Top Product: Thayers Original Witch Hazel Facial Toner | $9 | Amazon
Once you’ve got your skin good and clean from your chosen makeup remover, it’s now time to deep clean and shrink those pores before you move onto whatever you have next in your fresh-faced routine. Controlling oil, calming acne, brightening, returning the balance—whatever your concerns, there’s a toner for you, and I’m going to help you find it with the help of experts.
The Best Toner: Thayers Original Witch Hazel Facial Toner
When I polled my makeup pals about their favorite toners, not one of them failed to mention this: Thayers Original Witch Hazel facial toner was their go-to or, at one point, was their go-to. And well, Thayers must be doing something right since they’ve been around since 1847. So many people seem to like this toner, and there’s a few good reasons for that. Not only is it great for all types of skin, but it’s also a nice refresher that reduces redness if you’re having a breakout. And because it has more tannins than any other product on the market, it never dries out your skin. Any time, anywhere, Thayers has your back (and your face).
Best for Oily Skin: Ole Henriksen Oil Control Toner
Ole Henriksen oil control toner is my go-to currently. I have an oily forehead, and in the summer, it’s working overtime. I use this and the cleanser every morning, and I’ve absolutely seen a difference in both the size of my pores and the smoothness and grease-lessness of my forehead and nose. To me, the aroma is fresh, producing a eucalyptus scent you’ll definitely pick up on. With Ole Henriksen, I’ve never felt like it’s dried my skin out, and I’m usually left with a very tingly clean sensation.
Best Korean Toner: Aromatica Tea Tree Balancing Toner
Aromatica is one of my favorite companies. I had their Sea Daffodil toner on my nightstand for ages and still recommend it whenever you can buy it. That’s the only downside to loving a Korean Beauty company, availability. If you suffer from skin prone to breakouts or redness, I couldn’t recommend this enough. Aromatica’s tea tree balancing toner is formulated to soothe any redness or irritation. It helps repair skin that’s going through some hard times, like even a sunburn. Remember: Tea tree oil has been used as a natural remedy for decades, and that’s what’s going on here. Banish blemishes, brighten, and tighten. This product was also a Clean Beauty Awards finalist this year.
Best Natural Toner: Saturday Skin Pore Clarifying Toner
Speaking of clean beauty, Saturday Skin is a company very conscious of that. Most beauty companies now are trying to be better about recyclable packaging and making their products without harmful ingredients, sulfates, parabens, and the like. That means Saturday Skin’s pore clarifying toner is a certified vegan item. But what also sets it apart is the 10% of glycolic acid that exfoliates and makes your pores microscopic, no matter your skin type or texture. If you want to go as close to poreless as possible, look no further than this.
Best for Acne: Snow Fox Herbal Youth Lotus Tonic
Rejuvenation, thy name is Snow Fox. While I haven’t used this particular product, I have used a few of their sheet masks before, and it helped with an awful breakout along my jawline. If your end game is more youthful skin for a renewed glow, consider Snow Fox’s Herbal Youth. This lotus tonic gives your face a daily dose of glycolipids that help restore the skin, plumping it up and rebalancing it to turn back the clock just a bit.
Best for Dryness: Mediheal Baobab Soothing Moisture Toner
I just moved into a new apartment and the water is a bit harsher than I’m used to. My poor face has been drying out a little too much after showers or washing off my makeup. I’ve been using Mediheal’s Baobab Soothing Moisture Toner and already see a difference. It has almost a creaminess to it that really locks in all the good hydrations I’m putting back in. For the size of the bottle, you don’t need much either so it’ll definitely last you. I’m telling you K-Beauty knows faces and mine feels so refreshed after using this.