A face toner is a water-based cosmetic product applied after cleansing your face and before serum or cream, so that your skin stays gently moistened and ready for the next steps of your routine. If you are looking for face toners, take a look at the Báthoryčka toner or the P-Biotické facial toner, or let our Advisor guide you.
What is a face toner and what does it do in your routine?
You add toner as the second step, right after removing make-up and cleansing. Its job is not to cleanse the skin, but to give it a gentle, refreshing touch after washing. It has a watery texture, so it spreads evenly over the face and leaves no greasy film. Your skin is then pleasantly moist, and serums, oils or creams are easier to apply. Many toners are based on a floral water complemented by glycerin and plant extracts, but in shops you will also find toners with alcohol or acids, so it is worth looking at the ingredients, not just the name. Toner is often skipped, yet it is just a few seconds of ritual that slow down both your morning and your evening. If you like a simple routine, start with cleansing, toner and cream, and add further steps only once they suit you.
When and how to use a face toner
A face toner is usually used both morning and evening, always on clean skin. You will find the exact method and frequency on the label of the specific product, because every toner has a slightly different composition. A simple routine repeated the same way morning and evening becomes a pleasant habit rather than another chore. If you use several steps at once, such as serum and cream, the toner always stays at the beginning, before them. It does not matter whether you apply it with a pad or press it in with your palms; what matters is that your skin stays slightly moist while you move on to the next step. You can also reach for toner during the day when you feel like refreshing your skin. If the evening is your moment to slow down, enjoy it slowly, with a scent you love.
- Remove your make-up and wash your face with a gentle product.
- Moisten a cotton pad with toner or pour it into your palms, according to the product label.
- Sweep it over your face, neck and décolleté and do not rinse it off.
- While your skin is still damp, apply serum, oil or cream.
What is in Panakeia toners? A look at the ingredients
When we went through the product pages of all twelve Panakeia face toners, something emerged that is not visible at first glance: in every one of them, lavender water (Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water) comes first in the ingredient list. Glycerin and various extracts are built on it, so the toners differ from each other mainly in what comes after this base. On the packaging, ingredients are listed in order of quantity, from largest to smallest, so the first ingredients tell you the most. The table shows four toners that were in stock at the time of writing, according to the information on their product pages. The skin type in the last column comes from the product parameters, not medical advice, and always check the ingredients on the label.
| Toner | What the ingredients list alongside lavender water | Skin type according to the product |
|---|---|---|
| Báthoryčka | glycerin, bilberry, prickly pear, green tea, lemon, orange, dragon's blood, sugar cane, maple | normal, combination, mature |
| P-Biotické | glycerin, ferments, oat, honey, prickly pear, hyaluronic acid, alcohol | oily, normal, combination, sensitive |
| Motýlek | liquorice root extract, glycerin (short ingredient list) | dry, normal, combination, mature |
| Vráskožrút | glycerin, niacinamide, prickly pear, green tea, urea, allantoin | oily, combination, mature |
How to choose a toner for your skin type
When choosing, do not start with advertising but with the question of how your skin feels after washing. The right face toner is not the most expensive one, but the one that suits you. If your skin feels tight, look for a toner with hydrating ingredients, such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and see the dry skin category. If your skin often looks shiny, a light toner without heavy ingredients is a good fit; you will find more in the oily skin category. With sensitive skin, watch for a long ingredient list and the presence of alcohol, and try the toner on a small area of skin first. You will find more products in the sensitive skin category. You do not have to decide all at once; a routine can be built up gradually. Choose one toner, stick with it for several weeks and notice how your skin feels, not just how it looks. If you are unsure, our Advisor can help by offering products based on your answers.
Toner, floral water or micellar water?
These three products are often confused, but each has its own place in the routine. Micellar water belongs at the beginning, because it removes make-up from your face, so look for it in the make-up removal and cleansing category. Floral water is made by distilling a plant; you can use it as a gentle mist or as a toner, and you will find the full selection among our floral waters. A toner is usually a floral water with other ingredients that give the skin more than just refreshment, and if you prefer a spray, take a look at our face mists too. So a toner does not replace cleansing, and cleansing does not replace a toner. If you would like to read more about routines, see also the article on what an everyday skin care routine should look like. If you are curious about what the scientific literature says about skin care, you will find studies on face toners in the PubMed database.
Face toners from Panakeia
Báthoryčka, 100 ml
Báthoryčka is a toner with dragon's blood extract (Croton lechleri), green tea and fruit extracts for normal, combination and mature skin. According to the product page, after application the skin feels fresh and soft to the touch.
P-Biotické facial toner, 100 ml
The P-Biotické toner combines ferments, oat, honey, prickly pear and hyaluronic acid. The product page states that it is handmade in Slovakia. Its ingredients also include alcohol, which is good to know in advance.
Motýlek hydrating toner, 100 ml
Motýlek has a short ingredient list with liquorice root extract and lavender water. It is applied with a pad to the face and neck and is not rinsed off.
Did you know…
Did you know that in all twelve Panakeia face toners, lavender water (Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water) comes first in the ingredient list?