Mica Ricketts
I’ll be honest—despite taking my skincare routine very seriously with a bathroom cabinet brimming with the best cleansers, serums and moisturisers, I’ve never been particularly stringent about using a toner. I experimented rather too rigorously with them in my younger years, when the alcohol-filled formulations that promised to ease my teenage acne simply left my skin stripped and my eyes watering. Thankfully, though, in 2024 the best toner looks a whole lot different to the days of our youth—and a great one really can change your life. In fact, I now have a mini wardrobe of toners at my disposal depending on whether my skin needs soothing, exfoliating or hydrating. Trust me, once you’ve found the right formula for your skin type you’ll wonder how you ever went without it.
We're not the only ones who think so, either. Dr Ewoma Ukeleghe, a medical and cosmetic doctor, can't get enough of them either. "Toner is a step you definitely shouldn’t be skipping," she says. "They now come in lots of different forms, each with different purposes and results; calming mist toners, exfoliating glycolic acid toners, moisturising toners and ones that deliver AHAs, BHAs, peptides and antioxidants to your skin."
Let's find out a little more about toners...
What is facial toner, exactly?
"The primary function of a toner is to balance your skin’s pH after using the best cleanser and provides some mild exfoliation," explains Dr Ukeleghe. It's the step in between your cleanser and moisturiser within your regime. It also removes any final traces of dirt, pollution and make-up that your cleanser might have missed.
It helps to smooth and prep the skin for serum, not to mention give it an enviable glow. To apply you can either swipe over just-washed skin with a cotton pad or use your palms to press into the skin.
Best toners 2024 at a glance:
- Best toner for glowy skin: REN Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic | £30 at Lookfantastic
- Best toner for dry skin: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Toner | £18 at Sephora
- Best for sensitive skin: Byoma Hydrating Milky Toner | £11.99 at Sephora
- Best toner for acne-prone skin: Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant | £28 at Sephora
- Best toner for pigmentation: Ole Henriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner | £27 at Sephora
- Best toner for combination skin: Biossance Squalane and BHA Pore Minimising Toner | £23 at Lookfantastic
- Best toner for breakouts: Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Toner | £17.60 at Sephora
- Best toner for mature skin: Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Toner | £25 at Lookfantastic
- Best toner for softer skin: Shiseido Treatment Softener Lotion | £37 at Lookfantastic
- Best toner for hormonal breakouts: Bubble Skincare Break Even Balancing Toner | £17 at Beauty Bay
- Best toner for a compromised barrier: Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner & Moisturizer | £26.50 at Sephora
- Best toner for rough texture: SkinCeuticals Equalizing Toner | £41.99 at Face The Future
What does a toner do for your face?
"Toners are products that don’t get much of a look in during our skincare regimes. But they can be used to clean your skin, remove excess oil and reduce pore size," says Consultant Dermatologist Dr Anjali Mahto. "They are also good for balancing the skin." The latter is particularly important if you have acne-prone skin.
Due to the alkaline nature of soap and even the very best face washes, the pH balance of our skin can get disturbed. This makes your skin work overtime to find its sweet spot again, which can result in excess oil and breakouts.
Which skin toner should I use?
Like with any skincare product a good way to start is to think about your biggest skincare concerns and choose one that will help. Toners provide similar benefits to your serum because they are often infused with similar ingredients. Think vitamins, prebiotics, glycolic acid and hyaluronic acid, which can brighten, soothe, exfoliate and hydrate respectively.
If your skin is often dehydrated, going for one with hyaluronic acid in its formula would be a good. "The ultimate hydrating molecule, it boosts moisture and minimises fine lines," Dr Ukeleghe explains. "Glycerin, snail mucin and allantoin are common substitutes." If your skin if off kilter, whether that's because you've naturally sensitive skin or you've used too many active ingredients, a skin barrier boosting toner with ceramides will help to soothe. PH balancing toners maintain the acid mantle of the skin barrier – the pH level of healthy skin is approximately 5.5. There are toners that can help to balance oily skin, tighten pores and minimise shine, and are loaded with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial ingredients if you're concerned with blemishes too. Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs), things like salicylic acid, lactic acid, and glycolic acid, are good for exfoliating. So if your main skincare concern is dullness, caused by dry skin, and hyperpigmentation then these will help. "These acids work to gently exfoliate your skin, accelerate skin cell turnover and reveal a glowing complexion," says Dr Ukeleghe.
Now that you're all clued up on the virtues of incorporating one of the best toners into your skincare regimen, are you ready to shop the best?
The Marie Claire beauty team enlisted the help of a team of testers to help find the best toners on the market. If you want to find out more about the testing process, click here.
Scroll through our favourite toners in the handpicked edit below. Your skin will thank you for it...
The best toners for every skin type
1. REN Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic
"Whenever my face is looking particularly dull and I'm looking for a glow-boost, I'll use this before my serum. The AHAs lift away skin-dulling dead cells and smooth the surface texture so that it looks like my skin is lit from within. It's potent so I don't use it everyday, however it can be, it just depends on your skin's sensitivity levels." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
2. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Toner
"This is my go-to every day toner. I have dry skin, which means it needs hero ingredients like avocado oil, squalene and vitamin E to replenish moisture. All of which can be handily found in this. The Ultra Facial range is loved by dry-skinned humans all over the world, so if you fall into the category you won't be disappointed with its toner. It is truly one of the most moisturising formulas I've come across." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
3. Byoma Hydrating Milky Toner
"Formulated to support the skin barrier function—a big yes in achieving a healthy complexion—BYOMA's toner is so calming and soothing on the skin that it deserves a place in our list of the very best toners. Enriched with nourishing lipids, redness-reducing cica and polyglutamic acid, it really helps to lock in moisture, ease irritation, and reduce trans epidermal water loss." - Mica Ricketts, beauty contributor
4. Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
"Despite the fact this exfoliating treatment toner has been a cult product amongst those who struggle with breakouts for years, I’m still yet to find a product that lives up to the high bar it has set. With salicylic acid, witch hazel and green tea extract, it effectively unclogs pores and gently exfoliates skin without causing any upset or dryness. When I’m not using this product, boy oh boy can my skin tell." - Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor
5. Ole Henriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner
"When it first launched, this toner sold out in four days and since then it's been a battle to keep it in stock. Why? Because of its promise to reduce the appearance of dark spots after seven days thanks to a serious concentration of acids and liquorice, a natural skin brightener. Plus, it works to really smooth the surface of the skin meaning that fine lines, uneven texture and pigmentation all appear minimised. I have a lot of pigmentation sitting under the surface of my skin that causes dullness, since using this I have noticed a brightness that could rival any illuminating primer." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
6. Biossance Squalane and BHA Pore Minimising Toner
"I have combination and spot-prone skin and I really see the benefit from this balancing toner which is a clever mix of pore-cleansing willow bark extract (a natural BHA) and hydrating squalane. You get the best of both anti-ageing and pore-purging worlds with skin left deeply decongested and soothed." - Mica Ricketts, beauty contributor
7. Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Toner
"As somebody who has skin prone to breakouts and congestion, I really rely on toners to keep my skin in check post-cleanse. This one is a long-time favourite. It contains salicylic acid and a number of purifying oils to decongest pores and lessen their appearance, while grape water hydrates and soothes and discomfort. Plus, it helps to keep an shine down throughout the day—I adore it." - Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor
8. Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Toner
"Brimming with real rose petals, this soothing toner is a real treat for older skin that might have lost some of its natural hydration and elasticity. The delightful combination of rosewater, rose oil and rose powder doesn’t mean that this product smells amazing, but it really helps to soothe and nourish dry skin—leaving it silky-soft and cared for." - Mica Ricketts, beauty contributor
9. Shiseido Treatment Softener Lotion
"This is a funny one, because it's technically called a lotion, but also a softener. But I use it as you would a toner - in between my cleanser and my serum. I turn to this, especially in winter, when my skin is both parched and dry as hell. After just a couple of days, using it both day and night, my skin feels softer and looks visibly more hydrated. I'm talking a restored glow and fewer lines. I love it." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
10. Bubble Skincare Break Even Balancing Toner
"From period spots to menopause, there are lots of reasons that our skin might break out and this balancing toner from Bubble Skincare will help to combat that. Enriched with niacinamide, willow bark extract green tea extract and sea water it reduces redness, deeply cleanses pores and helps to balance oil levels so skin will be left more soft, smooth and even." - Mica Ricketts, beauty contributor
11. Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner & Moisturizer
"I love skincare, but I have sensitive skin, so I have to be careful what I use and how much I use. I love this two-in-one toner and moisturiser, as it means I'm able to keep things simple whilst giving my skin exactly what it needs. Which is heavy-hitting hydration, brimming ceramides and peptides to restore and protect my skin barrier. It has a rich, milky texture that my skin drinks up." - Valeza Bakolli, Junior Shopping Editor
12. SkinCeuticals Equalizing Toner
"This toner has become such an asset in my routine. Not only does it help with the build up of texture around my cheek bones and on my jawline, but it also gets rid of any product or dirt that my cleanser missed and restores the pH balance. I use it on the evenings when I don't use a retinoid and I wake up to baby-soft skin." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
