Toner vs Cleanser: What’s the Difference & Should You Use Both?

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What’s the difference between toner vs cleanser?! Should you be using both in your skincare routine…. find out below!

Creating the perfect skincare routine is easier said than done.

With so many different types of skincare products today, it can be difficult to know which skincare steps you should use for your skin… and why.

Toning and cleansing the skin are two common skincare steps.

Although toners and cleansers play similar roles in your skincare routine, it’s important to understand that toners and cleansers are two different skincare products!

But, what’s the difference between toners vs cleansers, and should you be using one (or both!)?

Read on to discover the similarities and differences between toners and cleansers, should you use toner or face wash first, and so much more!

Best Facial Toner Recommendation

Thayers Alcohol-Free Hydrating Rose Petal Witch Hazel Facial Toner

Best Facial Cleanser Recommendation

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

What is Toner?

A facial toner removes excess dirt, grime, and other impurities that may still be stuck in your pores after washing your face.

Think of toning as a double-duty way to ensure your skin is nice and clean before continuing on your skincare routine.

Toner not only ensures your face is clean, but it can also help restore your skin’s pH levels, smooth your skin, and overall improve your skin tone.

The great thing about toner too is that it’s a lot more user-friendly than cleansing.

All you need is to dab some toner on a cotton round, swipe it across your face, and you’re good to go!

Everyone can benefit from using facial toner. So, whether you have acne-prone skin and are looking to prevent nasty breakouts, or you’re trying to manage your oily skin, there’s a toner for anyone.

Different Types of Toners

Today, there are several different types of toners out there! Depending on your unique skin type and needs will determine which toner may be right for you!

There are several different types of toners, including:

Hydrating Toners

Hydrating toners help tone + moisturize the skin. Plus, it helps lock in moisture after cleaning.

Some toners, especially more traditional toners that are alcohol-based, are very drying and sometimes even irritating to the skin.

Hydrating toners don’t contain these drying ingredients, thus are a great medium if you’re worried about drying out your skin.

The Fresh Rose Deep Hydration facial toner is a gentle toner that hydrates your skin without stripping your skin for a boost of hydration.

This toner contains tons of skin-loving + hydrating ingredients like rosewater and angelic leaf extract to leave your skin feeling super soothed + nourished.

Exfoliating Toners

Exfoliating toners, as the name suggests, work to both exfoliate + tone the skin.

Therefore, exfoliating toners are great if you’re looking to slough away dead skin cells and reveal smoother glowing skin.

However, use exfoliating toners 1-2 times a week, as they otherwise are very irritating to the skin if you overuse them.

The Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner is a great exfoliating toner with thousands of 5-star reviews on Amazon.

This toner is especially great for dry and combination skin types.

It contains exfoliating glycolic acid to gently exfoliate away dead skin cells while delivering rejuvenating grapefruit extract + aloe vera to soothe, hydrate, and nourish the skin.

Traditional Toners

Sometimes, toners get a bad wrap for being too drying on the skin, or too irritating.

This typically refers to traditional toners, or toners that contain excess alcohol used to deeply cleanse and dry out the skin.

While traditional toners can be drying, this doesn’t mean you should necessarily shy away from using them…. just be cautious as these traditional, alcohol-based toners can still do wonders to wipe away excess dirt, oil, and debris on your skin.

The Thayers Alcohol-Free Hydrating Rose Petal Witch Hazel Facial toner is one of the most popular toners around.

With over 100,000+ 5-star reviews on Amazon (yep. crazy!) and priced around 10 bucks, what’s not to love?

This toner helps gently clean, hydrate, and balance your skin’s pH while reducing the appearance of pores so your skin looks and feels its best.

Benefits of Toners

Toners work wonders to cleanse your skin to look and feel its best. Below are some of the many benefits of toners:

• Removes traces of dirt, oil, makeup, and other impurities.
• Balances your skin’s pH.
• Can help boost your skin’s hydration.
• Can help exfoliate and remove dead skin cells.
• Soothes + refreshes the skin.

How to Use Toner?

So, now that you know what toner does, how does toner work?

Using a toner is fairly straightforward. All you need is cotton rounds + your toner of choice.

With your toner, you’ll damp some of the product onto your cotton round and then gently wipe around your face.

Depending on the toner you select and your skin type, you likely won’t benefit from using it daily.

Otherwise, you risk drying out your skin + irritating your skin.

Therefore, a general rule of thumb is to use toner a couple of times per week, making sure it doesn’t irritate or dry out your skin!

What is Cleanser?

A cleanser’s (or face wash’s) primary purpose is to clean your skin.

Your skin is exposed to a lot on a daily basis. Cleansers work to remove any dirt, makeup, and other impurities on the skin.

Your cleanser both removes impurities + helps unclog your pores so your skin is clean and clear.

Unlike toners that can be very drying typically on the skin and act almost as a double cleanser product, you can use face washes on a daily basis without fear of skin irritation or drying your skin out.

So, think of a cleanser as your first line of defense to clean your skin. Plus, cleansers are meant to be used twice a day (AM and PM) on a daily basis.

Different Types of Cleansers

Just like toners, there are several different types of cleansers. Depending on your skin type and unique needs will determine which cleanser may be right for you.

Foaming Facial Cleanser

A foaming facial cleanser creates a lather when mixed with water. The foaming cleanser goes deep into the pores to remove impurities on the skin.

Foaming cleansers are typically very gentle on the skin, thus especially great for more sensitive skin types.

The Neutrogena fresh foaming facial cleanser and makeup remover is priced under 20 bucks and has thousands of 5-star reviews on Amazon.

This foaming cleanser removes dirt, oil, and makeup gently from the skin.

It also contains glycerin and is oil, soap, and alcohol-free.

Gel Facial Cleanser

A gel facial cleanser also removes impurities and unclogs your pores. Typically, gel facial cleansers work really well with more oily skin, especially if you struggle with really oily skin during the summertime.

The Honest Beauty Gentle Gel Cleanser works great for all skin types at removing impurities on your skin.

This product contains chamomile and calendula extracts to cleanse and refresh your skin to look and feel its best.

Lotion/ Cream Facial Cleansers

A lotion-like or cream facial cleanser has a thicker cream or lotion consistency and helps to cleanse the skin while leaving the skin soft, smooth, and refreshed.

The CeraVe Hydrating facial cleanser is a non-foaming, lotion-like cleanser that gently cleanses the skin.

It contains key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerin to moisturize the face and not dry out the skin as you wash your face.

This cleanser is especially great for normal to dry skin types.

Benefits of Cleansers

Cleansers are essential for any skincare routine to remove impurities. There are several benefits to using a cleanser consistently in your skincare routine, like:

• Remove dirt, oil, makeup, and other impurities.
• Keeps your skin hydrated + refreshed.
• Helps achieve more glowing skin.
• Helps you achieve a healthier and smoother complexion.

How to Use Cleanser?

Cleansers are pretty straightforward to use. First, wet your face with warm water.

Apply your cleanser throughout your face and wait for at least 30 seconds for the cleanser to absorb into your skin.

Then, wash off your cleanser and dry your face.

What is the Difference Between Toner Vs Cleanser?

Although toners and cleansers share some similarities, like cleaning your face, there are also many differences between toner vs cleanser.

The main difference between toner vs cleanser is their purpose.

A cleanser’s primary purpose is to clean your face and acts as the first line of defense to remove any impurities on your skin.

Meanwhile, toners are almost double cleansing and remove any excess traces of impurities still left on your skin.

Toners also have a variety of other purposes such as balancing your skin’s pH. Plus, there are also some treatment-specific toners that work to specifically address certain skin issues.

For example, there are anti-aging toners that help minimize signs of aging.

Should I Use Both Toner and Cleanser?

Short answer: it depends! While cleansers are ESSENTIAL for any skincare routine, toners are optional but can be a good addition to your skincare routine.

Depending on your skin type and skin issues, you may benefit from using a toner after you use your cleanser.

This is especially true if you tend to struggle with acne breakouts and find you have difficulty completely removing impurities from your skin after washing your face.

If you do decide to use both a toner and cleanser, it’s important to use a cleanser FIRST, followed by your toner.

Should I Use Toner or Cleanser First?

If you decide to use both a cleanser and a toner in your skincare routine, you should always use your cleanser FIRST, followed by a toner.

This is because a cleanser’s purpose is to cleanse the skin, while a toner in a way is meant to remove any traces of leftover impurities on the skin. Plus, help balance your skin’s pH, moisturize the skin, and more.

Final Thoughts: Toner vs Cleanser 

All in all, while there are some similarities between toner and cleanser, there are also several differences between toner vs cleanser.

While cleansers are essential for any skincare routine, using a toner after cleansing can be a great way to ensure your face is extra clean, nourished, and hydrated.

FAQs

Can I use a toner instead of a cleanser?

While a toner helps clean the face like a cleanser, a toner should not replace a cleanser.

A cleanser’s primary purpose is to clean the skin. While a toner also cleans the skin, it also does a variety of other things.

In other words, don’t go replacing your cleanser with a toner.

Do you use a toner before cleanser?

No! It’s important to use a cleanser FIRST, followed by your toner.

Is it okay to use toner everyday?

It depends on your skin type and your specific skin issues. Depending on your toner, some toners can be very drying and irritating.

Therefore, consider using your toner 1-2 times a week to start and see how your skin reacts.

If your skin becomes irritated/dried out, stop using your toner.

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