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Toners

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

A quality toner delivers an instant boost of hydration, removes any remaining traces of impurities while lightly refreshing and refining pores, and calms and rebalances the skin after cleansing, preparing it to absorb the next steps better. It is used every morning and evening, and in the weekly routine. These formulas most often rely on hyaluronic acid, which increases cell viability while reducing lipid peroxidation, intracellular reactive oxygen species, and matrix metalloproteinase expression in cells; glycerin, which softens the skin; and centella asiatica, which soothes the complexion.

Drug Delivery, 2017Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016

Hydrating Toner

What to look for in a toner

From reviews of 25 popular toners.

What reviewers value

  • Deep hydration and moisture Mostly Mentioned
    • “leaves my face soft, plump, and balanced — CeraVe Hydrating Toner”
    • “skin felt soft, plump, and well-moisturized — TIRTIR Milk Skin Toner”
    • “revives dehydrated skin — Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater”
  • Smoother texture and glow Mostly Mentioned
    • “gives my skin a smooth, glass-like finish — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “gives instant glow — Pixi Glow Tonic”
  • Gentle exfoliation and pore refinement Mostly Mentioned
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “noticed a real difference in pore visibility — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
    • “gentle enough for daily use — First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing texture Often Mentioned
    • “drinks it up — ROUND LAB 1025 Dokdo Toner”
    • “sinks in instantly — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water”
    • “absorbs quickly — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
  • Glass skin glow and radiance Often Mentioned
    • “glass-like glow — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “gives you glass skin — TIRTIR Milk Skin Toner”
    • “glass skin — LANEIGE Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer”
  • Soothing and calming care Often Mentioned
    • “calms redness immediately — La Mer The Treatment Lotion”
    • “calmed my redness — ROUND LAB 1025 Dokdo Toner”
    • “no stinging on raw skin — Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner”

Common complaints

  • Caused breakouts and blemishes Often Mentioned
    • “caused redness and sensitivity — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
    • “started developing closed comedones — TIRTIR Milk Skin Toner”
    • “caused whiteheads — LANEIGE Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer”
  • Strong fragrance and unpleasant scent Sometimes Noted
    • “smells like vinegar — Biologique Recherche Lotion P50”
    • “smells like yeast — The Ordinary Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky Toner”
    • “smell is overpowering — La Mer The Treatment Lotion”
  • Leaves a sticky or greasy finish Sometimes Noted
    • “leaves an almost powdery-feeling residue — TIRTIR Milk Skin Toner”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
    • “leaves a tacky film — The Ordinary Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky Toner”
  • High price point Sometimes Noted
    • “way too expensive — La Mer The Treatment Lotion”
    • “expensive for face water — Caudalie Beauty Elixir”
    • “hard to justify the price tag — Tatcha The Essence”
  • Stings and irritates the skin Sometimes Noted
    • “face would burn for a few seconds — Biologique Recherche Lotion P50”
    • “burns upon application — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “burns my eyes — Caudalie Beauty Elixir”
  • Packaging and spray issues Sometimes Noted
    • “squirts instead of mists — Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater”
    • “messy bottle — LANEIGE Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer”
    • “pads at bottom were dry — First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads”

Soothing Toner

Exfoliating toner

Cleansing Toner

SKIN1004 toners

All SKIN1004 products

Medicube toners

All Medicube products

Anua toners

All Anua products

All toners

See all 310 toners

Research behind toner ingredients

Behind these picks

Lovi picks every product by its fit score, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

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