What's a Toner, and Why Do You Need One?

We believe skincare should be à la carte. Pick and choose your active ingredients. Apply serums based on your skin’s immediate needs. Create an evening routine for nights when you can indulge in a 30-minute, 8-step routine...and another for the nights when five minutes will just have to do. It’s about doing what you can, when you can—without guilt, stress, or pressure to buy all of the newest skincare elixirs or accessories. 

All that is to say, there is one (very misunderstood) skincare step we insist you incorporate at least once daily. We’re talking toner! And no, not the early 90’s version that felt (and smelled) like a very near and dear cousin to pure rubbing alcohol. We’re talking about a toner that has the ability to hydrate, cleanse, and tone without leaving your skin feeling dry, raw, or stripped of its natural oils. 

So, What Is Toner?

In the past, alcohol-laden toners were highly frowned upon by beauty editors, aestheticians, and dermatologists—considered too astringent for use on our gentle skin barriers. But despite this warning, most of us did exactly what we were advised not to do. We soaked our cotton pads and swiped this drying agent across our faces. Stinging and burning ensued. 

Today, toners have taken on a whole new life, as well as a new spot in the “skincare essential” line-up. Consider a swipe or spritz of toner as a final prep-step for your pores, directly after cleansing (preferably while your skin is still damp) and right before serums and moisturizers.  

Our alcohol-free Witch Hazel Toner is formulated to quickly and effectively penetrate skin, just like water. Efficiently delivering a concentrated combination of botanicals and phytic acid, our toner helps you hydrate, nourish, balance, and reduce the appearance of clogged pores in one step.

Why Do You Need a Toner?

In short, you need a toner to help lock in moisture from your cleansing routine and to enhance the ingredients in the products that follow. The quick absorption of the active ingredients in your toner means you don’t have to keep piling on products that just sit on top of your skin.

When it comes to finding the right toner for you, the goodness is in the details. Our new Witch Hazel Toner has some of the purest hydrating ingredients nature has to offer, to ensure your skin is refreshed from morning to night. 

Rosa Damascena (rose otto) Flower: More than just a gorgeous, fragrant flower, science confirms what we’ve known all along: roses carry an abundance of beautifying and skin-enhancing qualities.

Roses are packed with vitamins A, C, D, and B6, along with essential fatty acids that hydrate, tone, cleanse, and balance. When steamed, rose petals act as a natural antiseptic, perfect for calming temperamental skin. 

Hamamelis Virginiana (witch hazel): Native to North America, witch hazel is extracted from the dried leaves, bark, and twigs of the Hamamelis Virginiana bush. When bound with hydrators like water and aloe vera juice, the tannins (a class of astringent molecules) can help to hydrate, soothe, and cleanse skin.