromised skin barrier.

If you still have no idea where to go, simply open up Google, type in toners, and what you want them to do. There are so many toners out there you are bound to get a hit. Just remember, you don’t need all of them (or even some of them); two or three should be your max, especially if you are just starting out.