The Best Toner for Men: 10 Products You Need to Try

Writer and expert5 years ago

What is the best toner for men?

Toners are the kind of multifaceted, difficult to pin down product that a lot of men won't have the patience to test out for themselves. That's fair enough, but with a bit of experimentation we're certain that you'll be able to find a toner that slots seamlessly into your routine, and helps bring your skincare regime up a notch. In this article, we cover how you can make the most of toner and the 10 Best Toners for Men that you should try out for yourself.

Toner: how does it work?

Most women you'll meet will own a toner that they swear by for one good reason: it's perhaps the most effective tool for removing makeup day to day without causing skin irritation. Men, on the other hand, wear makeup much less commonly than women, and if you're not into cosmetics, it's understandable that you might assume toners aren't for you.

However, toner has a number of applications that all men, skincare regime or skin type, can absolutely make use of.

Toner gently removes oil and grease from the skin, helps to unclog the pores, and crucially, encourages the pores to close up as it dries. This has a couple of major advantages for those with oily skin. Using a cleanser, especially one with harsh surfactant agents like those designed for oilier skin types, strips moisture and oil from the skin, which can stimulate the pores to produce more oil.

Using a toner after cleansing will slow the production of oil by closing the pores, keeping your skin fresher for longer.

Toner is the perfect tool for a midday refresh for exactly the same reasons. If you're affected by midday shine from excessively oily skin, you might be tempted to use a cleanser or cleansing wipe to combat it, and while this is a logical choice, it's likely to provoke your skin to produce sebum more rapidly. A toning pad or toner will rapidly and gently cleanse the skin while encouraging your pores to stay closed.

For those with dry skin, it's common for cleansers to irritate and inflame the skin, or even aggravate dryness. Switching to a super gentle cleanser and combining it with a toner is a fantastic way to ensure your pores and skin are deeply cleansed without exacerbating dryness.

How to Use Toner

Toners are best used when slotted into a simple daily skincare routine such as the following:

Cleanse with warm water (60 seconds).
Gently dry your skin with a towel.
Apply a toner with a pad or clean, dry towel.
Allow toner to air dry, after the toner has set dry on your face your pores will be shut, oil production will have slowed down, and your uptake of any moisturising or anti-ageing treatments you apply afterwards will be better.
(Optional) Apply a serum.
Moisturise.
Keep a toner in your desk or gym bag to remove any midday shine.
Apply a small quantity of moisturiser if your skin feels dry or tight after midday use.