Best Toner For Acne Prone Skin

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Hydrating Toners for Oily, Dry, Combo, Acne-Prone, & Sensitive Skin // Dermatologist @Dr Dray

As a seasoned health writer, Danielle Zoellner knows the importance of finding just the right product to fit your medical needs. Throughout her career, Danielle has interviewed a variety of experts in the medical and health fields while reviewing dozens of products. Her experience and knowledge in the field work together to help readers like you find the best products for your daily life.

How To Choose The Right Witch Hazel Product

When choosing the right witch hazel product, here are some factors you should consider.

Concentration of witch hazel: Since witch hazel is an astringent, determining the percentage of witch hazel used is crucial. Using a product with a high concentration of witch hazel for sensitive skin can irritate your skin and also cause excessive dryness.

Additional ingredients: When you invest in a witch hazel product with nourishing ingredients, you can make the most out of its benefits along with that of the additional ingredients. Ingredients such as rose water, aloe vera, vitamin E oil, chamomile extracts, and calendula are generally found in witch hazel products due to their many benefits.

Chemicals to avoid: Certain artificial preservatives such as parabens and sulfates and artificial dyes and fragrances can be harmful to your skin in the long run. Therefore, choose a product formulated with clean ingredients.

How Do You Use A Toner For Acne

Its easy! After face wash, squirt a little toner on a cotton ball or pad and gently wipe it over your cheeks, chin, forehead, and hairline. If you are using a mist or spray, you can spray it on your face from a distance and gently wipe it with a cotton ball. Also, do not rinse after using a toner. Wait for a few seconds or minutes for the toner to absorb into your skin then you can move on to applying a moisturizer.

If you want to wake up with acne-free, clear skin, you must try out the best toners for acne-prone skin. These toners effectively help control stubborn acne breakouts by eliminating the oiliness and giving you flawlessly beautiful skin. They are formulated with naturally therapeutic ingredients that help to combat scars and acne. The toners reviewed in the curated list penetrate deep into the skin locks moisture, and offer intense hydration. Consider your skin type, and go through the ingredients list before getting your hands on the best toners for acne-prone skin.

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Truskin Daily Super Toner

The Daily Super Toner by TruSkin uses twice-distilled witch hazel extract. It also has glycolic acid and a variety of other natural ingredients known for moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial benefits. That includes extracts of aloe, ginseng, marshmallow root, and calendula. This toner is sprayed on, so those with extremely sensitive skin dont need to worry about the friction from cotton balls or pads causing flare-ups. It also has remarkable anti-aging effects, thanks to its Vitamin C and MSM content.

Jovees Cucumber Skin Toner

This brand speaks for itself. Acnes Soothing Hydrating toner is suitable for oily, acne-prone skin. With regular usage, it dries up the acne. It claims to clarify acne and purify the skin.

Smoothens and hydrates the skin
Removes 99 percent of acne-causing germs to give a pimple-free skin
It is an alcohol and mineral oil-free toner

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Best Refreshing: Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner

Courtesy of Sephora

Contains parabens

“The Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal Extract Toner cleanses and refreshes all skin types, including oily,” explains dermatologic surgeon Michelle Henry, MD. “But the plant-based, soothing ingredients make it gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin types.”

The 10 Best Toners For Oily Skin

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Heres our process.

Best for very oily skin:Clinique Clarifying Lotion Twice A Day Exfoliator 2

If your skin often feels greasy and you experience the occasional bout of acne breakouts, you may be experiencing oily skin. While everyones skin normally produces oil thanks to the sebaceous glands , some peoples skin produces an excess, leading to oily skin.

People with oily skin are often inclined to use a myriad of products like blotting sheets, refining cleansers, and pore-tightening face masks, but toners can be an effective way to combat oils and reduce breakouts without irritating or drying out the skin.

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Face Toners For Oily And Acne Prone Skin

Like all other skin types, the cleansing-toning-moisturising routine is crucial to maintain acne-prone skin in good health and prevent it from breaking out. Here are some face toners that keep acne-prone skin soft, healthy, clear, and free from breakouts.

Rishika Shah |

Toners can help close pores and tighten cell gaps after cleansing, reducing the penetration of impurities and environmental contaminants into the skin. It can even protect and remove chlorine and minerals present in tap water. It acts like a moisturiser. Acne-prone skin needs special care. Like all other skin types, the cleansing-toning-moisturising routine is crucial to maintain acne-prone skin in good health and prevent it from breaking out. Here are some face toners that keep acne-prone skin soft, healthy, clear, and free from breakouts.

Do Toners Cause Breakouts

BEST Toners for Oily Acne Prone Skin & Dark Spots

Yes, toners can cause breakouts mainly if they contain ingredients your skin doesnt get along with.

Toners used to be recommended left and right in the past, especially when the concern was oily or acne-prone skin because of the harsh, drying ingredients they contained as people used to think that these were going to dry out acne and excess oil.

Harsh ingredients such as certain alcohols and astringents are surely going to dry out the skin, however, they will not get rid of acne and excess oil.

Why?

Because when your skin is constantly being bombarded with drying ingredients, it will eventually start to defend itself by producing more and more oil as a way of replenishing the lack of lubrication and moisture.

So what happens with these toners is that you will be creating a vicious circle of drying out the oil > dehydrating the skin > the skin producing more oil in an attempt to compensate > this oil will contribute to clogged pores and more acne.

Doesnt sound fun, right?

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When Looking For The Best Toner For Acne You Should Go Natural

While doing my Formula Botanica course I learn more and more about how important it is to only use natural products, organic when possible. Im starting to scoff at ingredients that although are not necessarily harmful, they dont add benefits to the skin.

Recently I visited a stall selling natural soap and, to my surprise, their hand cream was pink in colour. When I say pink I mean bright pink. Not just shade of pink. I dont think adding the colour is necessary although I understand it might be appealing to some, I can assure you that when you start falling in love with natural ingredients, formulas and products using ingredients that dont add to the benefits of your skin will not make a cream more attractive. What else are they adding to the cream thats not necessary for the skin? How safe are these ingredients?

This is the way forward in cosmetics I believe. You cant expect a company to behave if you dont put your foot down as a consumer. If I see one thing I dont like, I know Im going to find out more things about the companys products that Im not going to like.

So I only go for brands that are 100% transparent and an ingredient list I fall in love with.

Best Overall: Pixi Glow Tonic

High concentration of glycolic acid
Aloe vera soothes and hydrates

May strip skin if overused

This product has a cult following for its exfoliating and brightening benefits credit a five-percent concentration of glycolic acid. But we think its a choice pick for those with combination skin because it also touts astringent witch hazel to absorb excess oil along with hydrating aloe vera. Its alcohol-free, so you never have to worry about it being drying or stripping.

What Our Testers Say

“It feels refreshing and soothing on contact, which is a nice surprise considering the glycolic acid in play.” Adam Hurly, Product Tester.

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What Ingredients Should I Look For In A Toner For Sensitive Skin

Whether your skin is prone to eczema or rosacea , its especially important to read a products ingredients list.

Look for a toner that has skin-calming properties and botanicals, Dr. Peredo said. Toners that have aloe vera or chamomile will help soothe the skin. Use a toner that is alcohol-free so it wont irritate the skin.

Plus, hyaluronic acid is a good ingredient to look for in a toner, per Peredo.

+what Does The Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pha+bha Pore

Claims taken from the Glowrecipe product page.

1.Hydrates skin and tighten pores: Yes, its hydrating. I think its hydrating enough for most people, but if you like the feeling of extra hydration or if you have dry skin, you will definitely need to follow up with another hydrating product . As for pores being tightened, it is not the case. As Ive mentioned before: Pores are skin openings, which consist of a multitude of small curved depression over a smooth surface, so to tighten them, youd need something that will plump up this depression, which usually consists of collagen and elastin production triggering ingredients, or more generally laser treatments. Although there are anti-aging and wound-healing ingredients that should, in theory, promote collagen production, I doubt -yet again- that the level of collagen production needed to make your pores visibly smaller or tighter will be achieved by this product. Any appearance of tighter pores will be due to the fact that this is an exfoliating product that will clean them out, making them look tighter.

As you can see, the main difference is in the texture and smoothness of my skin. Its also less inflamed and irritated.

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Can A Toner Fade Acne Scars

Depending on whats in them, some toners can help eliminate the dark marks that pimples leave after they heal. Look for a product with glycolic acid if you want to help dark acne marks fade faster.

But a toner wont help with real acne scars. Scars with depressions and pits are harder to treat and cant be helped by toners or other over-the-counter skin care products. There are treatments for acne scars that can help make them less noticeable. Ask your dermatologist which one is best for your skin.

Best Ph Balancing Korean Toner For Acne Prone Skin

The ACWELL Licorice pH Balancing toner is good for both acne prone and dry skin types. It contains licorice root and peony extract which are both known to whiten the skin and minimise dark spots left behind from old acne scars.

This toner has a pH level of 5.5 and works to balance the the skin and prevent further breakouts. It contains green tea which brightens the skin and absorbs impurities. This toner was one of the recommended skincare products for achieving honey skin. It leaves you will clear skin and a healthy glow.

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Some By Mi Aha Bha Pha 30 Days Miracle Toner

Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner is formulated with an alpha hydroxy acid in the form of malic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid in the form of salicylic acid, and a polyhydroxy acid in the form of lactobionic acid.

This combination of exfoliating acids works to effectively exfoliate the skin, unclog pores, remove dead skin cells and control sebum production. Just what you need if you have oily or acne-prone skin!

Niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3, is included in the toner to help brighten the skin, balance sebum production and improve the overall appearance of skin tone.

Melaleuca alternifolia leaf water is also included to help fight acne-causing bacteria, soothe, and calm inflamed skin. Hamamelis virginiana extract is an astringent that helps tone and tighten the pores.

Sodium hyaluronate helps keep the skin hydrated, as it is a salt form of hyaluronic acid, a natural moisturizing factor that helps bind moisture to the skin.

Allantoin is an ingredient that helps to soothe and calm the skin. Adenosine is an anti-inflammatory ingredient that supports a healthy skin barrier.

The toner has a light watery consistency and contains peppermint oil for a light minty fragrance.

NOTE: Be sure to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher during the day when using this, and all toners that contain alpha-hydroxy acids and for a week after, as AHAs can increase your skins sensitivity to the sun.

Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner

BEST Clarifying & Hydrating Toners for Oily, Combo, Acne-Prone, Dry & Sensitive Skin!

I originally found out about this product through Gothamistas YouTube channel and since my skin was severely dehydrated at the time due to using soaps and astringents to dry out my acne, I immediately jumped on Amazon and bought it.

This essence-toner is just that, a toner with a slightly thicker consistency that is excellent for dry skin types as well as oily/acne-prone skins that have been bombarded with harsh ingredients for a long time and are now dehydrated and irritated.

It contains only seven ingredients, which means you wont be exposing your skin to too many different ingredients that can potentially irritate it and cause inflammation and all sorts of problems.

The essence toner is also very affordable, so if you feel like something extra in your skincare routine, but you dont want to experiment with something that can potentially irritate your skin, this one is the one to go with.

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Best Overall Korean Toner For Acne Prone Skin

The Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner has become a cult favourite k-beauty product due to its ability to promote clear skin and smooth inflammation. It contains all the ingredients you would want in a toner for acne prone skin including tea tree leaf water, niacinamide, witch hazel, peppermint extract, salicylic acid, and papaya extract.

The formula contains three different types of acid exfoliants: alpha-hydroxy acid, beta hydroxy acid and polyhydroxy acid. These acids work together to slough off dead skin cells and boost cell turnover clearly out any impurities or blocked pores.

Tea tree and peppermint both have soothing and antibacterial properties and help to calm any existing breakouts while witch hazel tightens the pores and improves skin texture. This is the perfect toner for both acne prone and oily skin types.

High-content tea tree water extract soothes troubled skin and improves its condition…
AHA/BHA/PHA & Papaya extract & Witch Hazel extract removes dead skin cells and impurities for skin…
pH5.5 sub-acidity toner prevents skin trouble and keeps it healthy. Adenosine and Niacinamide…
It provides effective sebum control inside pores and helps to improve acne prone skin
20 type of artificial ingredients Free. Dermatologically tested for sensitive skin. Suitable for all…

A Toner For Acne Must Incorporate Ingredients Aimed At Acne Simple

All the products I chose have ingredients that in my opinion are very good for acne and acne-prone skin. Some brands promote their products as also good for acne but I didnt find their ingredients particularly focused on targeting acne/acne-prone skin. It might be the case that they are trying to grab as many visitors to their page as possible, but I dismissed them altogether . I might feature them in another post, lets see.

Each and every product I chose is great for acne in my opinion.

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Benton Snail Bee High Content Skin Toner

The BENTON Snail Bee High Content Skin Toner works well on most skin types including acne prone skin. Its rich in snail mucin which repairs broken skin, improves skin texture and helps the skin retain moisture. This toner is excellent at locking in moisture and protecting your skin from the pollutants in the environment.

If you have both acne and fine lines caused by dehydration, this is the best toner to help combat both. Snail and aloe provides deep hydration whilst at the same time niacinamide and bee venom help to clear acne.

Does A Toner Help In Controlling Oiliness

Toners prove to be effective in controlling and regulating the excess oil of oily skin. Toners generally remove any impurities or oils which the cleanser fails to clean. It also minimizes the appearance of large pores, which are caused due to excess production of sebum.

To control excessive sebum production, you must look for toners with AHAs and BHAs. These ingredients have exfoliating properties, and they can penetrate deep within your pores to clean them efficiently.

Glycolic acid also increases your cell turnover, which helps fade scars and repairs damaged skin fast. Salicylic acid is beneficial in keeping those stubborn nasty pimples at bay. These ingredients give smoother, brighter, and even-toned skin.

Astringents are also very helpful in treating oily skin as it is specially formulated for these skin types. It, however, has a very high concentration of alcohol which can strip the skin away from its natural oils. Regardless of this, it does what it is supposed to do. Also, people with oily skin should stay away from toners that contain mineral oil or coconut oil.

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