No skin care category has experienced more of a glow-up recently than toners, and their resurgence may have you wondering: What does toner do, exactly? Perhaps you remember the bottle of blue stuff you used in middle school that smelled like alcohol and left your face dry and stinging. Today's toners are nothing like that.
Those old-school versions—astringents that strip your skin—have been replaced by gentler, more sophisticated formulas that offer a bunch of potential benefits. “Toners went through a bad era,” Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine, tells SELF. “Now that people understand that they're no longer harsh and can actually be very effective, they've regained popularity.”
So back to your question: What's the point of adding a toner to your routine? And, more importantly, do you actually need to use one—or is this a classic case of overblown skin care hype? Here, dermatologists answer those questions (and more) to help you determine if a toner is worth trying.
What is a toner?
Facial toners are simply liquid, water-based solutions that deliver particular skin benefits, Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, tells SELF. The astringent, drying, alcohol-based formulas of the past were meant for people with very oily skin, Dr. Gohara says. (Witch hazel was a common primary ingredient.) They were effective in the sense that they did zap excess oil, but they were also dehydrating and compromised your skin barrier in the process, she notes.
But again, that's no longer the case. Advancements in skin care science have led to more nuanced and innovative formulations, Geeta Yadav, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of FACET Dermatology in Toronto, tells SELF. (It's also worth noting that almost all of the new toners on the block are alcohol-free). You can now find a variety of unique options tailored to nearly any and every skin type and concern. To that point…
What are the benefits of using a toner?
It depends on which one you choose. Just like with serums and moisturizers, different toners offer different benefits. There are hydrating options with humectants (which attract water to and trap it in your skin) like hyaluronic acid, soothing ones with aloe vera and other anti-inflammatory ingredients, and smoothing types that contain chemical exfoliants like alpha hydroxy acids, Dr. Murphy-Rose explains. You can also find brightening bottles with antioxidants, Dr. Gohara says. Long story short, no matter your skin type or concern, there's a toner that will work for you.
Is toner really necessary?
And now, the answer we've all been waiting for (drumroll, please): in a word, no. All of the doctors we spoke with were quick to underscore that toner definitely doesn't qualify as a skin care necessity in the same way, say, sunscreen does. It's also not meant to replace your serum or moisturizer. Rather, toners are the proverbial cherry on top of an ice cream sundae—a nice addition,
