10 Hydrating Toners For Glowing Skin (Esthetician Reviews)

Toners have come a long way from being acidic formulations designed to dry out acne and reset your skin’s pH balance after cleansing.

Today, they have evolved into versatile solutions that not only eliminate impurities accumulated on the skin’s surface but also remedy and nourish dry and dehydrated skin and cater to a wide array of skin concerns.

However, as the skincare market continues to grow, the vast array of toners available can make finding the right one for your skin overwhelming.

Each product promises a different range of benefits, and even the most detailed descriptions can leave you feeling unsure about your choice.

Therefore, to make things easier for you. I’ve created the below list of ten best toners for glowing skin that will leave your skin fresh, healthy, and rejuvenated.

Paula’s Choice – Calm Nourishing Milky Toner

Best soothing toner.

After discontinuing the beloved Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner, Paula’s Choice introduced a suitable alternative in the form of Calm Redness Relief Toner, a skin-soothing toner containing a mix of potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components that wipe away signs of redness and relieve inflammation while helping to normalize the skin’s function.

The milky, essence-like consistency provides the skin with a burst of hydration while soothing allantoin, panthenol, and marshmallow root extract strengthen the skin barrier and help moisture retention, leaving a glowy, hydrated layer behind once fully absorbed.

Finally, the Calm Nourishing Milky Toner is free of known irritants such as fragrance and alcohol, which makes it perfect for sensitive and reactive skin.

Paula’s Choice – RESIST Advanced Replenishing Toner

Best hydrating toner for dry skin.

The Paula’s Choice RESIST Advanced Replenishing Toner is the best hydrating toner for dry skin as it contains a blend of hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, evening primrose oil, and fatty acids that help reverse cellular damage while strengthening the skin barrier and improving its overall health and function.

The toner has a milky consistency that instantly softens the skin and helps plump it up, improving overall radiance.

Perfect for those with dry, compromised, and dehydrated skin, the Advanced Replenishing Toner can be used daily to provide a burst of hydration and nourishment, leaving the skin looking healthy and supple.

Additionally, the toner is also free of alcohol and fragrance, making it suitable for sensitive skin types.

Pyunkang Yul – Essence Toner

Best hydrating Korean toner.

The Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner is a top-rated, hydrating Korean toner that has maintained cult-favorite status among skincare enthusiasts for several years.

Formulated with a single active ingredient, Huangqi, a valuable medicinal herb with plenty of bioactive compounds to soothe and strengthen the skin, this toner deeply hydrates and nourishes the complexion while improving barrier function.

Its lightweight formula absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving a beautifully glowing complexion behind that’s prepped and primed for the next steps in your skincare routine.

Perfect for all skin types, this toner doesn’t contain pore-clogging or irritating ingredients and is especially beneficial for those with sensitive and dehydrated skin needing extra moisture and plumpness.

I’m From – Rice Toner

Best rice toner for glowing skin.

The Rice Tone by I’m From is a fantastic nourishing toner made with 77% rice extract, which is a super effective hydrator that also serves as a mild brightening agent.

Oryza Sativa rice, which is the particular strain used in the toner, has a higher fiber content than conventional rice and contains active ingredients such as aminosone and lysine, which are protein derivatives and excellent boosters for skin health.

Additionally, the toner contains niacinamide, a hydrating component that helps control sebum production while improving barrier function, brightening hyperpigmentation, and smoothing skin texture.

The Rice Tone has a nourishing, milky consistency that pretty much reminds of rice water and leaves an instant glow and a hydrated complexion once absorbed by the skin.

Dear Klairs – Fundamental Ampoule Mist

Best hydrating toner for glowing skin.

The Dear Klairs Fundamental Ampoule Mist is a water-based mist toner formulated with rice, cucumber, and green tea extract, which is considered one of the most potent antioxidant ingredients with skin-soothing properties.

With this premium formulation, the Ampoule Mist provides your skin with high-quality nutrients, leaving it healthy, dewy, and glowing with just a few spritzes.

Finally, the lightweight consistency of the toner absorbs into the skin instantly, making this product perfect for delivering a splash of hydration daily.

SkinCeuticals – Phyto Corrective Essence Mist

Best hydrating toner for sensitive skin.

The SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Essence Mist is a multi-purpose, ultra-soothing mist that provides hydration and immediate relief to sensitive and inflamed skin dealing with redness and irritation.

Infused with botanical extracts such as cucumber, thyme, olive leaf, and calendula, this mist calms inflamed skin while also providing deep hydration without leaving a greasy residue behind.

Moreover, the hyaluronic acid and glycerin blend helps attract and retain moisture, keeping the skin plump and supple throughout the day and controlling excess oil production.

This mist can be used as a toner in your skincare routine to help achieve hydrated and glowing skin or as a refreshing touch-up during the day to revitalize your skin while soothing any redness or irritation.

EltaMD – Skin Recovery Essence Toner

Best toner for dull skin.

The EltaMD Skin Recovery Essence Toner is a nourishing and revitalizing toner perfect for dull skin and a compromised barrier needing a nourishing boost.

Formulated with the brand’s proprietary AAC Technology, this toner contains three essential amino acids – arginine, taurine, and glycine – that work together to maintain hydrated and resilient skin.

In addition, the toner also contains powerful ingredients such as ginger root extract and bisabolol that help improve skin texture, soothe irritation, and protect the skin from environmental stressors while delivering a hydrated and plump glow that combats dullness.

Finally, the toner is also non-comedogenic and has a lightweight, watery consistency that absorbs into the skin instantly, leaving it refreshed, nourished, and protected.

Vivant Skin Care – 3% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Toner

Best hydrating toner for acne prone skin.

The Vivant 3% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Toner is a hydrating toner suitable for acne-prone skin due to its ability to dissolve congestion inside the pores and reduce the appearance of this inflammatory condition.

The gentle yet powerful formula combines 3% mandelic acid with lactic acid to dissolve cellular debris, such as dead skin cells and hardened sebum inside the pores, and prevent breakouts from forming.

Additionally, the toner is also enriched with antioxidants that protect the skin from free radicals and environmental damage, as well as niacinamide, a hydrating and barrier-repairing component with brightening and pore-refining properties.

Due to its lightweight consistency, non-irritating formula, and gentle exfoliating action, the 3% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Toner is suitable for all skin types that are prone to congestion and acne and can be used a few times a week for best results and no irritation.

Glytone – Enhance Brightening Solution

Best brightening toner.

The Glytone Enhance Brightening Solution is a powerful toner that targets and improves the appearance of dark spots, hyperpigmentation, and uneven skin tone.

Formulated with an impressive combination of azelaic acid, niacinamide, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and malachite extract, this toner provides visible brightening results and reduces the appearance of post-acne scarring, uneven skin tone, and rough skin texture while also exfoliating dead skin cells and preventing pore clogging.

Lightweight and fast-absorbing, this powerhouse formula is best used alongside a nourishing moisturizer for a glowing and even complexion.

Replenix – Soothing Antioxidant Mist

Best hydrating toner for oily skin.

The Replenix Soothing Antioxidant Mist is a refreshing mist toner for oily skin in need of hydration.

Infused with powerful antioxidants such as green and white tea extracts, this toner helps protect the skin from free radicals and environmental stressors while purifying and unclogging pores.

Additionally, a concentrated addition of witch hazel gives the skin a smooth and refined appearance, while chamomile extract soothes existing redness and irritation.

Free of alcohol and fragrance and suitable for oily and sensitive skin, this mist toner can be used throughout the day to refresh the skin or as a toner after cleansing for those with oily, textured skin looking for an extra boost of hydration and refinement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Toner?

Toner is a quick-absorbing liquid that helps remove impurities such as oil, makeup, and pollution that have accumulated on the skin and bring its pH back to normal.

While toner isn’t a necessary step in a skincare routine, using the right product can be beneficial for the skin in many ways, including helping the complexion look fresh, smooth, radiant, and healthy.

What Are the Different Types of Toners?

Here are the most popular types of toners:

Exfoliating Toners: These toners contain exfoliating acids (like AHAs or BHAs) or enzymes that remove dead skin cells and unclog pores. They can be a great addition to your skincare routine if you’re dealing with acne or dull skin, but they should be used sparingly to avoid over-exfoliation.

Hydrating Toners: Especially beneficial for dry or dehydrated skin, hydrating toners are packed with humectants like hyaluronic acid that draw moisture into the skin. They can provide an extra hydration boost and prep the skin for the following skincare steps.

Balancing Toners: Ideal for those with combination or oily skin, balancing toners work to regulate your skin’s pH levels and control oil production. They often contain ingredients like niacinamide and witch hazel, which reduce shine and refine enlarged pores.

What Do Toners Do?

Toners play multiple important roles when it comes to skin health and appearance.

Firstly, they help balance the skin’s pH level.

This is beneficial for the skin because cleansing often disrupts this delicate balance due to the presence of chlorine and minerals in tap water.

By restoring the skin’s optimal pH level, toners ensure that your skin can function properly and stay healthy.

Secondly, toners replenish the skin’s moisture levels.

Cleansing, especially with cleansers containing harsh surfactants, can strip away the natural oil from the skin, leaving it dry and dehydrated.

Toners step in to restore this lost moisture, keeping your skin hydrated and preventing overproduction of oil that can lead to breakouts.

Lastly, toners deliver a host of benefits through their soothing, hydrating, and healing ingredients.

Their lightweight and liquid formula allows these beneficial ingredients to penetrate the skin easily, making them an effective vehicle for delivering nutrients and active ingredients into the skin, enhancing its overall health and appearance.

How to Choose The Best Toner for Your Skin?

Here are some tips for choosing the best toner for your skin skin:

Consider Your Skin Type: It’s critical to choose a toner that matches your skin type. If your skin tends to be dry or sensitive, opt for alcohol-free formulas that won’t further strip your skin of its natural oils. On the other hand, if your skin is oily, look for a toner with ingredients that can control oil production, such as niacinamide or witch hazel.

Look for Acne-Fighting Ingredients: If you have acne-prone skin, look for toners that contain ingredients like salicylic acid, mandelic acid, or benzoyl peroxide. These components unclog pores, reduce inflammation, and prevent acne breakouts.

Avoid Irritating Ingredients: Try to avoid toners containing heavy perfumes, dyes, or harsh alcohols, as these can be drying and irritating to the skin.

Choose Non-Comedogenic Products: Always choose a toner that doesn’t contain ingredients that could potentially clog pores and exacerbate breakouts. Some potentially comedogenic ingredients in skincare products may include oils, emollients, and stearates.

Patch Test: Before applying a new toner all over your face, do a patch test on a small area of skin to ensure your skin won’t get irritated by it.

How to Use Toner Correctly?

To use a toner correctly, begin by thoroughly cleansing your face to remove accumulated impurities, makeup, and dirt from your skin.

Then, while your skin is still damp, apply a small amount of toner onto a cotton pad or directly onto your hands and gently sweep or pat it over your face and neck.

Finally, and before the toner is thoroughly dried, apply your serum and moisturizer to lock in hydration.