Dr Dray has reviewed at least 30 toners, and her approval rate sits at 57%. That means she rates more than she skips, but she is not easy to please. She has strong views on what a toner should actually do for your skin, and she is direct when one falls short.
What does Dr Dray recommend in toners?
Dr Dray responds well to toners that deliver ingredients your skin genuinely needs. She praised the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner for visibly evening out skin tone and giving a radiant, healthy glow, recommending it especially for anyone looking to improve texture through hydration. The Celimax Dual Barrier Creamy Toner is a product she loves and repurchases herself, calling it a formula that hugs the skin and then sinks in and quenches. She rated the Isntree Ultra Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Toner as great for dry, rough, and bumpy skin. The Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner AHA + BHA caught her eye for its glycolic and salicylic acid combination, which she said works well for blackheads, whiteheads, dry rough skin, and keratosis pilaris. The Skin1004 Hyaluronic Acid Toner Plus Sleeping Pack also won her over. It contains polyglutamic acid, which she said helps with both hydration and skin elasticity. It also has melatonin, which she described as an antioxidant that may help combat oxidative stress and hyperpigmentation.
Dr Dray's toner picks, in her words
"I am not kidding when I say this product really did make a visible difference in the appearance of my skin as far as evening out skin tone and just giving the skin a very radiant, healthy glow. The way to use it is after you cleanse the skin while it's still damp, pat just a little bit of this onto the surface of the skin and then apply a moisturizer on over it. I [...] highly recommend it, especially for those [...] looking to improve overall skin tone and texture through hydration."
"This looks really promising. I have yet to use a Beauty of Joseon product that I did not enjoy to some extent, some more than others, and I often enjoy their toners. This has glycolic acid and salicylic acid, which is a good ingredient combination for blackheads, whiteheads, and cutting down on build up of dry rough skin, [...] as well as keratosis pilaris."
"This is new from e.l.f., the holy hydration line has these thirst burst drops. Guess what, it's a 5% niacinamide serum. That's what we need. Check out this little duo though, you can try the drops plus you get their bronzing drops to pop some color on."
"Hero Cosmetics has a salicylic acid toner 2% with salicylic acid and polyhydroxy acid, AA Lotus water, fragrance-free. This looks promising as an alternative to the [Paula's Choice] one, which can be pricey. I always get that one on sale."
"I really like that Haruharu Wonder milky toner"
"Polyhydroxy acids hydrate and gluconal oxidants of polyhydroxy acid they hydrate and they soften rough and bumpy skin and then Alpha hydroxy acids also soften and exfoliate so this I always like that was a good product"
How many toners has Dr Dray reviewed?
Dr Dray has reviewed 28 toners, for an approval rate of 54%. 15 approved, 6 mixed, and 7 skipped.
What has Dr Dray skipped in toners?
When Dr Dray skips a toner, it is usually for one of two reasons. The formula contains something she considers irritating, or it does not do anything a good moisturizer would not already cover. She skipped the Saturday Skin 4% Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Toner because it contains tea tree and a bunch of essential oils, which she said can be irritating. She skipped the Tear Tier Milk Skin Toner because peppermint leaf extract is a common potential trigger for rosacea. And she skipped the Geek & Gorgeous Liquid Hydration 5% Panthenol and Natural Moisturizing Factors Toner, saying the ingredients it contains are ones you can simply get from a moisturizer.
"It has tea tree in it, which you know from my videos can be irritating, and a bunch of essential oils. Yeah, let's skip this."
"I did not care for the Milk Skin Toner. The peppermint leaf extract can be irritating if you have rosacea. Peppermint's like a common potential trigger for rosacea."
"This is just another thing to put on your skin, everybody's doing it so you feel like you have to, but trust me you don't need rice water toner."
"This hydrating toner has panthenol and urea, but seriously, you don't need this. [...] You can get these ingredients in a moisturizer, and the benefits that this would yield you're going to get just by using a moisturizer. This is not worth your time or effort. It's [...] very watery and this needs improvement."
What should you take from Dr Dray's picks?
Dr Dray's record on toners comes down to one question: does this formula earn its place? She gets behind products that deliver real hydration or well-chosen actives. She does not get behind watery formulas that duplicate what a moisturizer already does. She also skips anything loaded with essential oils or peppermint that could cause irritation. If you are building a routine, her takes point toward toners with a clear job to do.
Watch Dr Dray say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Saturday Skin 4% Glycolic Acid Exfoliating TonerSkipped itWatch at 7:42
- Tear Tier Milk Skin TonerSkipped itWatch at 0:03
- Cocokind Rose Water TonerSkipped itWatch at 9:19
- Geek & Gorgeous Liquid Hydration 5% Panthenol and Natural Moisturizing Factors TonerSkipped itWatch at 11:24
- The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning SolutionSkipped itWatch at 7:10
- e.l.f. Pure Skin TonerSkipped itWatch at 2:05
- The Ordinary Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky TonerSkipped itWatch at 7:19
- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating TonerRated itWatch at 2:49
- Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner AHA + BHARated itWatch at 6:13
- e.l.f. Thirst Burst Pore Perfecting TonerRated itWatch at 1:19
- Hero Cosmetics Salicylic Acid Toner 2%Rated itWatch at 6:13
- Haruharu Wonder Milky TonerRated itWatch at 5:38
- Neutrogena Skin Perfecting 7% AHA and PHA Exfoliating TonerRated itWatch at 12:59
- Aestura Hyaluronic Acid Watery TonerRated itWatch at 7:36
- I'm From Rice TonerRated itWatch at 8:00
- Isntree Green Tea Fresh TonerRated itWatch at 4:52
- ITK Tri-Acid TonerRated itWatch at 6:08
- Peach Slices Acne Exfoliating Toner with Salicylic Acid Acne TreatmentRated itWatch at 8:33
- Peach Slices Snail Rescue Blemish Busting TonerRated itWatch at 12:34
- L'Oreal Revitalift 5% Glycolic Acid Peeling TonerRated itWatch at 0:03
- The INKEY List Polyhydroxy Acid TonerRated itWatch at 5:50
- Goodal Vegan Rice Milk Moisturizing TonerRated itWatch at 1:14
About this expert
See everything Dr Dray has reviewed
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This guide reflects what Dr Dray said across her videos about 28 products in toners, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.