Balancing oily skin is no easy task, and when it comes to reducing oil people often turn to powder and blotting papers. But a daily skin care routine designed to combat excess oil can go a long way. Adding one of the best toners for oily skin into your routine can actually help your skin produce less oil throughout the day, without drying it out.
Of course, before applying a toner, you’ve got to make sure your face is clean and free of makeup, whether that means using a micellar water or a gentle cleanser, the choice is yours. After cleansing, your toner should be applied before any other product in your routine — including any serums, treatment products, moisturizers, or sunscreen.
Toners may look simple, but great ones are filled with ingredients that help clear out pores, reduce excess oil, provide light hydration, and even gently exfoliate the skin with mild acids. And their light texture also allows them to be easily absorbed by the skin, prepping your skin for the next products in your routine.
Adding another product to your routine might sound like a pain, but these toners for oily skin are well worth the ten seconds it takes to swipe a saturated cotton round across your gorgeous mug.
1An Old-Fashioned Toner With Modern-Day Benefits
Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner, $10, Amazon
Considering the bottle touts origins from 1847, you can rest assured knowing that generations before us have been using this toner to balance their complexions. Thayers tried and true formula incorporates a blend of un-distilled witch hazel, organic aloe vera, and rose petal water to cleanse and condition without stripping your skin of necessary moisture.
2An Antioxidant-Rich Toner That Won't Leave Your Skin Feeling Tight
Paula's Choice Skin-Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner, $20, Amazon
This balancing toner lives up to its promise without leaving skin feeling stripped or taut. The lightweight formula refreshes, hydrates, and balances the skin, courtesy of niacinamide (an amazing oil controller), antioxidants, and plant extracts.
3A Mild Exfoliating Toner That Won't Irritate Sensitive Skin
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Micro-Exfoliating Astringent, $24, Amazon
Favored by dermatologists, the La Roche-Posay brand is known for producing effective skin care products that are suitable for all skin types, including those who are oily and sensitive. Not only does this results-driven toner smooth skin texture and control oil, it also gently exfoliates with an impressive blend of LHA (a common exfoliant for oily skin types), citric, and salicylic acids.
4A Clarifying Toner That Helps Minimize The Appearance Of Pores & Keep Them Clear
Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizer, $60, Amazon
As the word “intensive” suggests, this pore-minimizing toner is more like a treatment product. Not only does it help control excess oil production, but it also works to strengthen the pore walls over time, making it more difficult for dirt and grime to become trapped. Bonus: DMAE and alpha-lipoic acid tone the complexion while salicylic acid sweeps away dead skin cells. This toner is pretty much like a facial in a bottle.
5A Gentle Exfoliating Toner With Aloe & BHA
Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner, $15, Amazon
This gentle exfoliating toner contains BHA, which helps clear out pores and treat acne and blackheads. Snail secretion filtrate serves as a shield against stress, damage and other environmental irritants, and aloe water soothes and cools the skin. Of course, it’s also perfect for sweeping away oil, dirt, and makeup residue.
6An Organic Toner Made With Apple Cider Vinegar
RESTOAR Organic Apple Cider Vinegar Toner, $35, Amazon
Now, before you go into your cupboard to grab the same bottle of apple cider vinegar you use for cooking, let’s get one thing straight. This natural facial toner from Restoar is more than just apple cider vinegar, it also includes hydrating aloe vera, tonifying rose water, and lavender and tea tree to help control oil production and clear pores.
7A Bacteria-Busting Toner That Helps Balance Oil Production
Erno Laszlo Light Controlling Lotion, $55, Amazon
Just because you’re oily doesn’t mean you can’t experience dryness, too. This balancing toner gently exfoliates and reduces surface oil, while anti-inflammatory botanicals like treemoss extract to calm a sensitized and irritated complexion and promote tissue repair.
8A Bubbly Toner That Contains Italian Sparkling Water
MISSHA Super Pore-Kling Toner, $19, Amazon
If you can’t take a trip to the Italian Riviera, at least you can pamper your skin with this toner made with sparkling water from the region. The fine bubbles in this toner actually works to clear out pores, while apple, mint, and lime extracts help control oil and soften the skin.
9A Vitamin-Rich Exfoliating Toner That'll Make Your Skin Glow
PCA Skin Nutrient Facial Toner, $33, Amazon
While some toners for oily skin have short-term benefits, this nourishing toner has a gradual, but amazing, effect over time. It gently exfoliates and provides the skin with nutrients and amino acids, and it helps control oil production. As an added benefit, enzymes derived from pumpkin gently dissolve dead skin cells, making your skin glow.
10A Toning Mist That Hydrates & Purifies
Beauty By Earth Facial Toner, $16, Amazon
This multitasking toning mist also serves as a makeup remover, making it the perfect companion for a busy bee or frequent traveler. The all-natural and organic-based formula cleanses, brightens, and refreshes while leaving your skin's pH balanced.
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