Toner and astringent: at first blush, they seem nearly identical. But there are key differences, and one will work better for you over the other, depending on your skin type.

What separates a toner from an astringent? Why should you choose one product over the other?

What Is Toner?

Toner is a water-based skin care product. It’s mainly used to remove makeup and cleanser residue that may be left behind on your skin after washing your face.

Glycerin and other humectants are typically prime ingredients in toners. They can help hydrate the skin and leave it feeling softer and smoother.

Toners are also likely to contain things like herbal extracts and floral waters, antioxidants, and anti-aging ingredients like niacinamide. These cosmeceutical ingredients can help improve skin texture, brighten complexion, and even out skin tone.

What Is Astringent?

Astringents are water-based skin care products that are used after washing to remove leftover makeup and cleanser. The chief difference between an astringent and a cleanser is that astringents are also formulated to remove excess oil from the skin.

Toners can be used by all skin types, but are especially good for normal to dry skin or skin that is sensitive.

You can think of astringent as a stronger form of a toner. Astringents are more likely to contain a higher concentration of alcohol (like SD alcohol or denatured alcohol) than toners. They also often contain ingredients like salicylic acid to help fight pimples and blackheads.

Alcohol can be over-drying and may irritate the skin, and many skin care professionals suggest avoiding it.

Not all astringents contain alcohol, though, and toners without it can still reduce excess oil on the surface of the skin while providing exfoliant benefits as well—look for ingredients like alpha and beta hydroxy acids, or glycolic, lactic, and malic acids.

How Toners and Astringents Are Used

Toners and astringents are used after cleansing and before moisturizing. Dampen a cotton ball or cotton pad with the product and gently apply over the entire face and neck area (keep away from the eyes, though). Some toners come in spritz bottles, in which case just lightly mist your face.

Astringents are meant to cleanse excess oil from the skin, and they are best for combination to oily skin types, as well as skin that is prone to acne.

Toners and astringents are leave-on products, so you won’t wash them off. After toning/astringent, apply moisturizer and any other skin care products you have (acne treatment medications, anti-aging serums, eye creams, sunscreen and the like).

It’s best to apply moisturizer immediately, even if your face is slightly damp from your toner or astringent—doing so will help seal in moisture. For other products, though, especially acne treatments, topical retinoids, and sunscreen, your skin should be completely dry. Applying these on damp skin can cause possible irritation, or make them less effective.

Are Toners and Astringents Necessary?

Beauty pros have advocated a “cleanse, tone, moisturize” skincare routine for so long we rarely think to question it. So it may surprise you to hear that the efficacy of toners and astringents has never been proven.

These skincare products were created years ago when facial cleansing options were essentially limited to basic bar soap or cold cream. Either of these left a film on the skin that you could feel. Astringents were devised to remove the residue left behind by facial cleansers.

Your cleansing options today are so much better that you don’t generally need an additional skincare product solely for the purpose of removing cleansing residue.

While some estheticians say a toning product is an important part of a healthy skincare routine, not all agree.

Toners/Astringents and Skin pH

Cleansing products in the past were very alkaline. Healthy skin is naturally slightly acidic. Toning and astringent products were also used to help bring the skin’s pH back to normal levels.

Toners and astringents are not essential skincare products. It sounds like skincare blasphemy, but scientifically there is nothing that necessitates the use of either toner or astringent. So, if you’d rather not use one, that’s perfectly OK. You will not cause your skin any harm by not using one.

The cleansing bars and washes we have today are much less alkaline than they used to be. Plus, we’ve learned more about how the skin functions. Cleansing products do not disrupt the skin’s pH as much as we previously thought. Your skin also balances its own pH rather quickly, too. So even if you use a slightly alkaline cleanser, your skin will bring its pH back to normal on its own—no separate pH-balancer needed.

Many toning and astringent products still advertise as being “pH balanced,” but today this is more a marketing term than an actual benefit for your skin. That’s not to say that skin’s pH isn’t important; it is. But the importance of toners and astringents in maintaining a healthy pH is overstated.

Toners/Astringents and Your Pores

But doesn’t toning close your pores? Not really. The skin’s pores are not like doors; they don’t open and close.

Astringent and toners can help the pores look smaller. Certain ingredients can cause a temporary tightening effect on the skin, drawing the pores taut, although they aren’t changing the pore size at all.

Trapped plugs of dead skin and oil within the pores stretch them out, also making them more obvious. Astringents that contain blemish-fighting ingredients clear out these plugs, allowing the pores to go back to their normal size so they look smaller in comparison. But again, the product isn’t closing the pore, nor is it permanently changing your pore size.

How to Choose the Right Product

There are so many different toner and astringent products on the market, it can be overwhelming trying to pick the right one. To add to the confusion, some beauty brands give their products names like “balancers,” “cleansing waters,” or “fresheners.“

Really, it doesn’t matter what term is used to describe the product. When choosing a toner, the ingredients are the key.

For Dry Skin

Your skin will feel best with a product that helps bring moisture to your skin.

Look for humectant ingredients in your toner:

  • Glycerin
  • Propylene glycol
  • Butylene glycol
  • Aloe
  • Hyaluranic acid
  • Sodium lactate

For Oily Skin

An astringent product is what you’ll need to remove excess oil and leave your skin feeling fresh and matte. Alcohol is a common ingredient and leaves a tingling sensation on your skin. However, many skin care professionals now counsel avoiding this ingredient, which can actually increase acne and irritation as the skin reacts by producing more oil to compensate. Most people do better with an alcohol-free astringent that instead uses acids to exfoliate and reduce oil production.

Remember, all astringents can be too drying if overused or if your skin isn’t super oily—incorporate a new product into your routine slowly, perhaps by alternating use every other night, until you understand its effects on your skin.

For Acne or Blemish-Prone Skin

Astringents alone won’t clear acne. Even though astringents remove surface oil, it’s not surface oil that causes breakouts. It’s the oil that is deeper within the pore that triggers acne. To reduce these oil plugs within the pore, your astringent will need to contain a blemish-fighting ingredient. Look for the newer acids—such as salicylic, glycolic, or lactic acid—in the ingredients list.

For Sensitive Skin

Take special care when choosing a product for sensitive skin. Alcohol-free astringents are fine for sensitive-yet-oily skin types. For all others, stick with toner.

Simply because you’re dealing with acne doesn’t automatically mean you should be reaching for an astringent. If your skin is not extra oily, or if you are already using an acne treatment medication, skip the astringent. Use a gentler toner instead.

Some common toner ingredients to avoid if your skin is sensitive:

  • FragranceColorantsAlcoholMentholSodium lauryl sulfate

For Normal or Combination Skin

You’ve got lots of options for your not-too-dry-but-not-too-oily (AKA “normal”) skin type. You most likely don’t need the oil-grabbing properties of an astringent, so you’ll be happiest with a toner. Your ideal product will make your skin feel fresh and clean, never tight and dry, and it shouldn’t leave a residue behind.

If any product burns, stings, or leaves your face red or tight feeling, stop using it. Try a different product or simply cut toner/astringent out of your skin care routine altogether. Less is often more for sensitive skin types.

For combination skin, consider using an astringent only in your more oily areas, namely the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin). Just skip over the dry areas.

Looking for an inexpensive option? Witch hazel has gentle astringent properties and can be used by most any skin type.

Can You Use Both?

Yes, if you’d like, but only if you have oily skin. You may want the benefits of a specific toning product, and also want a product to remove excess oil. Try using the astringent in the morning and the toner at night. Or you can you apply the astringent first with a cotton ball, let it dry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then spritz a toner over the top.

To be clear, there is no pressing reason for you to use both products. But if you really love your skin care products and how they make your skin feel, you can use both an astringent and a toner without harming your skin, provided you have oily skin. If your skin is dry or sensitive, stay away from astringent completely and use a toner instead.

You may also switch between toners and astringents throughout the year if your skin changes with the seasons. For example, if your skin gets oily during the hot and humid summertime, you’ll like the deep cleansing quality of an astringent. But as your skin tends toward dryness during the winter months, a switch to a less stripping toner is in order.

A Word From Verywell

To make it simple, remember this: astringent for oily skin types and toner for all others. Whatever product you choose, it should leave your skin feeling good. If it’s making your skin feel tight, overly dry, itchy, or looking red, it’s not a good product for you.

A toner or an astringent isn’t a skin care necessity. If you’d rather not use one, that’s fine. Instead, you may want to focus on the backbone of a healthy skin care routine: cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen.