5 Moisturizing Toners for Dehydrated Skin
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When your skin feels tight, flaky, or just plain parched, it’s a clear sign that it’s in need of serious hydration. Dehydrated skin can affect anyone, regardless of their skin type, and can lead to discomfort and a lackluster complexion.
I personally dealt with this for a long time. My skin always felt tight and uncomfortable, and looked dull and splotchy. But, I had no idea what to do about it, so I just (miserably) accepted it and went about my life.
Fortunately, I eventually discovered moisturizing toners - a game-changing addition to my skincare routine that made all the difference for my dehydrated skin. I’m excited to share a few that I’ve tried here!
In this blog post, I’ll be going over:
So if you’ve been looking for a way to say goodbye to parched skin and hello to a refreshed, glowing complexion, you’ve come to the right place!
How Moisturizing Toners Work
Where traditional toners merely balance pH or remove residual impurities, moisturizing toners are packed with hydrating ingredients designed to soothe and replenish your skin’s moisture levels. In this way, they address concerns that go beyond traditional toning. Below are a couple ways that moisturizing toners work to support the skin:
1. Providing a Hydration Boost: After cleansing, your skin might be stripped of its natural oils. Moisturizing toners quickly replenish this lost moisture, helping to restore a balanced, hydrated feel, often with humectants like hyaluronic acid or glycerin. These ingredients attract and retain moisture in the skin, helping to keep it hydrated and plump.
Many moisturizing toners are also water-based, which helps deliver a high dose of hydration directly to the skin.
2. Skin Barrier Support: Ingredients such as ceramides or fatty acids that may be present in moisturizing toners help to reinforce the skin’s natural barrier. A strong barrier prevents moisture loss and protects against external irritants, enhancing the skin's ability to stay hydrated.
3. Soothing and Calming: They may contain anti-inflammatory components like chamomile, green tea, or calendula, which can soothe and calm irritated skin. This helps reduce redness and discomfort associated with dry, dehydrated skin.
4. Enhanced Absorption: By applying a moisturizing toner, you prepare your skin to better absorb subsequent skincare products like serums and moisturizers. This step ensures that your next products work more effectively.
5. Plumping and Smoothing: Ingredients such as peptides or collagen-boosting compounds in moisturizing toners can improve skin elasticity and smoothness, reducing the appearance of fine lines and making the skin feel more supple.
If you’re not sure where a toner fits into your skincare routine, check out: The Simple Morning Skincare Routine for Beginners
Key Ingredients to Look For in a Moisturizing Toner
While I already alluded to some in the section above, here are some good ingredients to look for to help you pick out a moisturizing toner:
1. Humectants
Hyaluronic Acid: Attracts and retains moisture in the skin, providing deep hydration and plumping effects.
Glycerin: Draws moisture from the environment into the skin and helps maintain skin hydration.
2. Soothing Agents
Aloe Vera: Known for its calming and hydrating properties, it helps soothe irritation and provides moisture.
Chamomile Extract: Has anti-inflammatory properties that calm the skin and reduce redness.
3. Skin Barrier Support
Ceramides: Help to restore and strengthen the skin’s natural barrier, preventing moisture loss and protecting against environmental stressors.
Squalane: A lightweight, non-comedogenic oil that mimics the skin’s natural oils. It helps to hydrate and soften the skin without feeling greasy. Note: Other oils such as Argan oil or Jojoba oil can also provide moisture and nourishment.
4. Vitamins
Vitamin B5 (Panthenol): Hydrates and soothes the skin while enhancing its natural barrier function.
Vitamin E: An antioxidant that protects the skin from oxidative damage and helps to maintain moisture.
5. Antioxidants
Green Tea: Provides antioxidant protection, reduces inflammation, and helps soothe the skin.
Vitamin C: Brightens the skin, evens out skin tone, and provides antioxidant protection.
6. Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients
Centella Asiatica: Known for its healing properties, it helps soothe irritation and support skin repair.
Licorice Extract: Reduces redness and evens out skin tone with its anti-inflammatory properties.
8. Hydrating Botanicals
Cucumber Extract: Provides a cooling effect and helps to hydrate and soothe the skin.
Rose Water: Known for its anti-inflammatory and hydrating properties, as well as its ability to balance the skin’s moisture levels.
When choosing a moisturizing toner, it’s helpful to look for products that either have one of these ingredients as the main component, or have a combination of these ingredients, to effectively hydrate, soothe, and support your skin.
Toner Product Recommendations
This toner consists of low molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid, which means the hydrating ingredient can penetrate deeply into the skin. It also has Allantoin and Panthenol for additional hydration and strengthening of the moisture barrier.
The consistency is slightly thicker than water, but it absorbs just as well, and leaves your skin feeling nice and plump. (Also FWIW, this toner was specifically recommended by a skincare store clerk!)
If you’re looking for a minimalistic, but highly effective toner, this one is for you. Formulated with only seven ingredients, it is great for sensitive skin and feels clean on application. A key ingredient is Astragalus root extract, which provides extreme hydration and leaves your skin feeling plump and moisturized.
The consistency is thicker than water - similar to that of an essence, but it gets absorbed super easily.
This one is a power-house of a toner. Formulated with Centella Asiatica, ceramides, and Hyaluronic Acid, among other goodies, it is well-designed to reinforce the skin barrier and provide intense moisture to the skin.
With the consistency of a watery-essence, this toner leaves you feeling refreshed after every use.
Containing 95% snail mucin concentrate, this toner provides intense hydration, while helping naturally exfoliate, soothe, and even out the appearance and texture of the skin. It also contains Cica for additional skin barrier repair and soothing, as well as Hyaluronic Acid for hydration.
The texture of this was…what is expected of snail mucin. But it did absorb well, and any intial stickiness eventually went away.
I’d be remiss not to mention Thayer’s as it was the very first toner I ever bought, and it served me well.
This is a great toner for skincare newbies as it’s very gentle, hydrating, and affordable. With witch hazel, aloe, and rose water all lending calming, anti-inflammatory, as well as hydrating properties, this toner helps skin feel nourished and healthy, while evening skin tone and texture.
There is a slight rosy smell to it, but I found it pleasant, rather than overwhelming. (And if you are really opposed to the scent, they have an unscented version as well :) )