© Norwayblue

Hello and welcome to the second day of skincare favourites week! I hope you’ve enjoyed yesterday’s edition of my top 10 cleansers. It was fun reading about your favourite cleansers and it gives me new ideas on what to try too.

Today, I’d like to share my top 10 toners and lotions with you. I’ve used toners since I was 13 years old when I started using a small bottle of one of Clinique’s Clarifying Lotion that was a hand-me-down from Mum. To be honest, a few years ago, I started questioning the need for a toner and I wasn’t the only one. Beauty bloggers and editors were talking about the “myth” of toners as well. I believe it was then that I started using lotions as well.

Lotions were and still are a Japanese concept. They’re used after cleansing and before serums, which is why a lot of people consider them as toners. Toners were traditionally used to “close pores” and also to remove any remnants of dirt that your cleansers didn’t remove. As far as “close pores” go, pores don’t open nor close (read this article by How Stuff Works) and if the cleanser doesn’t remove all of the dirt on your face, well, you need a better cleanser. Having said that, I do use toners for refreshing the skin and also do a wee bit of exfoliation as I do a gentle swipe of it with a cotton pad.

As for lotions, they’re not meant to do all that. They add what I call extra “hydration and softness” to the skin. You can even soak cotton pads with lotion, place the pads on your face and use them as a mask. You can’t really do that with toner.

I use both a toner and lotion depending on my needs. I don’t use many types or brands of toners and lotions because they often come in large bottles and each one will last me at least 6 months. Some are recent discoveries and some are classic favourites.

Here they are in no particular order.

Estee Lauder Micro Essence Skin Activating Treatment Lotion*
This is the most recent find of all the toners and lotions in the list. This is considered a lotion, not a toner. It doesn’t feel like water but has a slightly viscous consistency. It feels mighty refreshing on the skin (I reckon it’s due to the frosted glass bottle and the cold temperature of winter) and leaves it soft and hydrated after use. You can use this either with a cotton pad or just pat it directly on the skin. I use mine with a cotton pad. I don’t normally give lotions a high position so early on during the trial period but there’s just something about the product that I really like.

Estee Lauder Nutritious Radiant Vitality Energy Lotion Intense Moist*
Between you and me, I find that Estee Lauder does one of the best toners and lotions out in the market, which is why another lotion from the brand made it into my top 10 list. This is even more syrupy in consistency compared to the Micro Essence lotion. As it’s slightly heavier than most of their lotions, I reckon this is targeted towards people with dry skin. I love how this one feels on my skin. It infuses it with moisture and I must say, it smells really, REALLY good. Even though it’s pricey, this lasted me at least 7 months with twice-a-day use.

Diorsnow White Reveal Moisturising Lotion*
Even though this is considered as a lotion like Estee Lauder’s, this is very watery and smells quite sweet. I use the #1 Fresh version as a toner. I used this in the autumn months and I really do like it. It gives my skin a boost in the morning prior to my skincare regime. I didn’t think I’d like the fragrance (Diorsnow products are usually heavily fragranced) but somehow, I like this one.

Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner
As far as toners go, this one’s pretty darn good. If I’d to use the toner purely to remove any remnants of dirt on my face after cleansing, then this does a great job. One swipe of the skin with this sprayed on a cotton pad and you’ll see dark bits on the pad. Of course, this also means that I need a better cleanser but hey, we’re talking about how well the toner works, right? 😉 It’s gentle on the skin too. Can’t go wrong with Dermalogica, really.

Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion
I don’t like most of the toners Clinique has because most of them contain alcohol. While I do have combination skin, I don’t need such an astringent lotion on my skin, especially not after I’ve entered my 30s. I wouldn’t recommend most clarifying lotions by Clinique to people either. Having said that, I have used, enjoyed and will recommend just one toner from the brand and that’s the Mild Clarifying Lotion because this is the only one that is alcohol-free. When I discovered this in my mid 20s, I questioned myself for not getting it sooner and only sticking to the other harsher toners. This one is, as the name suggests, mild and doesn’t irritate my skin at all. If you’d like to try toners from Clinique, give the rest a miss and get this one instead. I used this for about 3 years (repurchased a few too) before moving on to other brands.

Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturising Lotion
This was the very first Japanese lotion I tried. This was very popular a few years ago (in fact, in Japan, it still is selling very well in drugstores). It has a thick syrup-y consistency and instead of using this on a cotton pad, you pat this on your face. I really like it especially in the cooler months as it adds extra hydration and moisture to the skin prior to serums. If you’re looking for an affordable drugstore-alternative lotion, I highly recommend this. (review here)

Jurlique Lavender Hydrating Mist
Some don’t consider this as a toner but simply a facial mist. I consider them as both. In summer when it’s stinking hot and my skin flares up for no good reasons, I love using this on my skin to calm it down before using a mild serum. I don’t spray this on a cotton pad; I simply mist it directly at my face and then gently pat the “juice” in. It calms my skin right down. Plus it smells very relaxing, which is even better at night before bed.

Bioderma Sensibio H20
What? Use a makeup remover as a toner? See, the Sensibio H20 isn’t just a makeup remover. The micellar water can also be used as a toner. It can be used to refresh the skin and to remove any impurities the cleanser missed (again, shitty cleanser). I’ve used this as a toner before and it works just as well as other toners. It’s a great multitasking product especially if you’re not keen on buying another product to add to your skincare routine. (review here)

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence
Out of all that’s mentioned in this list, this is my #1. I use this as a lotion. It’s recommended that you soak a cotton pad with the Facial Treatment Essence and then pat it on the skin. I don’t do that mainly because this product costs a bomb. Soak an entire cotton pad? What am I, made of money? I pour a small amount of this onto my palm and I gently pat this on my skin. It gives a great boost of hydration and makes my skin soft and smooth. It’s funny how much I love it now because when I first tried it out years ago, it didn’t do much for me. Heck, even the Hada Labo one worked better! But now, I see the difference and it’s a firm staple in my skincare routine. (review here)

Clarins Daily Energiser Wake-Up Booster
I first stumbled upon this years ago and have repurchased a number of bottles of this ever since. It’s great to use in the mornings as a pick-me-up and if you love citrus scents as much as I do, you will love this. Frankly speaking, it doesn’t do all that much for the skin other than a good boost in the morning but hey, I can overlook that tiny snag for the oh-so-delicious scent. 😛 (review here)

I’m sure that there are very good toners and lotions out there waiting to be discovered but for now, these are my favourites. As the skincare routine goes further, you’ll start to notice that they’re going to get slightly more expensive. I don’t spend a lot of money on makeup (well, not really. Relatively speaking. 😛 ) but I do splurge on skincare whenever I can. A good canvas is better to work on than just relying on heaps of makeup.

What’s your favourite toner and/or lotion? Do you use both or just one? Do you think it’s a necessary step in your skincare routine?

Disclaimer: Products marked with * were provided for editorial consideration.

Catch up on Skincare Favourites Week!

• My Top 10 Cleansers
• My Top 10 Toners and Lotions
• My Top 10 Serums
• My Top 10 Moisturisers
• My Top 10 Eye Creams
• My Top 10 Exfoliators
• My Top 10 Facial Masks

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