The Secret To Dewy, Gorgeous Skin Is The One Product You Never Use
You’ll literally never guess.
by The Candidly Team
So technically you don’t “need” this piece of skincare in your routine. Truly. In fact, we just wrote about how THIS is all you need to be doing for skincare. And it’s true. Derms say this product is not necessary. It’s not particularly anti-aging, it has no real preventative benefits, and it’s not effective long-term.
And yet, once we started using it each morning on our 40+ year old skin, we will never, ever, ever go back.
Have you guessed it yet?
Yes! It’s toner!
We know, we know. Just the word conjures images of this skin-stripping product that was on every bathroom counter in 1986:
Or Clinique Clarifying Lotion which can strip paint off a car (we’ve tried it. It does). And so now, at 40-something, the idea of a toner doesn’t make sense in our minds. We’re dry! We need moisture! We don’t want anything to strip anymore!
But this is where we needed to realize that our PTSD from toners past were clouding our judgment about what toners can be. And what they can be is nothing short of miraculous on aging, mature skin.
Modern toners can be packed with moisturizing actives, ph balancers, pore decloggers, and leave a gorgeously clean, soft, glowing canvas for foundation.
If you stay away from toners with alcohol, you’ll usually sidestep any of the scarier, stripping ones, OR you can just choose from our favorites below. We ourselves were influenced from someone who had gorgeous, glowing, taught skin (post 65) and she said her secret weapon has always been to use a toner, twice a day, without fail.
So we got on our usual bullshit and tried an ALARMING number of toners in order to find the very best. And we discovered 3, at high, medium, and low price points, that, in our estimation, are the best toners on the market for clear, fresh, skin that is able to suck up moisturizer more effectively and make our makeup look infinitely more smooth.
We got you codes on all of them, but this is NOT a sponsored article. We’re just nice!
And here they are:
1. Furtuna Micellar Cleansing Essence
We, like most beauty-centric publications, are wild about this brand. Everything is made from their sustainable farm in Sicily, and every ingredient is pure, clean, and effective. While this product is technically an essence, it’s sort of a 3-in-1: a micellar water for cleansing, a toner for barrier and ph-balancing, and an essence for a big hit of antioxidants. And nothing has ever left our skin softer. We shout from the rooftops about their LIFE CHANGING OIL, and in fact, just a few drops of the oil patted on after using this toner is truly all you need for the most minimalist skincare routine that will give you your dewiest, glowiest, glass skin. And while this toner is pricier than the others, it lasts for 6 months, and we need only a few drops every day. It’s heavenly, and our skin looks noticeably glowier when we use it.
Use the code CANDIDLY25 to get 25% off.
Price: $30 - $85
2. True botanicals nutrient toner
This has quickly become a cult favorite and for good reason. Incredible for mature but oily or acne-prone skin, and it’s full of bioactives. Derm-approved for all skin types, we love using a few drops in the morning AND evening. They also have an ESSENCE that’s perfect for extra dehydrated mature skin.
Use the code THECANDIDLY18 to get 18% off.
Price: $48
Paula's Choice RESIST Advanced Replenishing Toner
This is a powerful product for cell-turnover, but it will leave even the driest skin plump and juicy with its mix of vitamin E, fatty acids, and evening primrose. The thousands of reviews agree with us.
Use the code CANDIDLY to get 15% off.
Price: $27
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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