The Panel

The best toners, tested and rated

Any feelings of warmth towards toners of the past can only be put down to a nostalgia for more innocent times. Korean 12-step skincare routines would have been openly laughed at back then, when we applied alcohol-heavy toners to our skin straight after cleansing and only believed it was effective if we felt the tingle.

Toner went out of favour for many years, partly due to being overly aggressive and sort of pointless.

Our aforementioned Korean friends played a part in toner’s return — however, now renamed as an essence or a tonic, and infused with active ingredients that promise to boost whatever products you layer on top. There are no alcohol-heavy one-size-fits-all iterations, but solutions to suit all skin types. And some tingle, but only in a good way. Time to tone again, 21stCentury style.

Email thepanel@independent.ie