12 Best Korean Toners, Approved by Dermatologists and Estheticians

CosRx is also the brand behind this best-selling exfoliating toner, which sweeps away dead skin cells and keeps breakouts at bay with an AHA-BHA blend. Dr. Chang confirms that this formula “is great for acne-prone or oily skin,” thanks to its “gentle blend of alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids that help reduce oil buildup and exfoliate to improve tone and texture.” As someone with combination skin, I personally love using it on my T-zone (where I get the most oily) to target clogged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. The spray applicator makes it easy to apply as a lightweight mist—I even spray this on my chest and back to help clear up body breakouts faster.

• Toner type: Exfoliating treatment toner
• Key ingredients: Glycolic acid, betaine salicylate, mineral water
• Highlights: Easy face mist application; clarifying yet gentle formulation; helps treat breakouts and clogged pores

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^{Original image by Glamour tester Dr. Chang}

For an instant brightening boost, swipe on Iope’s brightening essence. Dr. Chang loves the hydrating, glow-boosting effect of this formula when her complexion looks dull. “It contains a high concentration of saccharomyces ferment filtrate (probiotics), as well as niacinamide and adenosine,” she says. The former helps brighten, while the latter ingredients speed up skin-cell turnover for smoother skin. I also love this popular essence for its water-like, refreshing feel, which immediately makes me feel more awake when I apply it.

• Toner type: Brightening essence toner
• Key ingredients: Bio-Redox A, probiotics, niacinamide, adenosine
• Highlights: Refreshing lightweight feel; instant brightening effect

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This renewing skin toner, made to target signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles, has Dr. Chang’s stamp of approval. “It’s formulated with highly active panax ginseng, as well as niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to hydrate and repair,” she says. Dr. Chang particularly recommends panax ginseng for mature skin because it’s “suggested to have antiaging properties including stimulating collagen, brightening, and fighting free radicals.” That said, anyone can benefit from its collagen-boosting properties, which help enhance your overall skin texture. This is also a great pick if you prefer toners with a thicker, hydrating consistency that can pull double duty as your serum step.

• Toner type: Antiaging toner
• Key ingredients: Ginseng saponin, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid
• Highlights: Antiaging benefits; targets fine lines and wrinkles; thicker hydrating consistency

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^{Original image by Glamour tester Charlotte Cho}

Milk toners, which have been taking over TikTok lately, are thus named because they have a slightly heavier texture and white shade that makes them look just like milk. Cho is a fan of this repairing milk toner from Good Light, which gets its milky texture from snow mushrooms, an ingredient with proven hydrating and barrier-strengthening properties. “I love how it’s easily layerable for that ultimate, locked-in hydration,” she says. “It supports my skin barrier and leaves the dewiest finish ever.” Along with snow mushroom, the formula also contains natural AHAs that gently exfoliate, ceramides to moisturize, and niacinamide to improve skin texture.

• Toner type: Repairing milk toner
• Key ingredients: Meadowfoam seed oil, snow mushroom, niacinamide, ceramides
• Highlights: Moisturizing milky texture; deeply hydrating and nourishing; supports skin’s moisture barrier

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Cho reaches for this popular formula whenever she needs extra moisture in her routine. “It’s an all-around Korean beauty favorite,” she says of Anua’s Heartleaf Toner, which has also been showing up all over your TikTok FYP. Infused with 77% heartleaf extract, an ingredient studies have shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, this toner has an immediate soothing, calming effect on inflamed and irritated skin. It’s also extremely hydrating. Cho loves the “slightly viscous” texture that “doubles as a moisturizer if you layer it a few times.”

• Toner type: Soothing toner
• Key ingredients: Heartleaf extract, glycerin, panthenol, centella asiatica
• Highlights: Deeply hydrating and soothing; thicker texture can replace your serum or moisturizer

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^{Original image by Glamour tester Sarah Y. Wu}

Cho and I both love this affordable rice toner from HaruHaru Wonder, formulated specifically for sensitive skin. “It’s a TikTok favorite,” says Cho. “It has fermented black rice enriched with essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that absorb quickly and effortlessly.” She loves the way her complexion “looks and feels healthy and plump after just one use.” The first time I tried this, I was just as blown away by how good it made my skin look with a single application. The formula has a thicker texture that feels like a cross between a toner and a serum, but it still sinks in fast.

• Toner type: Hydrating toner
• Key ingredients: Oryza sativa (rice) extract, phyllostachys pubescens shoot bark extract, hyaluronic acid
• Highlights: Fragrance-free and gentle on sensitive skin; hydrating but fast-absorbing texture; immediate plumping effect

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You know a toner has to be good when Korean makeup artists use it to create glass skin, a phrase originating from K-beauty to describe a complexion so smooth and glowy, it looks reflective. “This is a holy grail among celebrities and makeup artists in Korea,” says Cho, who describes the formula as “a multitasking elixir that makes my skin clean, soft, and hydrated before makeup.” You can use this cleansing toner as the first step in your routine after cleansing, or at night to sweep away the last traces of your makeup. It’s made with mildly exfoliating papaya extracts and hydrating botanicals that Cho says create a “clean and hydrated feeling.”

• Toner type: Exfoliating cleansing toner
• Key ingredients: Lavender extract, rosa damascena flower water, orange fruit extract, papaya fruit water
• Highlights: Creates a smooth base for makeup; instant brightening effect; lightweight and fast absorbing

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^{Original image by Glamour tester Sarah Y. Wu}

Cho has tested quite a few Korean cleansing toners over the years, so when she launched her own, I was curious to try her take on the trend. This hydrating cleansing toner is easily among the best I’ve tried. The multipurpose formulation removes leftover traces of makeup without leaving a greasy film on my skin, so I can immediately proceed with my serums, ampoules, and moisturizers after applying it. It’s made with ingredients you’ll recognize from other picks on this list, like sea water, papaya enzymes, and licorice root. Every time I use this, I’m obsessed with the refreshing, slightly cooling sensation it gives, as well as how dewy it makes my skin look.

• Toner type: Hydrating cleansing toner
• Key ingredients: Sea water, papaya enzymes, licorice root, seaberry oil, persimmon extract
• Highlights: Water-like lightweight texture; multipurpose makeup remover and toner; brightening and smoothing ingredients

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^{Original image by Glamour tester Sarah Y. Wu}

I’ve already nominated Aestura’s best-selling Atobarrier Repair Moisturizer as one of Glamour’s best Korean moisturizers, but you’re seriously missing out if you don’t try the rest of the line. One of my other favorites is this soothing cica toner designed to treat sensitive, reactive skin. I have mild rosacea on my midface so I’m careful with what I apply to the areas around my nose and chin. This toner keeps my skin smooth with a mild blend of PHAs (polyhydroxy acids, a gentler exfoliating alternative to AHAs and BHAs) while giving an immediate cooling, calming effect to areas where I tend to get red. It’s also deeply hydrating while maintaining a lightweight, watery texture that absorbs immediately.

• Toner type: Soothing toner
• Key ingredients: PHAs, beta-glucan, phytosterol, madecassoside
• Highlights: Immediate calming and soothing effect; safe for sensitive skin; deep hydration; fast absorbing

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Editors and dermatologists love peptides for their collagen-stimulating, firming properties. This refillable milk toner pairs a dose of peptides with ceramides, an ingredient with proven barrier-strengthening benefits. “I apply this in the morning and it’s a nice pick-me-up for my face. I recommend buying the mist pump for easier application since it’s very runny,” says Jenifer Calle, Glamour’s senior commerce editor. This is Calle’s favorite Korean toner because “it’s great for layering under skin care products and makeup.”

• Toner type: Hydrating milk toner
• Key ingredients: Ceramides, peptides, white tea leaf
• Highlights: Intensely hydrating; helps improve skin texture and firmness with regular use; refillable bottle

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