The Best Facial Toner for Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin, you tend to be careful about what goes near your face. That’s understandable, so it’s essential to stick to products that are specially formulated for your easily irritable needs. Apart from using gentle cleansers and nourishing moisturizers, you can also benefit from incorporating the best facial toner for sensitive skin into your daily skincare routine. Whether oily, dry or anywhere in between, we’re sharing how to use toners and why this typically optional step can make a difference to your skin.

Understanding the Best Facial Toner for Sensitive Skin

Facial toners can use a solid rebranding. If you haven’t used one lately, you probably imagine the incredibly drying, alcohol-heavy liquids of days past. For a person with sensitive skin, using one sounds like a pore-disrupting nightmare.

Fortunately, today’s toners have nixed the high alcohol content for gentler water-based formulas and now have balancing ingredients to set your skin up for success. So if you’re looking for the best toner for sensitive dry skin you’re in the right place/

What do toners do anyway? Here’s what you need to know:

• Gently remove leftover grime – This is the primary purpose of using the best facial toner for sensitive skin. Their skincare ingredients will vary based on the targeted skin type. Instead of double cleansing, use a toner after washing to wipe away excess makeup and built-up residues without having to rinse afterward. As a result, your refreshed skin will feel the benefits below.
• Supple hydration – Water, nutrients, and additional hydrating factors will leave you with the softest, cleanest skin.
• Balanced pH – Toners quickly balance the skin’s pH to prevent uncomfortable reactions that your sensitive skin has seen before.
• Prepped for your remaining skincare routine – Cleansed, balanced, and supple skin leaves it ready to receive the best results from subsequent serums and moisturizers.

When To Use a Facial Toner?

So when is the ideal time to use the best facial toner for sensitive skin? It depends. For best results, use a toner after cleansing and before applying serums and moisturizers. Saturate a cotton round with your chosen product and swipe it along your skin where needed.

Since toner is part of the cleansing process, it can also be used by itself to refresh your skin throughout the day. Some may even prefer using toner in place of cleansing during their morning routine if their skin feels relatively fresh upon waking.  

One convenient option is to use a cleanser and toner in one, like Perricone MD’s No: Rinse Micellar Cleansing Treatment. This multi-purpose toner uses micellar water to draw impurities out of the skin, remove makeup (including mascara!), and clear pores. It’s fragrance-free, so sensitive skin of all types can feel calm, clean, and hydrated skin without a faucet in sight. This is an excellent skin-saving option for active individuals who need to cleanse multiple times a day.

If you prefer to keep your cleansing and toning steps separate, here are our picks for the best facial toner for sensitive skin based on skin type.

–  Combination to Oily – PCA Skin’s Smoothing Toner balances oily skin because itcontains lactic acid, a mild alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that keeps your pores clear with gentle exfoliation and offers a surprising moisture boost. It’s excellent for taming acne breakouts and is mindfully formulated with calming plant extracts from calendula, cucumber, sage, and more. This is a great toner for sensitive oily skin. This toner is highly effective, so only use it once a day or when you’re feeling particularly grimy to not overwhelm the skin.

–  Dry to Combination – Hydrated skin equals a healthy skin, so take a multi-layered approach with PCA Skin’s Hydrating Facial Toner. This water-based toner is gentle enough for daily use and supplies soothing hydration with a combination of glycerin and plant extracts. It’s a great hydrating toner for sensitive skin. Botanicals like evening primrose, watermelon, apple, and lentils also offer antioxidant protection from free radical damage. As delicious as that sounds, remember that the best facial toner for sensitive skin thoroughly removes impurities without disturbing your skin’s natural barrier and preps it for the next step.

Complete Your Routine

Now that your skin is toned to perfection, it’s ready for the next steps in your skincare routine. Apply lighter serums before heavier moisturizers, and give each one time to absorb before moving on. If you need guidance on what to use, the options depend on the results you’d like to see.

–  Anti-aging Concerns – Retinol-based serums are incredible at improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for clearer, smoother skin. The downside is that they may irritate sensitive skin, so use a serum that’s made to counter those effects, like SkinMedica’s Retinol 0.5 Complex.

It’s formulated with niacinamide and squalane to nourish skin and calm inflammation. And their unique PhytoShield^TM Complex slowly releases antioxidants to offer further protection. It’s wise to approach retinol serums slowly, but once your skin gets the hang of them, the anti-aging improvements can be dramatic.

–  Uneven Tone and Texture Concerns – Vitamins C and E are the winning pair for even texture and glowing skin, and PCA Skin’s C&E Strength Max has both. These powerful antioxidants brighten dark spots, protect against cellular damage, and improve fine lines and wrinkles. This serum also includes a derivative from the calming chamomile flower, called bisabolol, to soothe any potential irritation.

Finally, finish with a moisturizer that addresses all your sensitive skin needs. PCA Skin’s ReBalance moisturizer is excellent for all types. It’s light enough to balance out your multi-step routine, yet it’s rich enough to deeply moisturize with borage seed and evening primrose seed oils, aloe vera juice, and sodium hyaluronate. Fans of this product love that it absorbs quickly and leaves an elegant finish.

The Final Step

Wait a minute; there’s one last step in having a complete routine that complements the best facial toner for sensitive skin. If the sun’s out, then a broad-spectrum sunscreen needs to be out too. As the last part of your morning skincare regimen, always apply a generous layer to exposed areas. This daytime rule applies no matter the weather or your desire to stay indoors. Your future self will thank you for that daily minimum of SPF 30.

You’ll also be happy when visiting our Beauty Resource Center. There you can get more in-depth about what it takes to create the perfect skincare routine. Think of it as another optional step that’ll make a noticeable difference in your beauty-filled life.