What Does Toner Do for
your face?

Discover the benefits of adding a toner to your skincare routine

Read Time

3 min

In short:

What Does Toner Do for Your Face?
When to Use Toner
What’s the Difference Between Cleanser and Toner?
How to apply toner
Related Products
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What does toner do for
your face?

Many people see toner as an essential part of their daily skincare routine, but what does toner actually do for your face? What’s in it, when should you use toner, and how does it work? Luckily, NIVEA is in a great position to help you with all of these questions and more, so you can decide what suits your skin best.

What is toner?

In its simplest form, toner is a liquid moisturiser. The watery texture is packed with goodness, making it a bit of a superfood for your skin. Like water, toner contains oxygen and hydrogen (and a lot more), as well as important vitamins, acids (like Salicylic Acid and Niacinamide), antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. When all these ingredients come together, they work wonders to help your skin look its best.

What does toner do?

Even though the name suggests that its main job is to tone your skin, toner can do much more than that. When you use it regularly, toner is great for keeping your skin hydrated, clearing out and tightening pores, rebalancing pH levels, and helping to wash away excess oils. And if your favourite toner has anti-inflammatory qualities, it can also help reduce redness caused by acne or blemishes.

Top benefits of using toner for your face include:

Helps balance your skin after using a cleanser
Adds an extra level of hydration and removes excess oils
Tightens pores
Can help reduce or prevent signs of ageing
Brings in important nutrients and vitamins for healthier, happier skin

When to
use toner

Now that you know what toner does for your face, let’s look at when you should be using it. Toner should usually be the second step in your morning and evening skincare routines, after a cleanser. Together, these two products create the base layer before you do or apply anything else, helping to prep and prime your skin for what’s coming next.

By toning your skin before you exfoliate or apply a treatment, you’re adding extra nourishment and vitamins for longer-lasting results. The following routine is recommended to give your skin everything it needs:

Make sure you remove any makeup before you start cleansing your face
Apply toner
Exfoliate (no more than two to three times per week) and rinse
Apply treatment if you’re using one
Moisturise and leave it to soak in

Do you wash toner off?
There’s no need to rinse toner off your face – rather let it sink in and give your skin time to absorb all its nourishing ingredients.

What's the difference between
Cleanser and Toner?

Sometimes cleanser and toner come as one single product, but if you’re using a separate cleanser, it should be applied before you apply toner. The main difference is that a cleanser starts the cleaning process, opening pores and energising the top layer of skin cells. Toner can then be applied to tighten your pores and remove any dead skin cells.

NIVEA Refreshing Toner is a great all-rounder if you’re trying to figure out which toner will be best for you. It’s designed for cleansing, moisturising, balancing your skin’s pH and invigorating with vitamin E. If you haven’t used toner as part of your skincare routine before, this is a relaxed and easy place to start.

NIVEA Refreshing Toner

How to
apply toner

Toner application is a bit of a hot topic in the cosmetics world, but it really doesn’t need to be complicated. Now that you know toner goes on your face after a cleanser and doesn’t need to be washed away, here’s how you can apply it in a simple, everyday way.

To start your toner ritual, put a few drops on two cotton pads. You can always add a little bit more if needed, but there’s no need to soak them. For best results, lightly dab and gently massage your skin instead of swiping or tugging.

1
Wash your face with a cleanser and remove any makeup

2
Start by dabbing the pads under your chin and gently moving up your face, through the temples and towards your forehead, lightly applying pressure as you go.

3
Move towards the centre of your brows, continuing with light pats and massages down either side of your nose, and outwards under your eyes and along your cheekbones.

4
Be careful not to get too close to your lips or eyelids, as these areas can be more delicate.

5
Continue with a second round on areas where you’re likely to find extra dead skin cells, like common wrinkle areas – either side of the eyes, under the brows, and on the forehead.

6
Give the toner a couple of minutes to soak in and do its job before you move on to the next step in your skincare routine. There’s no need to rinse or wash toner off your face.

Is toner necessary?

Even though toner gives your skin an extra level of love and care, it’s not an absolute must-have. But everyone’s skin is different. If you’d like to tighten your pores, or you’ve noticed that your face becomes quite oily (which is very common, especially for teens going through puberty), adding toner to your routine could be a really rewarding little experiment.

If you often deal with frustrating bouts of acne or breakouts and want some gentle relief, have a look at NIVEA Clear Up Toner. It includes clever ingredients to help keep blemishes at bay, including Niacinamide and Salicylic Acid.

Which toner should I use?

NIVEA offers a range of toners to suit different tastes and skin types. Whether you’d like something with an uplifting scent, like the NIVEA Rose Care 2-in-1 Cleanser & Toner with Organic Rose Water, or you’re looking for a double-action cleanser that combines toner and milk, like the NIVEA 2-in-1 Cleanser & Toner, you’re in the right place.