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This article contains affiliate links* and PR samples° If you’ve followed me for a while, you will know how much I adore Korean toners! Since I’ve tried so many amazing K-beauty toners lately, I wanted to share 3 toners in particular that I’ve been loving, because I feel you may fall in love with them too.
Korean Toners – My Forever Love
Summer is toner season – well, ok, technically all seasons are toner season really, but I just feel that hot weather demands a nicely hydrating, lightweight toner to get that first hydration kick going right after cleansing. I’ve always adored toners, ever since I started getting into Korean skincare. There is just something so satisfying about those silky textures, the instant plumping and smoothing effect a toner can have on your skin when it’s a really good product.
In truth, if I had to choose between a good toner and a good serum, I’d pick the toner! Layering two or, gasp, even three in one routine is my favourite thing to do when the weather warms up and my skin seems to just drink up any type of hydrating treatment. I know that multi-step routines aren’t trendy anymore, but this 40-something-year old needs her layers, ok? Of course, I’d never claim that you now all need three different toners in your routine, but I’d say if you are severely dehydrated and don’t do well with rich serums and creams, try your luck at layering your favourite toner a few times. Some toners work better as a layering product, mostly the more liquid ones in my experience, but just experiment a bit if you’re in the mood for a change.
I recently did a long video on YouTube introducing some of my favourite Asian toners, but I feel it’s high time to also share three Korean toners in particular here on the blog. These three have really been impressing me lately, and they seem so unique and are not as talked about as some other classics such as, say, the Klairs Supple Preparation Toner (which I do love!). So, let me just introduce you to these three new kids on the block or rather…on my vanity!
1. Korean Toners: 107 Micro Drizzle Hydro Toner
The love I have for this toner is really hard to put into words. And yet, I keep on trying, having already featured this beauty in two of my videos. 107 Cosmetics is a Korean indie brand that uses 7 year aged vinegar in their products as a key ingredient. Slowly fermented, high quality vinegar is seen as a health tonic in Korea and often consumed diluted with water to improve overall vitality and ease of digestion. You can also find vinegar in hair products, especially those targeting the scalp. Here in the West, an apple cider vinegar rinse once in a while is also quite popular as a deep cleaning scalp treatment.
As for what vinegar can do for the skin: Well, it’s best not to put undiluted vinegar onto skin directly, as it would be too highly acidic and damaging for your skin barrier long-term. Used in well-formulated skincare, however, it can actually help improve the skin barrier and have a positive effect on the skin’s microbiome similar to other fermented ingredients and probiotics.
Don’t worry, the 107 Micro Drizzle Hydro Toner doesn’t smell like vinegar! In fact, it is free from any fragrance and also alcohol-free. This is a hydrating toner aimed at dehydrated, sensitive skin. It contains three types of hyaluronic acid, but doesn’t feel sticky or heavy, which is why I love it so much.
In fact, the texture of this toner is so light and sinks into skin so fast that I found it hard to capture a proper texture shot. Even though it has a rather liquid texture, it still feels silkily viscous and hydrates deeply. I would say this is one of the most hydrating toners I’ve ever tried, especially with such a liquid texture.
If you want a toner that is very hydrating without feeling sticky or heavy, then this is a fantastic option! Dry skin will love this as their summer toner, still giving enough nourishment thanks to that combo of hyaluronic acid and glycerin. And for all other skin types, this is lovely all year around, gentle and well-tolerated by most.
You can find the 180ml bottle of 107 Cosmetics Micro Drizzle Hydro Toner at Bemused Korea* for $35! Use code “SP15” to receive an extra 15% discount on your purchase!
2. Korean Toners: Numbuz:in No. 2 Makeup Boosting Toner
Numbuz:in has been steadily rising in popularity these past months in Korea. They consistently rank high on the Olive Young bestseller charts, with their No.3 Skin Softening Serum* and No. 3 Essence Toner* being especially popular. I had seen the No. 2 Makeup Boosting Toner around, and the concept intrigued me: a toner formulated specifically to prep skin for makeup? Fascinating!
The main ingredient used for this watery toner is onsen spring water, replacing regular water somewhat similarly to what many French pharmacy brands do with their thermal spring water skincare lines. Water from hot springs is rich in minerals and nutrients that can help reduce redness, calm inflammation and have a soothing effect on the skin. The No. 2 Makeup Boosting Toner contains 89% “spa water”, as the brand calls it. Apart from the spring water, this also contains 5 types of hyaluronic acid, glycerin, plus brightening niacinamide and licorice root extract. Papaya fruit enzyme extract and salicylic acid are meant to smooth skin and remove dead skin cells, providing the perfect base for makeup.
I can’t say that I notice an exfoliating effect from this toner, and I suspect the amount of peeling you get from it is negligible. What I do notice when using this very light product is how hydrating it feels, and how it really seems to make my skin extra smooth and velvety. I’ve used this a couple of times before doing my makeup for my YouTube videos (in combination with the amazing The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid Serum!), and it really does help to create a great base for my foundation products. Skin just feels nicely hydrated, sleek and a tiny bit glossy-dewy.
The one thing I don’t like about this toner is its fragrance – it really is quite overpowering, sadly. It smells kind of flowery, a bit like an old-fashioned perfume. Definitely not my favourite, which is such a shame because otherwise, this is a wonderful toner with a ton of positive skin benefits and one of the lightest textures you can find.
You can purchase the 200ml Numbuz:in No. 2 Makeup Boosting Toner bottle either at Yesstyle* for currently around $22 or at Jolse* for currently $23.
3 Korean Toners: Troiareuke Seoul Glow Ampoule Toner
I was hesitant to show you this toner because… Well, mostly because it’s quite pricey, and at the moment it’s somewhat difficult to find it at any of the shops selling the brand’s products. But I’ve just been so impressed with it and really wanted to share its unique texture and properties. Troiareuke is a skincare brand attached to a pretty well-known skin clinic in Seoul, and their products do run on the pricier side overall. Especially their Acsen products are well-known in Korea and loved especially by people with sensitive, acne-prone skin.
The Seoul Glow Ampoule Toner is an anti aging toner with a pretty unique concept: it comes with a small ampoule vial that you add to the toner bottle freshly before using it for the first time. It contains a concentrated mix of anti aging ingredients such as peptides, while the toner liquid adds both hydrating and soothing goodness. Basically, this is a toner/ampoule hybrid meant to provide both hydration as well as more concentrated skin benefits.
The ingredient list of this toner is crazy long – Troiareuke really threw in every great skin ingredient known to man it seems, from those lovely peptides that can firm and plump up skin to hydrating humectants to all sorts of antioxidant plant extracts that also act as skin-soother, e.g. sage and centella asiatica.
And then there is that texture! The Troiareuke Seoul Glow Toner comes in one of those pump bottles that produce foam, usually used for cleansing foams rather than toners. It’s maybe a bit gimmicky, but I get enormous pleasure out of having a foamy toner! I feel this makes me use less product overall, the toner really seems to last forever. Now, as for the effect on my skin: ah, it really is such a lovely anti aging toner. This definitely feels more like a “toner+”, something I use almost more as a serum or treatment than just a toner, as it makes such a difference to my skin overall. I can always tell when I’ve used the Glow Toner, with my skin just looking and feeling so much plumper and juicier, especially after using this one for a while now.
Again though, the fragrance is a bit of a negative overall: it doesn’t smell as strongly as the Numbuz:in toner, but I’d still prefer a less intense, flowery scent! Other than that, this is really quite a special product, sadly for a premium price too! You can currently only find the Troiareuke Glow Toner at Yesstyle* for roughly $87. Sometimes, the Amazon Troiareuke store* has sales going, so you may find it cheaper there at some point!
I hope you enjoyed this little love letter to three current favourites when it comes to my beloved Korean toners! All three are really so special and lovely, I’ll definitely continue to use them over the summer.
Let me know in the comments: Have you tried any of these toners yet? What is your favourite Korean toner right now?
Take care guys, and stay safe – don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest K-Beauty and skincare news, and check out my other work, e.g. my review of the Torriden Dive-In Serum! And guys – I have a YouTube channel now, I’d love for you to check it out and subscribe!
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°PR Sample, kindly provided by a brand or shop – I am not obligated to write this blog article, was not paid for the article, and my opinions are entirely my own.
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