Our Editors’ Favourite Toners (For Every Single Skin Type)
Main Image – IKvyatkovskaya/Adobe
Whether you use yours for prepping the skin for hydrators, tightening up pores or for chemical exfoliation, a toner can be the glue that keeps your skincare regime together.
So, the Live That Glow team thought it would be handy to present you with our all-time favourite toners. After all, we’ve tested thousands of products between us so it’s safe to say we know a thing or two about what works (and what doesn’t).
From skin-smoothing acid toners to complexion fresheners, here is our list of the very best toners.
Sally Underwood – Editor
Paula’s Choice Resist Antiaging Replenishing Toner (£23.30 on the Paula’s Choice UK website/$29 on the Paula’s Choice US website) is a milky, gentle toner, perfect for soothing my skin when it’s really sensitive and it also offers a layer of hydration. The added antioxidants here help if I feel like skipping an antioxidant serum occasionally too.
Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Toner (£43 on the Fresh UK website/$48 on the Sephora website) is my favourite for adding a layer of hydration under a light moisturiser during summer months or whenever my skin is feeling dehydrated. The real rose petals in the bottle make this such a pretty product to use too.
REN Clean Skincare Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic (£24 on the Look Fantastic UK website/$40 on the REN US website) is perfect if I want a chemical exfoliation without doing anything particularly drastic. This toner is perfect for sweeping away dead cells and leaving me with an immediate glow. It’s too strong to use on my sensitive skin daily personally, but I can easily use it a couple of times a week to keep my skin smooth and gently exfoliated.
Image – REN
Laura Kemp – Senior Beauty Editor
Whilst I don’t really use a toner, I do use Jordan Samuel Hydrate the Mist (£12 on the Cult Beauty UK website/$13 on the Jordan Samuel US website) after cleansing and before my serums.
I spray it onto cleansed skin and while it’s still damp I apply my hydrating or brightening serums that work best when applied onto damp skin (not retinol).
Image – Jordan Samuel
Philippa Pearne – Beauty Editor
My favourite kind of toner is an exfoliating, acid one. Anything that’s going to smooth my skin – gently – is a hit with me. My all-time favourite, without question, is the La Roche Posay Effaclar Clarifying Lotion (£16 on the La Roche-Posay UK website/$16.99 on the La Roche-Posay US website). It contains salicylic acid which is ideal for my oily, acne-prone skin and it feels refreshing and comfortable on application too, with zero sting.
I use it daily and whilst there’s ultimately no getting away from the occasional breakout, I do feel like this product soothes them and helps my spots disappear more quickly.
Another favourite of mine when it comes to exfoliation is in agreement with Sally! REN Clean Skincare Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic (£24 on the Look Fantastic UK website/$40 on the REN US website) smells of gorgeous zesty orange. As far as the skin goes, it contains lactic and azelaic acid and leaves a slightly tacky feeling on it, but one that also feels firm and smooth.
There’s something to be said for products that you can feel working as soon as you start using them, and you certainly notice this one straight away. Your glow is instantly visible too. I use this once or twice a week as it feels quite ‘zingy’, particularly on breakouts.
Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Toner (£29 on the Caudalie UK website/$30 on the Caudalie US website) smells beautifully fresh and is a brilliant option for oily skin types as it mattifies the skin as well as treating breakouts with salicylic acid. It’s a brilliant companion when used with the Vinopure gel cleanser. It feels instantly cool on the skin (that’ll be the peppermint but do note that this ingredient isn’t advised for sensitive skin types) and it feels like my pores have been tightened after I’ve used it.
It’s the pricier option of my three favourite toners – hence why I don’t buy it that often – but it’s a lovely one for those with oily skin wanting a soothed, fresh finish.
Image – Caudalie
Tori Crowther – Contributing Beauty Editor
Since I’ve got dry skin and rosacea, I like to avoid anything too harsh or active in a toner. I tend to skip the chemical exfoliation ones (or if I do opt for them, I go for a PHA toner over an AHA one) and head straight to moisture-boosting. This Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner and Moisturiser (£29.50 on the Look Fantastic UK website/$36 on the Laneige US website) toner works to deeply hydrate the skin ahead of applying a serum and moisturiser.
It contains ceramides and peptides, which work as the missing building blocks to create a stronger, healthy skin barrier. This results in hydrated, less reactive skin (basically, a happy complexion and happy me). I like to apply this right after washing my face when it’s still damp before moving on to my other hydrating products.
Image – Laneige
The takeaway
Whatever your skin type, you should be able to find a toner that works for you in our mix of favourites. Whether you need a super gentle one for rosacea like Tori, a tailored toning method like Laura, a hydrating toner like Sally or a chemically exfoliating one that’s going to work hard on banishing breakouts like Philippa, there really is a toning technique for everyone.
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