What Is Toner? Our Guide To 5 Different Ways To Use A Toner!

With the introduction of Korea's ever famous 10 step skincare regime, face toner usage has become increasingly important basic step of your daily skin care regime. You should always include a cleanser and toner before anything else!  

What Is Toner Used For?

Simply, toner is like water, except that it is packed with nutrients for your skin. Facial toners are made to be very light liquids that is water-based so it can be absorbed by your skin easily. It is used to quickly penetrate into our skin to deliver hydration and help remove some dead cells off the surface at the same time. Think of toner as a prep for your pores.

Imagine your skin as a sponge. If you put a thick cream on a dry sponge, will it be absorbed? Chances are that it won't. But if you wet the sponge, the cream will be absorbed more easily. Likewise, our skin needs to be 'prepped' with the toner in order to absorb all the goodness and moisture from our other skincare products.

Who should use a toner? Really anyone, and this skincare step not only applies for women, but facial toner for men is equally important as well. In fact, all skin types should be including this in their skincare routine. Your pores will thank you!

When To Use Face Toner?

Facial toner is basically the in-between skincare step. We recommend including toner in both your day and night skin-care routines.

Not sure at which step to apply in your skincare regime? It's meant to be used immediately after washing your face but before using your serum or moisturizer. One tip is to keep your face damp after washing instead of completely drying it with a towel.

Why Use Facial Toner?

You may be asking, what does face toner do for skin? 

1. Toner restores your skin pH level

One of the purpose of facial toner is to restore your skin pH level and brings your skin back to its natural acidic state. Our skin is naturally acidic, typically with a pH level of 5-6. But our skin pH balance alters after cleansing due to the alkaline nature of soap. When this happens, your skin becomes more susceptible to bacterial growth and acne outbreaks, but using a toner can help restore this balance quickly.

2. Toner gets rid of excess impurities in your pores

Other face toner benefits is to also get rid of excess oil on your face after you wash it. If any bacteria or dirt lingers after your double cleanse, a toner will help get rid of it. This gives the appearance of smaller pores too.

3. Toner helps your skin absorb products better

Another of face toner uses is to help your skin absorb your skincare products. After clearing out your pores, your skincare products is now ready to be better absorbed. When your skin is hydrated and at a balanced pH after applying toner, other active ingredients can penetrate your skin. Think of it as a booster for your Vitamin C, retinol, or expensive anti-aging creams. After all, the ingredient has got to be absorbed in order for a product to work its magic on your skin. Otherwise, u are just wasting money!

Which Is Best Facial Toner For My Skin Type

The key to finding the most effective toner is to find one that is designed for your skin’s needs. There are different types of toners to benefit different skin types so do check the ingredient list before getting one to ensure it is suitable for your skin.

Choosing a Toner for Your Skin Type

• For acne-prone skin, choose gentle toners with alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is ok to feel a slight gentle tingle for a few seconds due to the slightly acidic nature but this is the right pH level for your skin. This form of acid is more gentle to keep your face clean without flaking, unlike stronger irritating ingredients like retinoids.

• For oily skin, salicylic acid is often recommended in a facial toner. Being a beta hydroxy acid (BHA), it is oil soluble and thus more effective to treat and rebalance oily skin. However, this ingredient can be harsh and irritating, especially for those with sensitive skin.

• For dry skin, choose a hydrating toner that contains other like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Also, more important to avoid alcohol as it could cause your skin to dry even more.

• For dull skin, opt for a toner with glycolic acid that helps exfoliate dead skin cells for more vibrant skin, or Vitamin C to give your skin the additional glow. It can be paired with other useful ingredients that helps brighten your skin like niacinamide or arbutin.

• For sensitive skin, always use an all natural alcohol-free face toner as it may agitate your skin. The best facial toner we recommend for sensitive skin is Huangjisoo Green Caviar Comfort Balancing Toner. Not only is this toner without alcohol, it is made from 99.6% natural ingredients.

[Reviews] Huangjisoo Green Caviar Comfort Balancing Toner

Many customers with eczema have tried it and given us great feedback. Here are just some of the reasons why our beloved Waseyo customers are loving this Huangjisoo toner so much! From all skin types too!

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  Review by Ronelle

"I always like huangjisoo toner and of course this newer version did not fail my expectation. Quite gentle and not too overpowering for my sensitive skin. Quite great choice especially if you often stays in air-conditioned area or in colder countries. Definitely my favourite toner till date!"

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  Review by Renee

"It helps soothe my eczema prone skin and will stick with it!"

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  Review by Erica

"Yes no words can decide just thumb up. After using my face condition really improved alots. My daughter also using it now and prove to me that her face pores seem improved too. And blackheads reduced. She asked ' mummy is this miracle water'."

Here's 5 Different Ways To Apply Facial Toner!

1) Cotton Pad

After cleansing, grab a cotton pad & soak it with a bit of toner. Wipe the cotton pad all over your face and pat in the excess.

2) DIY Mask

Soak cotton pads with toner & place them over your face for 3 - 5 mins. It's a quick and convenient way to hydrate and soothe your dry and inflamed skin quickly.

3) Facial Mist

Pour some toner in a spray bottle to use as a facial mist. You can even use it to set your makeup and eliminate the powdery finish.

4) Toner Wash

Cleanse your skin as usual. Mix 1 part toner with 9 parts water. Use this mixture to wash your face and pat dry after. This method thoroughly eliminates dirt from the skin while supplying it with nutrients.

5) 7 Skin Method

Pat a few drops of toner gently onto your skin until it is fully absorbed. Layer on 7 times.

This viral Korean Beauty Trend '7 SKIN METHOD' allows skin to drink up a healthy amount of hydrating ingredients, giving you the "just-got-a-facial" glow! To put it simply, it's applying a lightweight toner to your face up to seven times—hence, the name "seven"—right after you cleanse. That said, you should start slow and test the method by applying your toner two or three times and increase from there.

Waseyo Says: The toner used for layering MUST be lightweight & free from alcohol and fragrance!

If you would like to try out this popular Korean Skincare method, a great alcohol-free and fragrance-free toner we recommend is the Huangjisoo Green Caviar Balancing Toner. Formulated with 99.6% natural ingredients, it is a non-drying toner that gently soothes and moisturises all skin types. Get yours today!