Flaky skin, rough texture, incessant itching — if this sounds familiar,  you suffer from dry skin and are in dire need of the best toners for dry skin. Fret not dear readers, you are not alone! Toners are the perfect solution to your skin problem. According to a study, dry skin is a common condition experienced by most people at some point in their lives. It is especially common during the cold, dry winter months, and evidence shows that dry skin becomes more prevalent with age (1).

According to dermatologist Dr. Sravya C. Tipirneni, “Toners have to be incorporated into your skin regime along with retinol and antioxidants,” for the best results and to facilitate hydration and prevent early signs of aging. Inspite of that, in the age of a market cluttered with the latest fad in toners, those with dry skin struggle to find that one product that won’t further dehydrate their delicate skin. Toners aid in balancing the skin's pH and remove excess dirt, oil, makeup, and other impurities and hence are non-negotiable.

Do not worry, you don’t need to rack your brain over it. Lucky for you, we curated the perfect list of the best toner for dry skin, based on our extensive research, that will leave your skin feeling supple and smooth and significantly reduce the risk of irritation.

A toner is a water-based skincare product that is usually applied after cleansing your face and before applying any other skincare products, such as serums or moisturizers. Traditionally, toners were primarily used to remove any remaining traces of dirt, oil, or makeup that may have been left behind after cleansing. However, modern toners have come a long way and now offer a wide range of benefits for your skin.

Restores pH Balance: Our skin has a natural pH level, which is slightly acidic. Cleansers, especially those with a high pH level, can disrupt the same by making it more alkaline. Toners, especially the ones formulated with skin-friendly acids, AHAs and BHA help to restore the skin's natural pH level, making it less susceptible to irritation and potential breakouts.

Removes Impurities: Even after cleansing, there can still be traces of dirt, oil, and makeup left on the skin. Toners act as an extra cleansing step, effectively removing impurities that may have been missed during the initial cleanse. This, in turn, helps to prevent clogged pores and blemishes.

Minimizes Pores: Toners with astringent properties can help to temporarily tighten the skin and reduce the appearance of enlarged pores. By shrinking the size of the pores, toners create a smoother canvas for other skincare products to be absorbed more effectively.

Hydrates and Nourishes: Many toners are formulated with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. These ingredients help to replenish moisture and lock it into the skin, leaving it feeling refreshed and nourished. Hydrated skin is also less prone to fine lines and wrinkles.

Enhances Absorption: The lightweight consistency of toners allows them to penetrate the skin quickly and deeply. By using a toner before applying serums or moisturizers, you can enhance the absorption of these products, ensuring that they deliver maximum benefits to your skin.

Calms and Soothes: Toners that contain soothing ingredients like chamomile or aloe vera can help to calm inflamed or irritated skin. They provide a gentle and refreshing sensation, making them particularly beneficial for those with sensitive skin or conditions like rosacea.

Prepares for Makeup: Applying toner before makeup application can help to create a smooth and even base. It helps to remove excess oil, balance the skin's texture, and provide a natural glow, allowing your makeup to last longer and look more flawless.

When it comes to finding the best hydrating toners for dry skin, there are several excellent options available. These toners can help replenish moisture, nourish the skin, and improve its overall hydration levels. Whether you prefer a toner with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or botanical extracts, there is a product out there to suit your needs. Remember to choose a toner that is specifically formulated for dry skin and free from harsh ingredients that can further strip the skin of its natural oils. Incorporating a hydrating toner into your skincare routine can make a noticeable difference in the appearance and feel of your skin, leaving it refreshed, plump, and radiant.

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  Best Refreshing

  Heritage Store Rosewater Facial Toner with Hyaluronic Acid

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The Heritage Store Rosewater Facial Toner contains hyaluronic acid and sodium PCA whose ultra-hydrating properties refresh and smooth skin, refining pores and minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles along the way. The hydrating toner is alcohol-free toner and guarantees plumper-looking skin and a natural glow. The formula is clean and minimal, specifically tailored for dry skin. It contains natural ingredients like damask roses, vegetable glycerin, and soothing aloe vera, steering clear from toxic skin irritants. An added bonus, it is vegan, cruelty-free, and packaged in eco-friendly, post-consumer resin recycled plastic bottles in order to save the environment.

Active ingredients: Damask roses and hyaluronic acid

Size: 8 Oz

2

Best for Skin Barrier

TonyMoly Wonder Ceramide Mochi Toner

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The ceramides infused in this toner by TonyMoly replenish the skin barrier, hence, dry skin types can benefit greatly! Plush with emollients and humectants such as panthenol, allantoin, and macadamia oil, this product delivers oodles of moisture to the skin. Hence, it looks soft and dewy, not dehydrated and pale like other astringent liquids would make it. Several happy customers have reported that this product supports their skin in harsh climates and miraculously eliminates dry patches. Besides, sensitive, combination, and oily skin types can also benefit from it!

3

Best Hydrating Toner

CeraVe Hydrating Toner for Face

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A pH-balanced toner that gently removes impurities, the CeraVe Hydrating Toner contains a concoction of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide to soften and smooth skin while locking in moisture for a refreshed glow. The moisturizing toner is also alcohol-free, non-astringent, and non-drying thus preventing skin from getting dehydrated or irritated and ensuring a balance. It is one of the best toners for sensitive skin types largely due to the fact that its formula is completely devoid of fragrance, oil and it is also allergy-tested, sensitive skin-tested, and non-comedogenic. Thus under no circumstance will it clog your pores. Icing on the cake? The gentle toner also cleanses excess dirt and controls sebum production along with leftover makeup residue.

Active ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides

Size: 6.8 Fl Oz

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Best Ingredients

Isntree Green Tea Fresh Hydrating Face Toner

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The Isntree Green Tea Toner is a hyaluronic acid toner that is formulated with non-irritating, natural ingredients to ensure all-day and night-long moisturization. The hydrating toner is absorbed deeply through layers of the skin in mere seconds without clogging pores or leaving behind a heavy feeling, while also restoring the skin’s oil balance. It is meticulously crafted with the help of 80% green tea extract that is high in amino acids, minerals, polyphenols, and protein to help relieve skin stress and irritation while revitalizing the skin. The product is dermatologically tested and thus safe to use. Pro tip: soak a cotton pad into the toner and place it on your face. Voila, you have a sheet mask!

Active ingredients: Green tea extract and jeju

Size:  6.17 Fl Oz

5

Best for Night Time Use

Instanatural Refine 7% Glycolic Aha Toner

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With a unique blend of ingredients including AHAs, witch hazel extracts, and vitamin C, this toner ny InstaNatural brightens your skin, reduces the appearance of pores and resurfaces its uneven texture to deliver a smoother, more radiant appearance. The 7% glycolic acid in this toner works to gently exfoliates dead skin cells, dirt and grime, revealing a fresh and rejuvenated complexion. Additionally, the product helps reduce the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation leaving you with a more even and radiant skin tone.

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Best For Daily Use

TruSkin Daily Facial Super Toner

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The TruSkin Daily Facial Super Toner is a breezy, hydrating toner that’s so refreshing it’ll take you back to the beach. It is formulated with ocean minerals to nourish skin along with a plethora of organic ingredients such as aloe vera and true witch hazel extract to freshen and tone skin, and glycolic acid and vitamin C that creates a barrier on the skin to neutralize free radicals and smoothen and soften it. It also holds a dual purpose - the formula is power-packed with peptides for their anti-aging properties and boosts collagen production. 

Active ingredients: Organic aloe, witch hazel extract, glycolic acid, and vitamin C

Size:  4 Fl Oz

7

Best K-Beauty Toner

[I'm From] Rice Toner

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Hydration and an illuminating glow?! Sign us up. The [I'm From] Rice Toner improves the oil and water balance of your skin with its au natural ingredients comprising 77.78 percent of Goami rice extract along with four kinds of vegetable-originated extract complexes. The hydrating toner helps to soothe flaky dead cells by forming a moisture-protective layer and protecting the skin from sun damage. The protective barrier over the skin prevents water and moisture loss and eliminates dead skin cells to provide luster and rebalance dry and tired skin. Pro tip: Shake well before use as the product tends to split into a water and emulsion layer.

Active ingredients: Goami rice extract and niacinamide

Size:  5.07 Fl Oz

8

Best for All Skin Types

sukin ORIGINAL HYDRATING MIST TONER

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This refreshing skincare essential is designed to invigorate your face and neck, leaving you feeling rejuvenated and revitalized. Made with the finest organic key ingredients, this hydrating mist toner is gentle yet effective, perfect for all skin types. Infused with the natural goodness of rosewater, it provides a burst of hydration, helping to replenish and restore your skin's moisture levels. This one of the best hydrating toners from Sukin is more than just a refreshing spray - it's a complete skincare routine in a bottle. With regular use, it helps to refine pores, balance the skin's pH levels, and soothe any redness or irritation.

9

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Calming Toner

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The best toner for dry sensitive skin, the Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Calming Toner not only nourishes dry, flaky skin but also fights the signs of aging and aids in calming redness while infusing skin with antioxidants to minimize the effects of free-radical damage and environmental distress. The formula contains no fragrance, no parabens, and no fluff - only essential ingredients that hydrate and restore smooth skin. It is super light and almost weightless so it does not feel cakey on the skin. Pro tip: Gently stroke over the face, but do not forget the neck! As much as you’d feel like it, do not rinse after applying, given its light weight the action will wash the product off your skin.

Active ingredients: Vitamin E and primrose

Size: 6.4 Fl Oz

10

Best for Sensitive Skin

Eau Thermale Avene Gentle Toning Lotion

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This toner for dry skin is specially formulated by the renowned brand Eau Thermale Avene to gently nourish and retexturize all skin types. It is made with a unique blend of natural ingredients that work together to deliver outstanding results. Infused with the renowned Avene thermal spring water, this toner replenishes and soothes the skin, leaving it feeling refreshed and revitalized. Designed to be gentle on even the most sensitive skin, this toning lotion is free from harsh chemicals and irritants. It helps to remove any remaining impurities and traces of makeup, while tightening the pores for a smoother complexion.

11

Mario Badescu Aloe Vera Toner

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Unless you live under a rock, everyone under the sun has heard about the Mario Badescu Aloe Vera Toner. Famous for its hydrating properties the formula is a proven solution, tested at their lab in New York City. Its ultra-thin texture easily camouflages with the skin while simultaneously nourishing it. The formula contains aloe vera which soothes and rebalances the skin and is completely fragrance and alcohol-free. The hydrating toner takes off sweat, grime, and residual makeup in just one swipe, leaving behind refreshed, clean skin!

Active ingredients: Aloe vera

Size:  8 Fl Oz

12

PCA SKIN Nutrient Face Toner

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The PCA SKIN Nutrient Face Toner refines, brightens, and exfoliates your skin. Its gentle exfoliating properties are tailored to all skin, but especially aging skin as it targets open pores and nourishes the face and skin for a smoother, fuller look. Aside from just keeping skin hydrated, it also diminishes dark spots, and discoloration and significantly reduces the appearance of pores. The formula is completely alcohol-free and curated with pumpkin wine and lactic acid to provide additional nutritional benefits to the skin and gently exfoliate it for a healthy glow.

Active ingredients: Pumpkin wine, lactic acid, and aminoguanidine

Size:  4.4 Oz

13

Dual Purpose Product

Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer

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Another beloved beauty brand across the globe is Laneige. The Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer is a hybrid two-in-one formula that helps soften, hydrate, and seal in the skin's moisture. It is so lightweight that it can be used both as a standalone or under a moisturizer. The formula is enriched with amino acid-rich white tea leaf water to soothe and strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier.

Active ingredients: Ceramides and peptides

Size:  5.7 Fl Oz

Pro tip

Apply after cleansing by generously pouring it onto your hand and patting it gently over the entire face. Reapply extra layers when the skin feels dry.

14

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner

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Compiled with Ecocert-certified hyaluronic acid and vegetable-derived glycerin for comforting hydration that penetrates deep into the skin, the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner is also supplemented by beta-glucan and red ginseng extract that helps heal and rejuvenate the delicate surface of the skin. It also contains fermented oryza rice extract and Scutellaria baicalensis root extract to help facilitate clean and soft skin cell improvement. The hydrating toner is paraben and phthalate free and made of 99 percent original ingredients, making it ideal for all skin types, including sensitive skin. It’s also a Korean beauty product, so you know it is heaps ahead in innovation.

Active ingredients: Beta-glucan, red ginseng extract, fermented oryza rice extract, and Scutellaria baicalensis root extract

Size: 10.1 Fl Oz

15

Paula's Choice-Resist Advanced Replenishing Anti-Aging Toner

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The Paula's Choice-Resist Advanced Replenishing Anti-Aging Toner is a dual-duty formula that offers both hydrating and anti-aging benefits. The toner uses a complex blend of anti-aging and skin-revitalizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid alongside other omega acids and plant oils to nourish and revitalize skin. The best face toner for sensitive skin, it visibly reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and brightens uneven skin tone, while promoting a smooth and even facial texture. The toner is fortified with antioxidant vitamins to protect your face from environmental stress and damage. It also has no fragrance, no parabens, and absolutely no fluff. 

Active ingredients: Vitamins C and E

Size:  4 Oz

Now that you’ve seen our product recommendations for the best toners for dry skin, let us see the following buying guide and steps to use to shop wisely and make the best of the product.

Given their past reputation, many might perceive toners to be drying and irritating on the skin due to most conventional toners containing alcohol and astringent to remove excess oil. However, if your toner is curated specifically for dry skin it will generate a visible difference in the moisture content of your skin and add an extra hydration layer. Now that you’ve gone through our list of the best toners for dry skin, here is how you can pick the best toner tailored to your dry skin type.

PH of the Toner
Anyone with dry skin must seek out a well-rounded toner that is both balanced as well as packed with moisture-enhancing properties that will help soothe and rehydrate skin. Toners facilitate an extra layer of moisture to the skin to further prevent skin from drying out.

No Alcohol in Toners
Steer clear of alcohol-based products as they are extremely drying and draw water out of your skin. Although it is a staple in every skincare routine, unfortunately, most name-brand toners contain harsh ingredients like alcohol which further devoid skin of moisture, irritating it and making the surface susceptible to breakouts. 

Backing up this fact, our contributor Dr. Zeeshan Afzal, MD - Welzo, an online healthcare platform, says, “Toners can be irritating to dry skin due to their high alcohol content or harsh ingredients like certain acids and fragrances. These components can strip away natural oils, exacerbating dryness and irritation.”

Key Ingredients
To cure dry skin you need a combination of active ingredients specifically tailored to cater to the very symptoms of dry skin. These include an intricate combination of emollients or skin softening and smoothing ingredients, occlusives or ingredients that provide a barrier that sits on the skin’s surface to prevent water loss, and humectants or ingredients that bind and hold water onto your skin to enhance retention. When you skim through the ingredients label, you must look out for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, fruit extracts, and glycerine. These hydrating, natural ingredients help prevent the skin from getting dehydrated. When incorporated into a daily routine, these ingredients can also further amplify moisture absorption and hydrate dry skin to improve common dry skin symptoms such as redness, skin flakes, itches, and irregular texture.

Strictly avoid astringents, exfoliants, and products containing alcohol as these strip the skin of moisture, further dehydrating it.

The best part about toners is how quick and effortless it is to use them. 

• After cleansing your skin, simply dab a generous amount onto a cotton pad, and then move in light upwards movements over the skin. 
• Create a thin layer on the face and let it settle.
• Depending on how gentle the formula of the toner is, you can use the same twice a day or more as well. 
• If you want to use it once a day, it is best to do so nightly, post cleanser, and pat the skin dry.
• Please note that while toners add to the hydration, they shouldn’t be relied on as the sole hydrating product. 
• Moisturize once the toner is absorbed to really lock the hydration. 
• Oh and, do not forget the neck!

Contributor: Dr. Zeeshan Afzal, MD, Welzo Medical Officer