[ENG] Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner: K-Beauty Review

The K-beauty world has been extra excited for this new product launch: The Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner! Today, I will share my thoughts on this essential oil free version of an old fan favourite, the Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner. Find out if the unscented version lives up to the hype and how the two toners compare.

When Klairs announced that they would launch an essential-oil free version of their Supple Preparation Facial Toner, K-beauty lovers with sensitive skin breathed a worldwide sigh of relief. Personally, I don’t mind essential oils in my skin care – in fact, I quite like certain oils such as neroli or lavender – but I know they can trigger quite severe skin reactions such as contact dermatitis in many people. Thus, I was very excited to see that Klairs has listened to customer feedback and created The Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner, with zero essential oils or other added fragrance. I was extra curious to see how the two toners would differ, and so of course I had to sign up for the Wishtrend review event to receive a sample of the new toner version.°

If you listen to my podcast about Korean and Asian skin care, you kinda sorta already got spoiled on whether or not I liked the Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner. Hopefully, it will still be useful for everyone to get a more in-depth review article on how this toner performs, and what exactly the differences are in terms of formula, texture and the effects on my skin compared to the original Klairs toner. So…let’s go – Korean beauty review mode, activated!

Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner – the Basics

The Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner was announced a while ago, and ever since then I’ve been keen to try it out. Now, don’t get me wrong – technically there is no reason for me to yearn for a fragrance-free Klairs toner, since only very high dosages of essential oils or fragrance irritate my otherwise scent-accepting skin. I think the only two products containing essential oils that burned my skin so badly I immediately tossed them out were the Klairs Rich Moist Foaming Cleanser* and the Sanoflore Deodorant* (which apparently everyone except me loves – it gave me horrible contact dermatitis, hmpf).

I never had any problems with the original Klairs toner and in fact adore it for its plumping, super hydrating effect. Nevertheless, I quite liked the idea of an even gentler version of this holy grail toner. Here in Germany, I often have a hard time getting skin care junkies into Korean beauty products, since the German beauty community is currently all about completely fragrance- and alcohol-free products.

Personally, I find this view on skin care far too radical for my taste, but I respect people’s personal choices, and it is great to be able to review more and more products that allow Germans to get into K-beauty! It seems that especially essential oils are starting to get a pretty bad rep in the US as well, so I expect more Korean brands with a heavy stake in the Northern American markets to bring out similar products in the near future.

Anyway, back to the Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner! The list of ingredients is actually pretty much identical to the formulation of the original Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner, with the only difference being the omission of any essential oils.

Here is the full list of ingredients for the Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner:

“Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethyl Sulfone, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Natto Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Chlorphenesin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Panthenol, Arginine, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Beta-Glucan, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Lysine HCL, Proline, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Methionine, Theanine, Copper Tripeptide-1.”

And here, for comparison purposes, the list of ingredients for the original Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner:

“Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethyl Sulfone, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Natto Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Chlorphenesin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Panthenol, Arginine, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Beta-Glucan, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Lysine HCL, Proline, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Methionine, Theanine, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Copper Tripeptide-1.”

I have highlighted the oils that were omitted in the newer, unscented version. All the ingredient goodies from the original version can be found in the fragrance-free toner as well: brightening licorice root extract, ultra hydrating beta glucan, aloe vera extract and hyaluronic acid, soothing centella asiatica and althea rose water, as well as the extra exciting, possibly wrinkle-smoothing copper tripeptide-1 and arginine! Both toner versions are also alcohol-free, which makes them ideal for sensitive and dry skin types. Thanks to an overall very lightweight formula, they both also work fantastically well for oily and acne-prone skin types, though some people do find the original Klairs toner a tad too heavy sometimes.

Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner – How Does It Compare to the Original Formula?

I did not expect the Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner to have as much of a different feel from the original Klairs Facial Toner than it does – who knew that leaving out essential oils would change the overall texture of a product so noticeably! When I first used the Klairs Unscented Toner, I instantly noted the little “air bubbles” in the product – the bottle is transparent, unlike the opaque bottle from the original version – and I was intrigued to realise they basically stay in the formula (I thought that maybe they would settle after the bottle has sat on my makeup vanity for a while).

This sense of “airiness” is something that really distinguishes the Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner from the original version. It just feels so much lighter and less sticky than the original, with a more watery texture. The original toner has a somewhat sticky quality to it, which of course can actually be quite lovely, especially when the skin is very dehydrated. However, I felt that my skin absorbed the Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner far more quickly and fully, with no stickiness or tacky residue left, which is super convenient especially for my morning skin care routine.

Once absorbed, the toner noticeably plumps and hydrates my skin, leaving it much fresher-looking and visibly supple (yes, the product name is indeed fitting). My skin has also been clearing up since I started using the toner, something I remember from when I used the original Klairs toner. I’ve been having problems with breakouts lately, and the Klairs toner seems to really help calm down and clear up these skin impurities. I suspect that the high levels of antiseptic centella asiatica and skin-brightening liquorice root extract are the main reasons for this positive skin benefit!

Now, about the “unscented” part… Just so you know, “unscented” does not mean “scent-free.” I talked about this on the latest The K-Beauty Podcast episode, so do give it a listen to hear my more elaborate description of the scent. Basically, without any fragrant oils to mask the inherent smells of the ingredients in this toner, this does have a scent that I would describe as “chemical research lab meets disinfectant cleaning products.” I’m sorry, Wishtrend, but it is the truth! It truly reminded me of the times that my father – a scientist and researcher – would take us children with him to his research lab and let us play with the glass vials and ice cubes stored there (super thrilling for us kids!). The Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner smells exactly like the hyper clean and disinfected lab I still remember so clearly from my childhood days.

Now, do not be too alarmed by this, please! This rather “chemical” smell does not linger for long, and it really does not bother me much given all the other wonderful benefits this toner has to offer. If you do prefer a pleasantly herbal scent, however, and are fine with essential oils, then I suggest for you to choose the original Klairs Toner.

Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner – the Bottom Line

For me, personally, I have to say that all in all, I have fallen in love with the Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner! And, yes, I do think that I even prefer it to the already pretty stellar Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner, even though I generally don’t mind essential oils.

The reason why, for me, the unscented Klairs toner is an even better product than the original version, is the fact that it sinks into the skin so much faster and without leaving a sticky residue. This toner does seem to leave my skin a tad less dewy because of this (so go for the original if you are after the “glass skin” aesthetic), but in return I feel that my skin drinks up the moisturising ingredients more effectively, leaving it super plump and healthy-looking. What a beautiful, beautiful toner for sensitive skin types! Truly, guys, I am seeing how my face just loves this product, and I am currently using the Supple Preparation Unscented Toner twice daily in my routine due to all the good it does for my skin.

This is a wonderfully-formulated, extra gentle, soothing and extremely hydrating toner that all skin types will love. The main differences to the original Klairs toner are the scent (obviously…), the less sticky, more readily absorbed texture, which in turn seems less viscous and thus also gives less of dewy “glow”, and the – for me – just overall more effectively hydrating formula. I wrote a German review of the original Klairs toner a while ago, so check that out if you want to get an even better sense of how these two compare in terms of texture, look and feel.

If you are interested in purchasing either the original or the newly launched Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner, you can now find them both at Wishtrend,* for the price of 21,99$ each. Amazon US offers both the original Klairs toner* and the unscented version* with Amazon Prime shipping, with the unscented version slightly more expensive. As of now, Amazon Germany only offers the original Klairs toner,* but I’m sure the unscented version will follow soon!

Have you tried out any of the Klairs toners yet? What’s your stance on essential oils and fragrance in skin care?

Take care guys!
Sugarpeaches

°PR Sample, kindly provided by Wishtrend for review purposes
*Affiliate Links, meaning I earn a small commission if you decide to use the link to purchase an item. This does not raise the purchase price for you, and it helps me and my blog to grow – so, thank you for supporting me in this way!