It’s been just over a year since my last Toner collection update so I thought I would grab my current open bottles and do a quick rundown! This is quite exfoliating toner heavy only because in my last edition I was on Roaccutane so couldn’t use them and they have kind of built up! I definitely don’t use exfoliating products as much now as when I had acne but I still love having them in my collection as I tend to use them on my body too.
First up, one that is no stranger to my blog, and I have gone through many bottles of – the Pixi Glow Tonic RRP £18. This is such a cult classic and also featured in my first toner post in 2017 as it’s usually always in my collection! It contains 5% glycolic acid as well as ginseng and aloe vera for hydration. As well as dissolving dead skin cells, it diminishes signs of sun damage, fine lines and scarring, smooths uneven texture and never dries my skin out. It’s popular for a reason and one of my favourite toners!
Sticking with glycolic acid the Good Molecules Glycolic Exfoliating Toner RRP $14* is another good one. This is a 3.5% glycolic concentration so even more gentle than the Glow Tonic and perfect if you have sensitive skin. My skin feels smooth and even with continued use and I love the Good Molecules nothing to hide ingredients list. This toner also contains galactomyces ferment which helps retain skin barrier function and moisture level as well as hyaluronic acid and aloe to help to hydrate and soothe skin. Read my full review here!
Moving away from glycolic now to the By Wishtrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water RRP £20.10. Mandelic acid has a larger molecular structure than glycolic so is even more gentle though similarly works to improve pigmentation and even skintone. This one also contains beta glucan – an anti-inflammatory, panthenol and centella asiatica to help regenerate and sodium hyaluronate for hydration. I personally think glycolic acid works better for my skin when it comes to pigmentation but this does a great job at smoothing and evening skin tone and was the only exfoliating toner I dared try when I was at the end of my Roaccutane course and needed a little exfoliation so I can attest to its gentleness on my skin as I had no issues (but proceed with caution if on Roaccutane)!
I probably should have kept the Sioris Feels So Fresh Toner RRP £17 out of this round up because it’s the only one I haven’t really managed to form an opinion on! It falls into the nice but boring category for me, I don’t have any issues with it, but it hasn’t stood out to me either. It contains Black Willow Extract to exfoliate, eliminate blackheads and control oil, Guava Leaf Extract (an antioxidant) and Broccoli Extract to soothe and calm skin. I bought this pre Roaccutane then didn’t use it when I was on the drug and now my skin type has changed, and these aren’t my skin concerns anymore so it’s difficult to review it! What I will say though is that it’s another one that feels gentle and doesn’t dry my skin out despite the sebum controlling properties, but I do have other toners I prefer.
Next, I have the CosRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner RRP £19.99 and this is my second bottle – I had it years ago and really enjoyed it. It contains willow bark water and apple fruit water to clear clogged pores and dead skin cells as well as glycolic acid and betaine salicylate. My skin is smoother with use and I love the spray bottle – I actually use this a lot on my body too, particularly on KP on the backs of my arms as well as my chest and back where I do still get the occasional spot and it works so well to smooth my skin and is super easy to distribute!
Another old favourite and I have been through a few bottles of the Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner RRP £20.10* too! My skin loves this for how calming and hydrating it is. It’s a gel like texture and contains hyaluronic acid centella asiatica and amino acids so as well as feeling cooling and calming it helps add moisture and strengthen my skin. A simple but hydrating formula – my skin drinks it up and looks plumper after use! There are essential oils in this formula which don’t cause any sensitivity for me but Klairs also have an unscented version without them! Read more about this toner in my K Beauty favourites here!
Lastly, the Glow Recipe PHA + BHA Pore Tight Toner RRP £14. The Glow Recipe products I have tried in the past are really meh to me to be honest and it’s not a brand I get excited about over the latest releases. I have had minis of their watermelon sleep mask, blueberry cleanser and lip pop and I just don’t get the hype but I will say that this toner is the best out of the products I have tried! It contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate, PHA’s and BHA’s to smooth and decongest skin and my skin did feel smooth with use. I don’t like the sickly-sweet scent or the almost greasy consistency of this though and I think there are better options for better prices!
I got sent the new Charlotte Tilbury Glow Toner this week so I’m looking forward to getting that into rotation too but I’d love to know your thoughts on any of these if you have tried them or what your favourite toner is!
See the previous instalments in this series here:
Toners #1 ft. Pixi, Beauty RX and BioEssence
Toners #2 ft Good Molecules, Versed and Ren
Toners #3 ft I’m From, Pyunkang Yul, Klairs and Scientia
*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.
All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.
Danielle xx
If you want to keep up to date with my posts, don’t forget to follow me on
Bloglovin | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
