Korean toners for hydrated skin that will save you the summer

The extreme temperatures to which we expose our skin during the summer find an immediate soothing treatment in moisturizing toners. You may not be familiar with toners yet or you may confuse their properties with those of a make-up remover due to their cleansing action on the skin.

Why use a toner?

The watery texture of toners is the perfect excuse so that including this step in daily skin care is not too tedious. Precisely, a high percentage of the tonics corresponds to water, which lightens their formula and allows their penetration to be much deeper. The ideal time to apply it is after cleansing and before the serum, in Korea they even sometimes don't let the skin dry before applying the toner by pressing with both hands. They clarify and dry, which contributes to the skin not being tight after cleansing.

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But back to the tonic as such. Applied before the serum, what it achieves is to pave the way for it and make it easier for its properties to penetrate better. In the Asian country they do not apply the tonic as we have done to date in Europe. No cotton and, of course, no turning the disc into a cotton with which to polish the face and remove any type of impurity. In Korea, toner is applied directly with the hands. First, a few drops are taken in the hands and the toner is distributed all over the face using light pressure to promote its absorption and that there is no probability of any type of irritation.

The toner then becomes an unavoidable step in the Korean routine as they complete the cleansing with it, by helping to close the pores that open when we remove make-up or wash our faces at the end of the day.

The summer tonic

Of course, according to the most common properties among the ideal toners for summer, it is advisable to prioritize decongestant, calming and moisturizing cosmetics, so ingredients such as aloe vera, rose hips, calendula or green tea are usually at the top. After long exposure to the sun, the skin has suffered aggression and applying a cosmetic that is too oily or reactive requires intense hydration that acts as a soothing balm. Aware of this need, in South Korea they developed the Seven Skin Method: apply the toner seven times. Layer by layer, the skin is comforted as if we had placed a hydrogel mask on it, achieving intense hydration without a feeling of heaviness. The skin is toned.

To achieve this, from Korea and with lots of love, we find summer-proof, refreshing and soothing toners that will save your skin.

Aloe BHA Skin Tonner by Benton, €19.55 at PromoFarma. As its name suggests, the soothing properties of aloe vera are not lacking in this toner that includes beta-hydroxy acids (0.5% salicylic acid) to enhance skin cleansing, unclogging the oiliest skin, as well as being anti-inflammatory. Nor are hyaluronic acid or snail mucin missing. If you have a tendency to acne and want to calm and improve its appearance, this summer it's Benton's turn.

Buy at PromoFarma

Innisfree Moisturizing Tonic Lotion, €20.99 at Sephora. Halfway between toner and lotion, and therefore with a slightly higher density than other toners, Innisfree's meets another of those curiosities of Korean cosmetics that we adore on this side of the world: ingredients from Jeju Island, that idyllic paradise full of nature and cosmetic ingredients. In the case of this tonic, it is tea tree oil, known for its antiseptic, healing, soothing and moisturizing properties. To finish reinforcing the skin barrier, our beloved panthenol is also included in its formula.

Shop at Sephora

Klairs Facial Toner for Sensitive Skin, €23.95 at PromoFarma. If the previous tonic was perfect for oily skin, Klairs is perfect for sensitive skin. Its main function is to moisturize the skin without irritating it, something it achieves by balancing the pH of the skin and including amino acids that reduce skin inflammation.

Buy at PromoFarma

Jowae moisturizing water, €71.95 at El Corte Inglés, with French and Korean DNA, breaks with the rules of the usual toner and perhaps fits more into the classification of Korean soothing mists, as it is a vaporizer format. In its composition we find sakura flower water (Japanese cherry blossom) to provide that refreshing sensation of hydration to which the antioxidant properties of lumiphenols are added to act against the damage that the skin may have suffered during exposure.

Buy at El Corte Ingles

Ultra Botanic Skin Water by A. by BOM, €35.95 on Amazon, is perhaps one of the best known in our country and perhaps the botanical extracts in its formula or the fact that the brand uses aromatherapy to creating a more sensory skin care ritual have something to do with it. In its formula, slightly more watery than a traditional serum, we find the presence of baobab, cactus flower and fruit extract or aloe vera lifesaver.

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Balancing & Hydrating Essence by Usu Cosmetics, €16.11 on their website. Half Korean, half Spanish, Usu Cosmetics has become one of those brands that has found its way into the hearts of pharmacies and its rebalancing and moisturizing toner is a must have. In addition to having a pH of 5.5 like that of the skin, it includes antioxidants to protect the skin from damage produced by free radicals. Slightly thicker than other toners, it also carries the essence label, the post-serum step.