The prep step you shouldn’t skip.
Finding the best toner for your skin concerns can be a game-changer, especially if your end goal is dewy, luminous skin. For the unfamiliar, a toner is designed to help remove the debris that your cleanser or face wash might have missed and to prep your skin for the next step in your routine. “I think of them more as an adjunct or add-on to your skin-care routine,” says Rhode Island-based board-certified dermatologist Tiffany Libby, MD.
Toners of the past were known for their astringent properties, which often dried skin out, but nowadays many of them (including alcohol-free toners) cater to sensitive skin. In fact, thanks to the addition of certain active ingredients, toner formulations are now able to target an array of skin concerns, such as the loss of collagen or excess oiliness that can lead to breakouts.
Board-certified dermatologist Sapna Palep, MD, tells Allure toners that hydrate and smooth out fine lines often contain antioxidants, amino acids, and hyaluronic acid. On the other hand, toners that treat acne-prone skin often include salicylic acid (a type of beta hydroxy acid or BHA) or glycolic acid (a type of alpha hydroxy acid or AHA), which can even out skin tone and treat hyperpigmentation.
Just as there are different ingredients for you to choose from, there is more than one way to apply toner. It’s really up to an individual’s preference: you can use your hands, or cotton pads (Dr. Palep’s preference). And beyond the traditional bottled liquid, toners can also come in other delivery systems, such as gel sticks and face mists. (Dr. Libby particularly loves the spray formulations.)
But with so many toners out there in the market, it can be difficult to know what to pick for your specific skin needs. That being said, we’ve tried them all, so you don’t have to. Scroll down to find the best toner to add to your skin-care routine.
Best Overall: Charlotte Tilbury Daily Glow Toner
Why It’s Worth It: If you don’t love acids, consider this brightening toner. It uses prickly pear extract to gently resurface skin, as well as red clover extract to reduce the appearance of pores. At the same time, it supplies skin with peptides and niacinamide for a radiant gleam.
Best for Dry Skin: Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer
Why It’s Worth It: In the race to be the best toner for dry skin, this 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner is hard to beat. It’s a two-in-one formula loaded with soothing ingredients like glycerin and meadowfoam seed oil, and it works to strengthen skin’s natural defense barrier, deeply moisturize it, and combat signs of dryness — no matter what time of year it is. Plus, the bottle is refillable.
Best Drugstore: CeraVe Alcohol-Free Hydrating Toner
Why It’s Worth It: Board-certified dermatologist and Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Diane Madfes, MD, is a fan of CeraVe’s Alcohol-Free Hydrating Toner for Sensitive Dry Skin for its alcohol-free, non-comedogenic, and fragrance-free formulation. She also notes that the toner is spiked with hyaluronic acid (great for hydration), niacinamide (known for its ability to improve skin texture, minimize pores, and reduce inflammation), and ceramides (helps skin retain moisture).
Best for Sensitive Skin: Paula’s Choice Calm Nourishing Milky Toner
Why It’s Worth It: This isn’t your average toner: The formula bolsters the typical soothing ingredients, like allantoin and panthenol, with two botanicals that support the skin’s microbiome — and therefore the skin barrier. That makes quick work of irritation, tamping down redness, and calming skin on the spot. It’s also so gentle that those with rosacea can safely use it.
Best Luxury: Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner
Why It’s Worth It: This luxurious toner is as pretty as it is effective; the bottle houses actual rose petals alongside a formula packed with hyaluronic acid and damask rose extract, which bring the hydration. The 2017 Best of Beauty winner also contains rosewater and angelica leaf extract — both known for their soothing properties.
Best for Dull Skin: Pixi by Petra Glow Tonic
Why It’s Worth It: If you’ve been using and loving the Pixi by Petra Glow Tonic for years, you know it’s basically magic in a bottle. It’s made with hero ingredients — such as glycolic acid, aloe vera, and witch hazel — to minimize the appearance of dark spots and promote clearer, softer skin.
Best Hybrid: Versed Baby Cheeks Hydrating Milk Toner
Why It’s Worth It: According to Corey L. Hartman, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama, the Versed Baby Cheeks Hydrating Milk Toner is ideal for “severely dry skin.” That’s because it’s enriched with coconut water and algae extract, which Dr. Hartman notes “provides more hydration than most toners.” Even better? It pulls double (or more like triple) duty as a cleanser and makeup remover.
Best for Compromised Skin: Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Liquid Moisturizing Toner
Why It’s Worth It: Can a toner really be moisturizing? The 2019 Best of Beauty winner Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Liquid answers that question and more. Thanks to a recent formula revamp that doubled the amount of ceramides — an ingredient that helps restore any lost moisture — it leaves skin feeling soft and supple after every use.
Best Fragrance-Free: EltaMD Skin Recovery Essence Toner
Why It’s Worth It: Like a big vanilla latte for your skin, this Skin Recovery Essence Toner from EltaMD is comforting and energizing all at once. When cold temperatures and indoor heat dry out skin, it is the antidote you need. The multitasker hydrates, makes skin remarkably soft, and fortifies your skin’s barrier with amino acids. That’s key for keeping moisture in, especially during cold winter months. As if that wasn’t enough, the light toner also contains antioxidants.
Best for Oily Skin: Ole Henriksen Balancing Force Oil Control Toner
Why It’s Worth It: Perfect for oily skin, Ole Henriksen’s Balancing Force Oil Control Toner is made with a powerful blend of glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids to control excess oil production, unclog pores, and clear out blackheads without stripping away too much moisture. Plus, the 2019 Best of Beauty winner has a refreshing eucalyptus and peppermint scent that makes it a joy to use.
Best for Mature Skin: Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner
Why It’s Worth It: With a thicker feel than your average toner, this concentrated formula is powered by fermented black rice, which supports skin’s ability to renew itself. It’s paired with hyaluronic acid and beta-glucan — two powerful humectants — to plump skin on the spot, too, leaving skin supple and smooth.
Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Alpha H Liquid Gold Exfoliating Treatment
Why It’s Worth It: Alpha H’s Liquid Gold Exfoliating Treatment has the consistency of a toner but is spiked with 5% glycolic acid to dissolve dead skin cells, and licorice root extract to brighten. It makes skin feel smooth and look radiant and even faded one editor’s stubborn post-acne dark spot after a week of use.
Best for Combination Skin: Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence
Why It’s Worth It: Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence snapped up a 2021 Best of Beauty Award for its lipid-enriched formula, which protects, hydrates, and — you guessed it — restores the skin barrier. The toner is also noncomedogenic, which means it won’t clog your pores.
Best for Large Pores: Benefit Cosmetics The Porefessional Tight ‘N Toned: Pore-Refining AHA + PHA Toning Foam
Why It’s Worth It: You can’t actually shrink the size of pores, but this 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner gets close. It uses a combination of alpha hydroxy acids and polyhydroxy acids (a gentler cousin) to clear out dead skin cells, preventing and clearing clogs. It also supplies glycerin to hydrate skin, leaving skin comfortable and not at all dry.
Best for Dark Spots: No7 Radiance+ Vitamin C Glow Toner
Why It’s Worth It: No7 Radiance+ Vitamin C Glow Toner boasts a water-based formula to seriously hydrate skin. The Best of Beauty-winning toner is also spiked with a slew of potent, performance-driven ingredients, including vitamin C to brighten, a blend of fruit-derived alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and willow bark extract to gently exfoliate, and aloe to soothe.
Best Scented: Fenty Skin Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Also per Dr. Hartman, the Fenty Skin Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum is a great choice for all skin types since it “deliver[s] a brightening and toning effect without stripping away too much oil.” The product — which is one-part toner, one-part serum — also contains niacinamide, which the dermatologist credits for its skin-smoothing and pore-minimizing properties.