What Does Toner Do for Your Skin?

Toner is an underappreciated and misunderstood skincare product that works for any skin type. You may wonder what toner does for your skin. It can seem like an extra step between washing and moisturizing, but it’s actually a great way to get the most out of your skincare routine.

Using a gentle, alcohol-free toner can help control oily skin, balance your skin’s pH, and deliver hydration and skin-soothing ingredients. Learning how to use facial toner as part of your daily routine can take your skincare to the next level.

What Is Toner for Skin?

The basic definition of face toner is a water-based skin treatment that cleanses, hydrates, and nourishes the skin. You use it after cleaning and before applying other products.

Face toner is a useful skincare product for any skin type that can get overlooked because it doesn’t have a self-explanatory name. It’s not like a cleanser or moisturizer, where it’s very clear what benefit you’ll get from applying the product to your face. Getting beyond the vague name to understand what toner does for your skin will help you see the benefits of using it.

Old-school toners had a reputation for being harsh, but newer formulations are gentle on the skin and contain ingredients that fit with the goals of your skincare routine.  Modern toners offer a number of benefits for your skin:  

• Removing dirt and oil: Toner clears away any dirt or oil left on your face after cleansing, as well as any residue of the cleanser that might not rinse away. This gives your skin a totally clean surface before serums or moisturizers are applied.
• Hydrating skin: Toners are water-based and contain hydrating ingredients like glycerin. This applies a layer of moisturizer to your skin to replenish it after cleansing.  
• Priming skin: Clean, hydrated skin is better able to absorb the active ingredients in your other skincare products. Using toner sets up your other skincare products to work better.
• Delivering active ingredients: Toners can be formulated with active ingredients that address specific skin concerns. Ingredients like glycolic, lactic, or salicylic acid can balance the pH of skin. Soothing ingredients like witch hazel and aloe reduce redness and inflammation.

What Are the Best Toner Ingredients?

Cucumber distillate, witch hazel, peppermint, and aloe vera are a few of the best toner ingredients. When choosing a face toner, pick one with ingredients that will improve the look and feel of your skin. Instead of harsh astringents, look for hydrating ingredients that will reduce redness and calm irritation.

Our Balancing Toner is formulated with natural ingredients that soothe and refresh your skin without irritation.

• Cucumber Distillate: You know the cliché about putting cucumber slices on your eyes to make them less puffy? There’s actual science behind that. Cucumbers contain vitamin C and caffeic acid, both of which reduce inflammation, irritation, and redness.
• Witch Hazel: Witch hazel sounds like something you would find boiling in a cauldron. But in reality, it’s derived from a common North American shrub. It’s been used for decades to soothe sensitive skin, reduce redness, and heal irritation caused by acne.
• Peppermint: Peppermint offers organic skin soothing properties and feels refreshingly cool on the skin. It also has natural antiseptic properties, which helps clear away the bacteria that can cause breakouts.
• Aloe Vera Juice: Aloe vera is another naturally soothing ingredient that eases irritation and redness. It also contains a healthy dose of vitamins C and E, which stimulate collagen production. Increased collagen adds volume to skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Glycerin Extract of White Willow Bark: Glycerin is a powerful hydrating ingredient that locks moisture into the skin. White willow bark extract contains salicin, a natural precursor to salicylic acid, for gentle exfoliation that makes skin look smoother and reduces the appearance of pores.
• Pearl Powder: Pearl powder is exactly what it sounds like: a powder made from freshwater pearls. It contains proteins and amino acids that brighten skin and may offer anti-aging benefits.

Why Is Alcohol-Free Toner Best?

Alcohol-free toner is best because it is gentler on the skin and prevents dryness or irritation. Modern hydrating toners have moved away from the strictly astringent effects to maintain your skin's pH levels. Toners today are intended to be gentle on the skin, so they look and feel better for all skin types, including acne-prone skin.

Years ago (and still, in too many cases), a lot of toners were alcohol-based. That's changed because:

• Astringent toners stripped oil from the skin
• They were often touted for their acne-fighting benefits, but alcohol-based toners are drying and can be irritating.
• While using alcohol will certainly clean and disinfect skin, it can also sting, strip away essential moisture, and leave the skin feeling raw.

If you have normal or sensitive skin, you don’t need to use an astringent toner. Using alcohol regularly may dry out your skin, leaving it red and irritated. If you have oily skin or are prone to breakouts, ask your dermatologist if a toner with alcohol would be beneficial.

What Step Is Toner in Skin Care?

Face toner is an intermediate step in your overall skincare routine after cleansing but before moisturizing. The order you use products matters, and you’ll get more out of them if you go in the right order. Face toner isn’t meant to replace your cleanser or moisturizer.

1. Cleanse: Cleaning skin is the first step before applying anything else. Removing oil, grime, and leftover sunscreen eliminates any barriers between your skin and the active ingredients in the rest of your routine. Try our Clarifying Gel Face Wash. The gentle, non-drying formula removes dirt and oil to reduce shine and refresh your skin.
2. Shave: If you plan to shave, do it after cleansing your skin but before applying other products. Try our Smooth Brushless Shave Butter. The rich, moisturizing formula protects skin and lifts hair for a smooth shave without razor bumps, cuts, or irritation. Follow shaving with our Instant Relief Men's Aftershave. This refreshing aftershave is loaded with natural ingredients that hydrate your face and neck, and fight ingrown hairs, bumps, and razor burn.
3. Toner: Apply toner after shaving and using aftershave. Our Balancing Toner is alcohol-free and packed with natural ingredients like peppermint, witch hazel, and aloe vera juice to soothe and calm skin, reduce oil, minimize the look of pores, and balance skin pH. You can spray it on directly or apply it with a cotton pad.
4. Serum: After toner, use a serum to deliver a dose of hydration. Our Hyaluronic Acid Booster uses raw hyaluronic acid to alleviate skin dryness for a fuller, smoother appearance.
5. Moisturizer: After applying all other products, lock in the benefits with a rich moisturizer. Our Daily Essential Face Moisturizer is lightweight and oil-free. It absorbs quickly, so the skin is hydrated without looking shiny. The anti-aging formula reduces the look of lines and wrinkles for a fresher appearance.
6. SFP: Sun protection should be the last step in your daily routine. Use a broad-spectrum formula to protect your face from UVA and UVB rays. You can use a moisturizer that contains SPF, like Daily Defense Face Moisturizer with SPF 20, or you can apply a separate sun protection product.

Is Toner for Skin Necessary?

Yes, using hydrating toners is an important step in a complete skincare routine that helps control oil and makes pores look smaller. Toner also balances skin’s pH and primes the skin to absorb acne-fighting or anti-aging ingredients.

You can use toner as:

• Part of your morning and evening routine.
• A midday skin refresher instead of washing or rinsing your face.
• After working out can clear away sweat and oil, so your face is clean and hydrated after the gym.

Adding toner to your daily routine will improve the results you can expect from your favorite products. It only takes a few extra seconds and your skin will thank you for it. 

Skin Toner FAQs

Does toner sting when you apply it?

No, toner doesn’t sting! Toner sometimes gets a bad rap as a harsh, stinging treatment because old-school toners tended to have a higher alcohol content. Those toners got rid of oil and bacteria, but they were often uncomfortable. Modern, alcohol-free formulas are gentler and leave skin feeling refreshed, not attacked.

Can toner help fight breakouts?

Using toner as part of an acne-fighting routine can reduce the risk of breakouts. Start with our Acne Controlling Face Wash, which contains salicylic acid and tea tree oil for gentle but effective acne-fighting properties. Follow up with  our Balancing Toner to remove any remaining dirt and oil, and balance your skin’s pH. Then apply our Acne Controlling Face Moisturizer Treatment to hydrate and soothe skin without clogging pores.

Is toner the same as serum?

No, toner isn’t the same as a serum, even though they are both skin care products that are lightweight fluids that you apply to your skin. They're different because:

• Toner is meant to remove grime and prime skin for serums and moisturizers.
• Serums are concentrated formulas of active ingredients that deliver specific benefits, like our Protein Peptides Booster. This anti-aging serum contains protein peptides to increase collagen production and reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

What happens if I skip toner?

If you skip toner, your other products will still work, but not as well. Toner preps skin to absorb the active ingredients in your serum and moisturizer. Taking the time to apply toner increases the skincare benefits of other products.

Does toner contain SPF?

Our Balancing Toner does not contain SPF, but that doesn’t mean you can skip the sunscreen. Apply an SPF after the other steps in your skincare routine. Protecting skin from harmful UV rays will protect you from premature aging and skin damage, as well as reduce your risk of skin cancer. Try our Daily Defense Face Moisturizer with SPF 20 for everyday sun protection.