Looking for best face toner recommendations? We’ve got you covered with our pick of the best toner for all skin types
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When you’re on a budget it can be tempting to abandon your search for the best toner and ditch it from your skincare routine, but it has many more benefits than you may realise.
Put simply, toner gives your skin a quick burst of Hydration while removing dead cells from the surface.
This helps remove any dirt missed by your cleanser and helps stop any traces of cleanser from clogging up your skin. It also results in brighter, smoother-looking skin. You can learn more in our What does toner do? article.
What’s more, just like a primer prepares your skin for makeup, toner can be seen as a primer for the rest of your skincare products.
FURTHER READING: How to make your own homemade toner on the cheap
It helps freshen the skin for your serum and makes it easier for your skin to absorb your moisturiser. If you’ve spent a lot of money on serums and moisturisers but scrimp on the toner, you’re doing your skin (and your wallet) a disservice.
In a bid to find the best face toner in the UK, we recently started a group test review series on TikTok.
As part of this series, we’re testing the hydration levels of different skincare products – from the best serums, to the best moisturisers, essences, and balms. Now we’ve added face toners to the mix.
We’re tracking the scores for each of the best face toners on a spreadsheet which you can find here, or by clicking the button below.
We’ve started listing the best toners that have been tested as part of this series, as well as the toners that we’ve used in real life and which we highly recommend. At the top of this article are the top scoring face toners according to TikTok as well as the best toners for different skin types and concerns.
If you’re interested to learn more about how we test serums, jump straight to that section.
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Best toner
This list is due to change and evolve as more tests are completed. These are the best toners as of February 2023. We’ve started listing the best serums and best moisturisers separately here.
- Fenty Skin Fat Water Toner Serum: Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
- Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner: Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
- Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Toner: Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
- Simple Soothing Toner: Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
- COSRX Propolis Synergy Toner: Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
- Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray: Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
- Klair’s Daily Skin Hydrating Water: Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
- The Body Shop Vitamin E Toner: Buy now (UK)
- Frudia Blueberry Hydrating Toner: Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
- Mario Badescu Aloe and Herbs Facial Spray: Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
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︎ Fenty Skin Fat Water Toner Serum
£27 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
Watch the full TikTok video
Part face toner, part serum, the Fenty Skin Fat Water ticks a lot of boxes when looking for top-quality skincare.
It’s not cheap – coming in at £27 – but it effectively does the work of two separate products in one. And, judging by our wide skincare group tests, it outperforms them all.
It gets its name from the fact it feels closer to a gel than a standard toner. It doesn’t feel heavy on the skin, and manages to soothe redness and irritation while hydrating the skin.
In our hydration tests, Fenty Skin’s Fat Water increased the hydration of our skin by 10. 7 percentage points, or a percentage increase of 41.5%. Only the COSRX HA 3 serum comes close.
It’s vegan and cruelty-free and it has low irritation and comedogenic ratings.
This means that it’s unlikely to cause irritation or cause clogged pores – although these figures should only be used as a guide because the overall formula, when mixed with all the other ingredients, could change these ratings.
There are some flaws to this product. It contains ingredients that are considered “icky”, according to the INCI Decoder database. Namely fragrance.
It also contains a dye called Red 33 which, while not listed as an icky ingredient, is frowned upon. This is because the use of dyes has been known to disrupt the delicate balance of the skin barrier.
Elsewhere, it’s a pain to squeeze out of the tube but don’t let these points put you off, it’s a great product and the best face toner we’ve tested.
FURTHER READING: Fenty Skin UK: Rihanna looks to add Fenty Hair to her growing beauty empire
Buy now from Boots
︎ Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner
£9.50 | Buy now
Watch the full TikTok video
One of the most recent products we’ve tested in our hunt for the best face toner is the Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner.
Pyunkang Yul is a Korean-beauty staple and the toner performed incredibly well in our TikTok tests.
It increased the hydration levels of our skin by 12.4 points, or 33.1% after five minutes.
Despite then dropping by 4.4 points after an hour, it gave our skin a total hydration boost of eight points, or 24%.
In addition to being affordable, it also contains no icky ingredients on the INCI Decoder database, promises zero irritation, and has a comedogenic rating of 1.
This means the chances of it clogging your pores are low.
The consistency is watery and this means you don’t need to use a lot, and it absorbs quickly.
This can be used as a toner, after your cleanser, or as an essence.
If you want to try this face toner, we currently have a 10% discount code for YesStyle.
Just type MAMABELLA at the checkout to get money off this already affordable skincare icon.
Buy now from YesStyle
︎ Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Toner
£17 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
Watch the full TikTok video
With a score of 54 points, the Haruharu Wonder Rice Toner jumped straight into the top three of our best toner list when we tested it back in January.
Not only did it increase the hydration levels of our skin by 6.5 points (19.1%) after an hour, but it also scored highly for being affordable, vegan, and cruelty-free.
In terms of ingredients, this toner contains a blend of natural ingredients.
This includes rice extract, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide, which work together to soothe, hydrate, and improve the overall appearance of the skin.
Rice extract is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties, making it great at calming and nourishing the skin, while hyaluronic acid is a powerful humectant that attracts and retains moisture, helping to hydrate and plump the skin.
Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, then helps to brighten the skin and improve its texture.
For our best toner reviews, we tested the fragrance-free version of this toner. This version has been formulated specifically for sensitive skin and it doesn’t contain any “icky” ingredients, nor does it contain any ingredients with high irritation or comedogenic ratings.
You can alternatively buy a fragranced version of this toner which contains alcohol, lavender oil, and linalool. While most people should be fine with these ingredients, there’s a small risk that people with particularly sensitive skin or allergies could have a reaction. If this is you, just make sure you buy the correct version.
Haruharu Wonder is a cult Korean skincare brand that specialises in products that moisturise, brighten, and nourish the skin. The entire Black Rice range focuses on boosting hydration and if our tests are anything to go by, it well and truly fulfills its promise.
Buy now from Sephora | Buy now from Walmart
︎ Simple Soothing Toner
£4 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
Watch the full TikTok video
There’s a lot to love about the Simple Skincare Soothing Toner on paper and, judging by our tests, these promises live up to their claims.
The toner is formulated to be gentle and refreshing. Especially for sensitive skin.
It contains chamomile, witch hazel, and allantoin all of which provide a soothing and calming effect on the skin while getting rid of impurities, dirt, and makeup that may be left on the skin after cleansing.
It also claims to help balance the skin’s natural pH levels, which is great for anyone trying to repair their skin barrier.
Elsewhere, it’s alcohol-free, fragrance-free, and free from any harsh chemicals, making it suitable for all skin types, and it’s vegan and cruelty-free.
In our hydration test, this entry in our best toner list increased levels by 5.2 points (16%) after five minutes. This dropped slightly after an hour – by 1.5 points – but this still gave an overall hydrating rise of 3.7 (11.9%).
According to its INCI Decoder page, this toner contains no icky ingredients and has an irritation and comedogenic rating of zero. All for just £4.
We feel that Simple Skincare isn’t given the credit it deserves and we’re glad this toner performed so well.
Buy now from Amazon UK | Buy now from Amazon US
︎ Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray
£27 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
Watch the full TikTok video
This face spray has a number of uses but we like to use it as a toner because it hydrates the skin, while also helping prep the skin for all the serums and moisturisers you want to use after.
As well as using it as part of our morning, and nighttime skincare routine, we also like to keep it in our bag and spritz our face at various points throughout the day to hydrate and freshen the skin, and bring our makeup back to life.
In fact, it’s a great setting spray.
It not only helps smooth and soften dry patches, but it’s also great for leaving your skin plump and youthful look.
The formula is lightweight and non-greasy and it contains aloe vera and chamomile to calm any redness or irritation.
In our hydration test, this spray increased hydration by 7.7 points (31.6%) after just five minutes.
It dropped hydration after an hour, by 4.4 points, but this meant it provided an overall hydration increase of 3.5 points or 13.5%.
It scored maximum points for containing no icky ingredients and having a zero irritant rating, and a very low comedogenic rating (1/5). It lost points for not being a fully vegan brand, and for being on the pricey side.
With all of this considered, the Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray comes in 5th place in our best toner list.
Buy now from AllBeauty | Buy now from Walmart
︎ COSRX Propolis Synergy Toner
£16 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
Watch the full TikTok video
This Propolis Synergy toner is part-toner, and part-essence and gets its name from the fact it contains 72% Black Bee propolis.
Propolis extract is antibacterial and contains antioxidants, both of which make this toner great for acne-prone skin, breakouts, irritation, and sun damage. It’s made from a resin that honey bees produce by mixing saliva and beeswax together, along with tree sap. Bees use it like a ‘glue’ to help seal gaps in their beehives.
The propolis extract then forms part of what COSRX calls its Full-Fit Pro Barrier Complex. This also includes honey, and Royal Jelly extract.
Honey is great for speeding up how quickly your skin cells regenerate, which determines how quickly your skin heals. It’s also anti-inflammatory. This is particularly good for people who have blemishes or eczema.
While Royal Jelly has been linked with helping to boost collagen production and can protect skin against the effects of ultraviolet radiation.
That’s not to say this toner is a sunscreen, it just helps protect the skin against UV effects.
In our hydration test, this essence-toner increased the hydration levels in our skin by 7.8 points (22.1%) after five minutes. After an hour, these levels dropped slightly – by 1.3 points – which gave the toner an overall increase of 6.5 points (19.1%).
It doesn’t contain any ingredients that the INCI Decoder website classes as “icky” and its ingredients have an Irritation rating of 0, and a very low comedogenic rating of 1. This means the chances of this toner causing irritation or breakouts are unlikely.
As you would imagine, a toner that relies on natural extracts from honey bees isn’t classed as vegan.
The brand doesn’t test products on animals, meaning it’s technically cruelty-free though.
Buy now from PureSeoul | Buy now from Ulta
︎ The Body Shop Vitamin E Toner
£9 | Buy now
Watch the full TikTok video
We haven’t tested many toners as part of our TikTok series yet but the worst performing of the lot has been The Body Shop Vitamin E Toner.
That’s not to say it’s terrible, it’s just running with incredibly strong competition with the likes of Fenty Skin’s Fat Water and Pyunkang Yul’s Essence Toner.
In our hydration test, this Body Shop toner increased levels by 5.7 points or 18%.
After an hour, this dropped by three points giving a total rise of a relatively low 2.7 points, or 9.4%.
On the INCI Decoder database, it is then shown as containing a high number “icky” ingredients.
Namely, fragrance as well as a number of perfuming ingredients including citronellol, alpha-isomethyl ionone, linalool, geraniol, citral, eugenol, and more.
This gave this face toner a total of 6.4 points out of a possible 10.
Thankfully, despite all of these icky ingredients, the rest of the formula has a zero irritation rating and a comedogenic rating of 1.
Consistency-wise, this toner has the same viscosity as the Pyunkang Yul essence toner and you only need a very small amount to cover your entire face.
On the plus side, it’s also cheap in comparison to other toners in this list and the brand is cruelty-free, so it does have a few things going for it.
FURTHER READING: Clean beauty: What are clean beauty products and how can I shop more consciously?
Buy now from The Body Shop
︎ Avene Thermal Water Spray
£14.25 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
View the full TikTok test here
This isn’t really a toner, nor is it a serum or moisturiser but we’ve included it in our best toner list because of its multipurpose nature and impact on the skin.
It is effectively just a can of water, yet it’s a unique type of water called Thermal Water that Avene bottles directly at the source to keep it sterile and pure.
This water contains what’s known as Aquaphilus dolomiae.
Scientific studies have proven that this microflora, and the Thermal Water as a whole, naturally soothes the skin and calms irritation.
In this way, Avene’s Thermal Water can be used for any and all dry skin conditions, including rosacea and eczema.
It’s great for sunburn, for use on nappy rash (6 months+), skin tightness, or even as a setting spray to melt the layers of makeup together.
It’s also beneficial to sensitive skin because of its low mineral content and neutral pH, which helps repair the skin barrier.
In our hydration test, the Avene Thermal Water increased hydration levels by 4.3 points (13.4%) after five minutes. After an hour, this elevated hydration dropped slightly (by 0.4 points) giving a total rise of 3.9 points, or 12.3%.
It contains no “icky” ingredients and scores zero in terms of its Irritation, and Comedogenic Rating.
The brand isn’t fully vegan, nor is it entirely cruelty-free due to the countries in which its products are sold but if you’re looking for a hydrating product that provides instant relief and helps improve sensitive skin over time, the Avene Thermal Water is a great choice.
Buy now from Boots
Below are our previous face toner recommendations, based on real-world tests. However, because not all of these have been tested in the same way as those featured in our best face toner TikTok series we’ve listed them by skin type and concern. As more toners are tested on TikTok, some of these toners may move up.
- Best toner for redness and irritation: The Ordinary Glycolic Acid: Buy now – £6.80
- Best toner for blemishes: Grüum Rejuvenating Tonic: Buy now – £7
- Best toner for dull skin: Pixi Glow Tonic: Buy now – £18
- Best toner for sensitive skin: Clarins Extra Comfort Toning Lotion: Buy now – £24
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
£6.80 | Buy now
Why we love it: We are huge fans of The Ordinary brand because it produces simple, yet highly effective products for bargain prices and its toner is no exception.
Its Glycolic Acid Toning Solution is a must-have for anyone looking to stick to a budget while still achieving amazing results.
It gently exfoliates the skin, improving the skin’s texture and brightness, and includes alpha hydroxyl, which isn’t too harsh and doesn’t leave the skin feeling tight.
For a toner, it has an amazing smell with Tasmanian pepper berry, ginseng, and aloe vera, which also works well to reduce redness or irritation.
FURTHER READING: Glycolic acid: From peels to toners and serums, what is glycolic acid and what does it do to the skin?
Buy now from Cult Beauty
Grüum Gösta Rejuvenating Facial Tonic
£7 | Buy now
Why we love it: Whereas the majority of the entries in our best toner list are liquid toners that are applied using a cotton pad, or a reusable equivalent, this Gösta Rejuvenating Facial Tonic is a misting version.
It contains witch hazel, to tone the skin, antiseptic chamomile which is perfect for clearing the skin of spots and blemishes and bacteria, plus orange to refresh the skin, leave it feeling bright and fresh.
Not only is this misting tonic hugely affordable, at £7, it can also be used as a primer, and as a way to refresh your skin during the day. We love how this tonic feels on the skin and makes our face feel tighter without making it feel like it’s been dried out.
Despite its foreign-looking name, this tonic is made in England from 98% naturally derived ingredients and is cruelty-free, free from sodium laureth sulfate, parabens, and synthetic fragrances.
FURTHER READING: The truth about the acids lurking in your skincare – from hyaluronic, to glycolic, lactic and salicylic
Buy now from Beauty Bay
How we test toners
For each best face toner test, we use a gadget called the Mili Pure to record the hydration level of the skin on our hand. We then wash them with cold water, to make the skin damp. We then apply each toner or essence onto the damp skin.
We wait five minutes at which point we take a second skin hydration reading. After an hour, we take a third reading.
Best face toner: Scoring methodology
To determine a product’s total score, which determines where it sits on the leaderboard, we add together the points in the Vegan, Cruelty-Free, Hydration Percentage, and INCI Score categories. We then subtract the price per 30ml, and the Irritation and Comedone Rating scores.
- Price: The recommended retail price (RRP) for the product in question.
- Price (per 30ml): The price of the product, per 30ml.
- Vegan: Fully vegan brands score 10. Brands that offer vegan products but aren’t fully vegan score 5. Brands with no vegan options score 0.
- Cruelty-free: Cruelty-free brands score 10. Brands that don’t test on animals, but who partner with organisations or countries that do, score 5. Brands that offer no assurances about animal testing score 0.
- Hydration points: The percentage point difference between the baseline hydration test, and the five-minute hydration test.
- Hydration percentage: The percentage difference between the baseline hydration test, and the five-minute hydration test.
- INCI score: Using the INCI Decoder website, we determine how many of the ingredients in a product’s formula are considered to be “icky.” A product with no “icky” ingredients scores 100%, which we convert to a score of 10. A product with 10 ingredients and two of them are “icky” means the product is 20% “icky” and 80% “good.” The 80% is then converted to a score of 8.
- Irritation Rating: All ingredients listed on the INCI Decoder website come with an irritation score, out of 5. The score for this category is taken from the highest-rated ingredient.
- Comedogenic Rating: All ingredients listed on the INCI Decoder website also come with a comedogenic rating, out of 5. The score for this category is taken from the highest-rated ingredient.
Note: The Irritation and Comedogenic ratings should be seen as a guide only. You can find out more about this here.
You can also learn more about how serums work in our science of serums article, and explore the INCI Decoder and its ratings in our skincare ingredient checker guide.
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