5 Toner Hacks You’ll Use All The Time

Make It a Face Mist

Grab a clean, empty spray bottle and pour in your favorite toner with a two-to-one ratio of distilled water. Spritz your face before bed (you won’t waste product like you do pouring it on a cotton round) or throw it in your beach bag for a light, hydrating and refreshing DIY face mist. We love the Thayers Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel Facial Toner in Rose Petal. 

Treat Your Lips  

Flaky lips won’t do your lipstick any favors. Luckily, you can exfoliate, remove dry skin and hydrate all at once by swiping a cotton pad with toner across your lips. Make sure to follow up with a lip balm or hydrating lipstick to seal in moisture. For this, look for a toner with both exfoliating and hydrating properties. 

Smooth Body Skin

Extend your toner to your neck, chest and décolleté to smooth your skin and make it look radiant and even-toned. Here’s why: Some toner formulas can help exfoliate dead skin cells, leaving you with bright, silky skin that’s ready to absorb subsequent products. For this hack, we reach for the Kiehl’s Milk-Peel Gentle Exfoliating Toner, which contains lipo-hydroxy acid and almond milk to gently exfoliate and nourish the skin. Follow up with your body lotion or oil for enhanced absorption. 

Prep For a Spray Tan 

To keep streaking at bay, apply toner on areas prone to rough patches like elbows and knees before a spray tan. It will help hydrate, smooth and soften the skin so that your tan applies more evenly. On the reverse side, if you end up with a spray tan gone wrong and need to even out dark patches, you can wet a cotton pad with an exfoliating toner and apply to the target areas in small circles until the color starts to fade. 

Soothe Shaving Bumps and Blemishes 

Whether you have razor burn or inflamed pimples, a soothing toner can help calm redness and irritation. A fragrance- and alcohol-free option with aloe vera and witch hazel, like the Thayers Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel Unscented Facial Toner, is a safe bet for keeping irritation at bay.