Face Toner Guide: Benefits, Types, and How to Use Face Toners in Your Skincare Routine
Face toners can transform your skincare routine by enhancing absorption, balancing pH, and addressing specific concerns. This guide dives into everything you need to know to pick the perfect toner for your needs.
Face toner is one of those skincare products that you've probably heard about, but never really understood. What is toner? What does it do? And should you be using it? These are questions I've asked myself. This guide will break down everything you need to know: from what face toner is and how it works, to picking the right one and making it work seamlessly in your skincare routine.
What is Face Toner? Key Functions & Benefits
First things first: What is toner? Toner is a liquid skincare product designed to make your skin more absorbent, specifically to enhance your routine by making your other products more effective. It’s not just glorified water — it’s a step that can make a noticeable difference when used correctly.
Additionally, toners will also help remove any dirt or impurities that may be left over after finishing up a facial cleanse. Modern toners will typically offer more benefits than just absorption, too -- hydrating toners with hyaluronic acid can plump the skin, exfoliating toners with glycolic acid help smooth texture, and soothing toners with rosewater can calm redness.
I like to think of toner as the step that connects cleansing to treatment. It sets your skin up for success to fully absorb all the benefits of the serums and creams that come next.
How Face Toner Works
In order to prepare your skin to more easily absorb the benefits of various serums and moisturizers as part of your routine, facial toners focus on rebalancing your skin's pH levels after cleansing.
This is because your skin is naturally a bit acidic (with a pH of roughly 5.5), whereas most cleansers are highly alkaline (with average pH over 9.0.) As a result, when you use a facial cleanser, it often disrupts your skin's balance, making it temporarily more susceptible to damage while it takes time to heal.
Toners help bring the acidity level of your skin back down to its natural state by utilizing lower-pH ingredients such as glycerin, witch hazel, and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients contribute to restoring your skin barrier after cleansing by lowering its pH. As a result, this makes it easier for subsequent products to permeate the skin, delivering ingredient benefits much deeper.
Do You Need to Use Face Toner?
The short answer: no, facial toner isn’t a must-have for an effective skincare routine. But it’s one of those supplemental steps that may elevate your results. As such, I think that most people could benefit from giving it a try to see what it adds to their routine. You may want to consider adding a toner if you struggle with skincare concerns like:
- Oily or Acne-Prone Skin: Toners with ingredients like salicylic acid or witch hazel can help control excess oil and minimize breakouts, alongside your other routine steps to address this concern
- Dry or Dehydrated Skin: Hydrating toners with glycerin or hyaluronic acid can boost moisture levels by adding more hydrating ingredients to your routine beyond just your moisturizer, and make them more effective
- Dull or Uneven Skin: Exfoliating toners containing AHAs or BHAs can smooth texture and brighten your complexion
- Sensitive Skin: Soothing toners with rosewater or centella extract can calm redness and irritation
If your skin is thriving without toner, then you’re not missing out — don't fix what isn’t broken! But if you’re curious, you may want to give it a try to see if it elevates your results.
4 Main Types of Facial Toner
If you’re ready to give toner a shot and want to find one that works for your skin, then let’s narrow things down. With so many different options out there each touting their own claims & benefits, it helps to group toners into categories. For the most part, facial toners will fall into four main categories (in order of strength): Fresheners, Tonics, Acid Toners, and Astringents.
According to research from the Modern College of Pharmacy, these four types of facial toners can be defined as:
- Fresheners: Mildest type of toner with no actives
- Tonics: Medium-strength toners with a low amount of alcohol (less than 20%)
- Acid Toners: Strong toners with acidic active ingredients like AHAs and BHAs
- Astringents: Strongest type of toner containing a high amount of alcohol (between 20-60%)
What Type of Face Toner Should You Use?
Choosing the right toner starts with understanding your skin’s specific needs and asking the right questions such as: What is your skin type? And what are your skincare concerns? As a few high-level recommendations depending on your skin type:
- Normal Skin: Fresheners or tonics may be ideal as they will maintain your skin’s balance without overloading it; Look for mild hydrating ingredients like glycerin or rosewater
- Oily Skin: Astringents or acid toners might work best; Ingredients like salicylic acid or witch hazel can help control oil production and minimize breakouts
- Dry Skin: Tonics or fresheners with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid or aloe vera might be most effective -- these can replenish moisture without stripping the skin
- Sensitive Skin: Fresheners would be the safest choice -- Look for soothing ingredients like chamomile, green tea, or centella extract to calm redness and irritation
- Combination Skin: Tonics or balancing fresheners are ideal to target both oily and dry areas. Niacinamide or rose water can help balance the skin effectively
How to Use Face Toner?
So you’ve picked out a toner — what’s next? Let’s walk through how to incorporate it into your skincare routine the right way:
- Cleanse Your Skin: Start with a gentle cleanser to remove any dirt and makeup
- Apply Facial Toner: There's no right or wrong way to apply toner, although I would recommend using either a cotton swab or pad to minimize hand-to-face. I prefer to use cotton pads. Soak a cotton pad with toner and swipe it gently across your face and neck
- Follow with Serums and Moisturizers: Since the whole point of incorporating toner is to prep your skin for better absorption, be sure to apply subsequent serums / moisturizers while your skin is still damp
- Frequency: Apply facial toner or twice a day, depending on your skin’s needs, and the type of toner you've picked out. Remember that stronger toners with a higher alcohol content can be more stripping for your skin, as well as toners with additional exfoliating ingredients. If you're using a higher strength toner, I would recommended using them less often, like 2-3 times a week.
Additionally, prior to making any changes to your skincare routine, it's always smart to conduct a patch test. Before applying toner to your face, dab a small amount of toner onto the inside of your wrist. Let the product soak in and wait to see if any irritation occurs. If you notice inflammation or redness, reconsider applying toner to your face as it may not be the right choice. If not, then proceed with your routine as you comfortable.
Debunking Face Toner Myths
- Myth: Toners are just glorified water; they don't do anything!
- Fact: Modern toners are packed with active ingredients tailored to specific needs. Even general-purpose toners will help enhance skin absorption and increase the effectiveness your overall skincare routine. It can take up to 2 weeks of regular use before you see any results from using different types of facial toner, so don't expect instant results!
- Myth: Face toners will shrink your pores.
- Fact: Although toners are often cited as a "pore-shrinking" solution, this visual effect is due to temporary skin-tightening as a result of higher-strength toning ingredients. Pore size cannot be changed, but toners (along with a targeted skincare routine) can help you reduce how large they appear by eliminating excess dirt that makes pores appear larger.
- Myth: Alcohol-based toners are bad for you.
- Fact: While alcohol can be drying, some formulations use it effectively for oily or acne-prone skin. Ultimately, choosing the right strength-level for your toner will depend on your skin's needs, and the right choice may include some alcohol.
Conclusion
Toners have evolved into a key step for optimizing your skincare routine. By addressing everything from hydration and exfoliation to pH balance and preparation, they can unlock the full potential of your other products. Whether you're looking to refine texture, manage oiliness, or simply boost the effectiveness of your serums and moisturizers, the right toner can make all the difference. It’s not about whether you need one — it’s about discovering if it’s the missing piece your skin routine has been waiting for.