The best toners to shop in 2024, reviewed by our beauty experts

The best for most people

Pixi's Glow Tonic is a cult skincare staple that has acquired legions of adoring fans, thanks to its ability to turn on the skin’s glow like a light switch. The 5% glycolic acid formula unglues the bonds that lock dead cells to the surface to smooth the skin and accelerate cell turnover. All this exfoliating goodness is offset by soothing aloe vera to keep skin feeling nice and comfortable. 

All of this together makes makeup application a much smoother task; even the best foundation can cling to uneven skin texture, but after using this my base seemed to sit better on my skin, looking smoother and more natural. From the very first evening my face looked a lot perkier and within a week I was waking up to noticeably brighter, healthier-looking skin. This is a great toner to have in your arsenal when your complexion is looking a little fatigued and dull.  

The best heavy-duty option 

When we say heavy-duty, we mean it. This toner will tackle all of your skincare woes quickly and effectively – however, it probably won't suit sensitive or overly dry, dehydrated skin. Best for those who are blemish-prone, who have stubborn scarring or rough texture that just won't budge, this ridiculously affordable toner from The Ordinary is one of the best.

Glycolic acid is a holy grail ingredient for many skincare fans, particularly those who experience breakouts, due to its ability to help you shed dead skin cells. Many fans of this toner also use it to help prevent ingrown hairs but, on my acne-prone skin, I find that using this toner every other day is plenty to keep breakouts at bay without over-drying. For best results, use your hands to gently pat it into the face and allow it to dry before applying other products.  

It's best to use this toner in the evening and, while using, even more crucial that you apply your best facial sunscreen in the mornings as glycolic acid makes the skin more sensitive to the sun.

The best for fine lines and dark spots

When tackling fine lines and deep-set sun damage, it can feel like no amount of skincare helps to reduce the visible signs of ageing. That is until you stumble across this toner. Ole Henriksen has made a name for itself in the skincare world, largely thanks to a brightening and glow-inducing range of products that always deliver on results – and this toner is no different. 

Part of a PM range designed for a skincare night routine, this product is designed to be used after cleansing in the evening and followed up with the brand's barrier booster essence, which will reveal a lit-from-within glow the next morning. For best results, use a cotton pad to sweep the product across the face and remove any excess dirt or build-up that your cleanser didn't quite tackle. 

This toner has a lemony fresh scent that makes you feel squeaky clean and absorbs super quickly into the skin. You may feel a slight tingling sensation when first applying, but this is common with AHA products. It is also suitable for sensitive skin, so what's not to love?

The best for dry skin

If plant-powered natural skincare is important to you, treat your skin to this iconic tonic, created back in 1995. It has a lovely, soft botanical scent, fragranced with a blend of essential oils that belies the naturally active ingredients in the formula. 

But don't be fooled by the gentle-sounding ingredients. This toner produces tangible, radiance-enhancing results; even after double cleansing, it removed a lot of extra muck on the cotton pad. When the skin feels slightly tight and uncomfortable after cleansing, this tonic cures that – a testament to its pH-balancing credentials – replacing stiffness with a soft and sated feeling. Aloe vera offers instant refreshment and cucumber extract provides a calming, cooling effect. If your regime is already filled with high-powered actives through your serums and creams, this gentle and soothing tonic will be a sympathetic pairing. 

The best for sensitive skin

PHA skincare provides gentler exfoliation to the skin's surface and is ideal for congested, dull and rough complexions. PHAs (polyhydroxy acids) also have humectant properties, meaning they help your skin attract and maintain moisture. So if you're weighing up AHA vs BHA, which can cause some irritation, PHAs could be worth a try instead. They help to enrich the complexion as they slough off dead skin and clear out pores. 

I can certainly speak to its gentle approach. I didn’t experience a hint of tingling or stinging and my skin felt comfortable afterwards, rather than gagging for serum and moisturiser. Of all the toners on this list, this one left my skin with the softest, silkiest feeling and a glow akin to having emerged from a facial. Some reviews say it has visibly helped people get rid of acne scars and, while I don’t have much in the way of scarring, my skin already feels less bumpy and rough.

The best for blemish-prone skin

The worry with astringent toners is that they will be a little too efficient at eliminating excess oil and will leave skin feeling stripped and tight. That is far from the case with La Roche-Posay’s hypoallergenic, minimalistic formula, which was specifically developed with reactive skin in mind. So, yes, it helps to regulate oil production, prevent blemishes and unblock pores, but not at the cost of irritating or drying out the skin. 

It was amazing (and hugely satisfying) to see how much residue came off my face when using this toner after cleansing, and my pores certainly looked less gapingly obvious. With a complexion that errs on the dry side, I may not be the target audience for this toning lotion but my skin felt refreshed, softer and looked more refined – proving that every skin type can benefit from gentle clarifying.

The best for oily skin

This iconic product from Kiehl’s has been loved by customers since 1960, so I had high hopes before even opening this swirly little bottle. Designed to soothe troublesome or oily skin, this alcohol-free and non-comedogenic solution promises to be kind to all skin types. It also claims to reduces visible blotchiness and surface oil, making for an ideal skincare for oily skin formula.

The second this toner hit my skin it immediately felt cooled and refreshed, so much so that it almost felt like I was holding cold metal against my skin. Visibly reducing my post-shower redness within minutes, I really loved using this toner. It also gave me some of the softest skin I have ever – I kept insisting my friends stroke my face to prove it. I’m a huge fan and just know I’ll be using it through the summer months to keep me and my skin refreshed and calm. 

The best for acne-prone skin

I have long been obsessed with this product and would go as far as to say that it’s one of the beauty products that has changed my skin the most. It is an absolute classic with many loyal devotees. This potent formula is one of the most effective spot-busting products I have ever tried and it gets to work what feels like immediately. While I don’t use it as a toner per se (I wouldn't use it every day, or after every cleanse), if you have acne or hormonal spots and your main skincare goal is learning how to get rid of acne, this is the buy I'd recommend. 

Whether you decide to apply it as a toner all over your face or dab it onto problem areas, this is one of the best toner options for blemish-prone skin. The high percentage of salicylic acid and green tea extract work in harmony to help clear skin, maintain hydration levels and balance irritation. I have recommended this product to so many people that I wish I worked on commission, but I won’t ever stop singing its praises.

The best all-rounder

Packed with glow-boosting AHAs and exfoliating BHAs, this toner packs a punch. Gentle enough for everyday use yet totally transformative, this powerful solution works to refine, exfoliate, tighten and smooth the skin's appearance, in addition to brightening. It’s also packaged in an impressive 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottle and is vegan and cruelty-free, too. 

REN is a brand I already love as they have truly respectable values and always manage to produce effective beauty products that are kind to the skin and to our planet. I loved the nail polish remover-style pump dispenser on this toner, which made for a fuss and mess-free application onto the cotton pad and then your skin. I felt the ingredients getting to work immediately, giving a mild tightening feeling to my face, something which is always a sign of a good hard-working product. I applied my normal serums and moisturiser on top and everything layered nicely, so it is very easily incorporated into your daily routine. If you're after a general skin health boost, then this is the best toner for you. 

The best bargain buy

A non-irritating, non-drying face toner that gives you baby-soft skin and doesn’t cost a fortune? Sign us up. Bursting with all the good stuff your skin craves, like soothing oat milk, calming aloe juice, detoxing niacinamide and hydrating hyaluronic acid, this bargain toner does it all. Plus, it’s fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, cruelty-free and vegan, too, so it's a true overachiever in its field. All skin types can benefit from this product – even sensitive skin, which is a real bonus. 

Senior Beauty Editor Rhiannon Derbyshire tried this one: “e.l.f.'s skincare is quite underrated, but they're a brilliant affordable brand, full of hard-working buys," she says. "This is ideal for soothing sensitive skin, which came in handy after I got a bit heavy-handed with a potent AHA. My skin felt comfortable and immediately calmed. This would also work if your skin feels dry or itchy after cleansing.”

The best for setting makeup

The undisputed champion of toners, this Kefir mist is like a spa day, bottled. Quite literally my favourite ever beauty scent, this Elemis toner is honestly unbeatable in my eyes. The refreshing four-in-one formula hydrates, tones, primes and even sets makeup for a healthy and juicy-looking complexion. 

The mist dispenser evenly distributes the toner (there's nothing worse than a soaked face after misting) for a refreshing little pick-me-up for both your skin and mind. I am known to steal literally every bottle of this that lands in the office and even reuse the empty bottle for other toners because the pump is just so good. Quite simply, it's a forever repurchase for me.

The best natural option

Sensitive skin types and those prone to rosacea will adore this brand-new offering from Caudalie. Helping to remove any last traces of makeup and impurities, this seriously soothing formula is so worth investing in. The alcohol-freea nd organic rosewater-based solution is gentle on the skin and works hard to leave it fresh, clear and comfortable post-morning or evening cleanse.

Senior Beauty Editor Rhiannon Derbyshire trialled this one. “I've been known to dismiss 'calming' or gentle toners as being unnecessary, but this really changed my mind," she says. "I tend to stick to exfoliating buys because they feel more useful, so I was surprised by how much I loved this. In seconds my skin felt softer, soothed and prepped for the next step in my skincare routine. It's ideal for those days when my skin feels a little parched, or if I want more of a hydrating buffer before using a retinoid. I'm converted.”

The best for soothing skin

Ideal for the summer when you need instant cooling-down or on holidays for post-sun skin soothing, this facial toner provides immediate relief. Literally packed to the brim with rose, including extracts, rosewater, powder oil and even real-life petals, this is a floral overload in the best way possible. Renowned for being one of the best soothing skincare ingredients, rose is perfect for those with sensitive skin – and this formula really capitalises on that. 

Not only does this smell like heaven, it really works hard, too. The rose ingredients effectively soothe, calm and deeply hydrate skin to help keep your complexion looking its best. It also sits really well under all your favourite skincare products and will help with their absorption and efficacy, too. Since discovering it, I’ve really noticed a difference in how plump my skin looks. If you ask me, it's worth every penny. 

The best for everyday use

I'm a huge fan of BYOMA's skincare, which is reasonably priced and designed to care for the skin barrier. (The stylish packaging is pretty pleasing, too.) The brand's newly-launched toner promises brighter, improved skin texture and tone after just a couple of uses and it really delivered when I used it for a week. My skin looked brighter and clearer without any of the soreness from some of the other exfoliating toners. 

Not only will the included AHAs – lactic and mandelic acid – gently exfoliate to reveal a more radiant complexion, but it also deeply cleans pores, making it a brilliant exfoliating toner for blemish-prone skin. As someone who had a couple of spots while researching this list, I found this true multi-tasking beauty hero. The affordable price is a huge bonus, too. 

The best for combination skin

Despite not having as gentle of a spray as I would have hoped for, I loved everything else about this toner and found it was one of the best for calming and soothing redness. I’m prone to red cheeks post-cleansing and showering, so this little bottle of soothing solution was a welcome treat for my skin. Being ideal for combination skin types, this toner is a great addition to any skincare routine for combination skin.

Infused with extracts of lavender, quillja wood and Sweet Betty flower, it helped to rebalance my inflamed skin and also deeply hydrated and softened it. The relaxing aroma of lavender also meant that when I applied it in the evening before my nighttime beauty regime, it helped calm my mind, body and soul. On the whole, I still prefer Elemis' Kefir mist toner, but this really is one that you just can’t dislike, regardless of the slightly wet spray applicator (my pet peeve).