3 best toners for oily skin

Would you be relieved if I told you you don’t need a toner?

You really, really don’t. But maybe you like to use it anyway. And finding one that doesn’t strip your oily skin bare and turn it dry as sand paper has turned into a mission impossible.

Thing is, most toners out there are just a basic mix of alcohol and water. Ugh. True, alcohol isn’t as drying as we once thought, but it doesn’t do much for skin either.

If it must be in a toner (some of the best ones don’t have a drop of it), you also want antioxidants and other goodies in there that hydrate your skin, soothe your redness and keep wrinkles and blemishes at bay.

The best toners for oily skin fit the bill perfectly. Here are my favourites:

Best For Oily And Sensitive Skin: Paula’s Choice Calm Redness Relief Normal To Oily Skin ($21.00)

Paula’s Choice Calm Redness Relief Normal To Oily Skin is a godsend for sensitive skin. The lightweight formula is infused with plenty of skin soothers like oats (yes, really!) and panthenol to calm down redness and irritation. Plus, a sprinkle of antioxidants to keep those pesky premature wrinkles at bay. It’s not the most hydrating toner, but when your skin’s on fire, this’ll quench the inflammation.

Available at: Paula’s Choice

Related: Sensitive Skin? Why You Should Add Oats To Your Skincare Routine


Struggling to create a skincare routine that reduces shiny, banishes acne, and gets rid of blackheads? Download your FREE “Best Skincare Routine For Oily Skin” cheatsheet below to get started (it features product recommendation + right application order):


Best For Dehydrated & Oily Skin: Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner ($19.00)

Aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, snail mucin… Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner is literally packed to the brim with hydrating ingredients that nourish your skin’s thirst and keep it soft and supple for hours. Aloe vera and snail mucin also double up as skin soothers: they calm down redness and irritations. It has also a sprinkle of salicylic acid, an exfoliant that does double duty: it exfoliates the surface of your skin so dead cells don’t end up in your pores and cleans up the pores so anything that should fall in them anyway gets the boot before it can give you pimples. Smart, eh?

Available at: Sokoglam and Yes Style

Best For Oily And Sun Damaged Skin: Paula’s Choice Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner ($24.00)

Need all the help you can get to fade those dark spots off your face? Paula’s Choice Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner has plenty of vitamin C and niacinamide, two antiaging superstars that can fight off wrinkles and brighten the skin tone. These aren’t the only antioxidants here. The toners also has green tea, resveratrol, licorice extract (just to name a few!) to kill those nasty free radicals before they can give you wrinkles and dark spots in the first place. Plus, a sprinkle of hyaluronic acid to boost your skin’s hydration. What’s not to love?

Available at: Feel Unique and Paula’s Choice

Related: 5 Antiaging Superstars You Should Include In Your Skincare Routine