Wish to pamper your skin and take good care of it? Cleansing, toning, and moisturizing — three vital skincare steps of the Japanese regime that you should follow for attaining healthy, supple, and radiant skin. All you need are some top-notch cleansers, the best Japanese toners, and high-grade moisturizers in hand. Cleansers and moisturizers are fine but finding an accurate toner for your skin type is no less than a daunting task. 

Fret not! We are here to help you pick highly effective toners that will take you a step forward toward achieving your dream skin. Before you kickstart your shopping haul, here is what you need to know.

In Japan, toners are designed to moisturize, nourish, and hydrate your skin and are also known as lotions. They are versatile and used as a multi-purpose product combining essence and moisturizer to improve the quality of your skin from within and prepping it up to receive better the serums and moisturizers that follow in the succeeding moisturization steps. Furthermore, there are also a few specially crafted toners enriched with natural and organic ingredients like rice bran, green tea, sake, and seaweed to soothe your skin. 

Japanese toners are one of the high-quality skincare products that have managed to gain an immense amount of love due to their preventative approach. Well, toners are necessary to pamper your skin and quench its thirst. According to Dr. Anna Chacon, a certified dermatologist, “Toners help balance skin pH, tighten pores, and remove any remaining dirt or makeup after cleansing.”

So, without further ado, come along and explore some of the best toners. 

Prep up to indulge in the most effective and best Japanese skincare for acne-prone, sensitive, normal, combination, and dry skin. We have got them all at your fingertips!

• 1
  Best Overall

  Hadalabo Gokujun Premium Hyaluronic Solution

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This fantastic toner from Hadalabo Gokujun’s is a premium lotion-like toner that is loaded with five types of hyaluronic acid. It provides deep and long-lasting hydration and amplifies your skin texture. What makes it earn more than three thousand ratings on Amazon is the fact that it works on different layers of the skin for better moisture retention. Talking about its impeccable texture, it is thick and beneficial for those with extremely dehydrated skin. Based on our extensive research, we find it to be one of the best Japanese toners for its splendid formulation and effective results.

Key ingredients: Hyaluronic and Lactic acids

Suitable Skin Type: Combination

2

Editor’s Pick

Obagi Nu-Derm Toner

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Know for its soothing and skin-nourishing properties, Obagi’s Nu-Derm Toner leaves no stone unturned in helping you achieve the healthy skin of your dreams. What makes this toner so distinctive is its pH-balancing formula that lays a blanket over fine lines, dark spots, as well as acne scars. Secondly, it also sweeps away dust, dead skin cell, and dirt, and prepares your skin for further skin care steps. What’s more? This Japanese facial toner is the go-to solution to take good care of your aging skin. 

Key ingredients: Witch hazel and aloe vera 

Suitable Skin Type: All skin types

Quick Tip:

Use this toner twice daily, once in the morning and then again at night, for better and more effective results.

3

Best for Sensitive Skin

Curel Moisture Facial Lotion Enrich

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Bid adieu to dry and dehydrated skin with Curel’s hydrating pre-moisturizing liquid. It is a failproof toner in the form of a lotion that calms your irritated skin and locks in desirable moisture. Moreover, this Japanese skin lotion makes your skin more receptive to the creams and moisturizers that you plan to apply next. With a pH-balancing lightweight formula, it also tightens your skin and shrinks enlarged pores. Last but not least, this toner is also of great help to take off applied makeup! 

Key ingredients: Ceramides

Suitable Skin Type: Dry and sensitive skin

Quick Tip:

After cleansing your face, pour a little quantity into the palm of your hand and smooth over your face and neck before applying a moisturizer.

4

Best for Everyday Use

Onsen Secret Clean & Clear Face Toner

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While looking for the best Japanese toner for oily skin, we bumped into this one from Onsen Secret. It is an astounding toner power-packed with healing minerals from Japanese hot springs that are blended with vitamins C and E. In addition, its non-drying and refreshing formula eliminates excessive sebum and maintains the natural pH level of your skin. What left us impressed is the fact that this Japanese skin care product shrinks pores and tightens your skin leaving it more healthy and radiant. 

Key ingredients: Green tea, aloe vera, witch hazel, peptides complex, hyaluronic acid, Japanese green tea

Suitable Skin Type: Oily, sensitive, dry, and normal

5

Best for All Skin Types

DHC Mild Lotion Natural Facial Toner

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DHC Mild Lotion Natural Facial Toner is made in Japan and loved worldwide for a couple of reasons. Firstly, this Japanese lotion toner is an astounding skincare product designed for sensitive skin. It prepares the skin to receive the maximum benefits from your moisturizer. What left us impressed is its humectant-rich soothing key ingredients that calm and soothe irritated skin like magic. 

Key ingredients: Cucumber juice extract, glycerin, and licorice 

Suitable Skin Type: All skin types

6

Most Cost-effective

MUJI Light Toning Water

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Lastly, we recommend Muji’s toning water that gets absorbed into the skin seamlessly. Its splendid non-greasy and lightweight formula works towards moisturizing your skin deeply. What’s the best part? It is completely devoid of harsh chemicals and synthetic ingredients and is also colorant-free. One of the Amazon reviewers says, “Since I've been using this toner, my skin has not felt dry a single day, even when going outside in cold and windy weather.” So, wait no longer and splurge on this potion right away!

Key ingredients: Soft alkaline water 

Suitable Skin Type: Sensitive

That was our comprehensive list of the best Japanese toners. Now, let us run you through a detailed buying guide.

Here are a few aspects that you should consider before splurging on the best Japanese toner - 

Skin Type: Make sure you analyze your skin type before getting your hands on any toner. For those who are dealing with combination and acne-prone skin, pick the one that has the ability to soothe your skin and shrink pores just like Onsen Secret Clean & Clear Face Toner. For those with sensitive or inflamed skin, splurge on toners that are gentle and mild like MUJI Light Toning Water. Do not invest in the one that is not meant for your skin type. 

Ingredients: The next important aspect to consider is the list of ingredients. Ensure that you snag toners that are loaded with the goodness of organic and natural ingredients such as Green tea, aloe vera, witch hazel, Japanese green tea, etc. In addition, pick those which has a good amount of peptides complex, hyaluronic acid, and lactic acid. If you ask us, Onsen Secret Clean & Clear Face Toner is a good choice as it has a mix of both. Secondly, avoid toners that contain alcohol, and harsh and synthetic ingredients like parabens, gluten, silicone, etc. 

Formula: Now, let’s talk about the formula! Pick toners that possess a lightweight, non-sticky, and non-greasy formula. In addition, invest in those that are vegan, cruelty-free, and non-comedogenic. If you are sensitive to fragrances, then think of fragrant-free or unscented toners like Curel Moisture Facial Lotion Enrich.

After taking note of the above-mentioned aspects, get to know a few application tips and techniques of applying one.

Below are a few ways to apply the toner accurately - 

Step 1: Remove your applied makeup (if any). 

Step 2: Cleanse your face thoroughly with the help of a face wash or cleanser. 

Step 3: Rinse it with warm water and damp your face with a microfiber towel.

Step 4: Pour a sufficient amount of toner on your palm or a cotton pad. You may also use a cotton ball.  Our contributor Dr. Chacon says, “Apply the toner with a cotton pad or your fingertips, starting from the center of your face and moving outward. Avoid the eye area.”

Step 5: Gently apply it on your face. Do not rub. Let it dry naturally. 

Step 6: Follow it with a serum and then moisturizer. 

Tada, you are done!

Contributor: Dr. Anna Chacon, Dermatologist - MyPsoriasisTeam