These 15 Best Toners for Sensitive Skin Are Soothing, Calming, and Dermatologist-Approved

Best Overall

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner

$26 at Amazon $22 at Dermstore $26 at Paulaschoice.com

Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, allantoin, niacinamide | Skin Type: Dry, balanced, combination | Benefits: Hydrates, smooths | Size: 6.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Sometimes, cleansing can be drying and irritating for sensitive skin—let the Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner swoop in to relieve angry skin. Thanks to ingredients like glycerin, allantoin, and panthenol, you’ll find this formula to be super calming, hydrating, and soothing all-in-one. "Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner is great for dry and sensitive skin," explains board-certified dermatologist Dr. William Kwan, M.D. "It contains antioxidants and niacinamide to help with fine lines and wrinkles." Plus, it can also help even out skin color on different skin tones, which is something we can get behind.

Best Budget

Dickinson's Witch Hazel Toner

$6 at Amazon $7 at Target $6 at Walmart

Active Ingredients: Witch hazel, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid | Skin Type: Oily, combination | Benefits: Refines pores, removes dirt | Size: 16 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

For an option that doesn't break the bank (while also being triple the size of most options on this list), check out Dickinson's Enhanced Witch Hazel Hydrating Toner. "This formula gently hydrates and nourishes skin with hyaluronic acid and vitamin E as it cleanses, tones, and refreshes skin," explains board-certified dermatologist Dr. Marina Peredo, M.D. And according to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman, M.D., witch hazel removes excess oil from the skin and can help prevent breakouts. “Count on it to reduce inflammation of pimples, too,” she adds. 

Best Toning Lotion

Avène Gentle Toning Lotion

$20 at Amazon $22 at Dermstore $26 at Skinstore.com

Active Ingredients: Thermal spring water,  Peg-7 glyceryl cocoate | Skin Type: Dry, balanced | Benefits: Hydrates, soothes | Size: 6.8 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

This formula from Avéne strikes the perfect balance between moisturizing and being lightweight. It contains natural silicates that offer a very subtle, protective film on the skin, as well as the brand’s famously calming Avéne Thermal Spring Water. It also helps protect the skin against environmental aggressors while working to balance the skin’s pH levels, too. Unfortunately, we don’t love that this pick contains fragrance in the formula—something to consider if you are really sensitive to fragrance.

Best Mist

Knours. Double Duty Mist

$36 at Amazon View on Knoursbeauty.com

Active Ingredients: Aloe vera, squalane, jojoba oil | Skin Type: All | Benefits: Hydrates, refreshes | Size: 3.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

"The Knours. Double Duty Mist is much more sophisticated than most toners," explains board-certified dermatologist Dr. Anthony M. Rossi, M.D. "It contains squalene and jojoba oils to help trap and retain moisture, making it gentle enough to use when the skin is inflamed.” What’s so cool about this pick is that you can adapt the toner to your skin’s current needs. For example, if your skin is feeling dry and flaky one day, you can shake the bottle and get the benefits of the moisturizing jojoba oil (which sits at the top of the formula), along with the ingredients that sit at the bottom of the bottle. If your skin is feeling more sensitive or oily another day, you should avoid shaking the bottle, and just spritz the toner onto your skin to get the soothing benefits of the aloe vera and botanical extracts that are at the bottom of the bottle.

Best Mist, Runner-Up

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist

$32 at Amazon View on Jurlique.com

Active Ingredients: Rosa hybrid flower extract, aloe leaf extract | Skin Type: Dry, balanced | Benefits: Hydrates, soothes, refreshes | Size: 1.7, 3.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

"Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist is perfect for sensitive dry skin types," explains Dr. Kwan. "It contains rose water, which is one of my favorite natural moisturizers, as well as aloe vera and marshmallow root to hydrate the skin without irritation." Not only does this pick smell absolutely amazing, but we love that the mist is really fine and feels cooling when spritzed on your face. One of the downsides of this product is that it contains fragrance, meaning it might irritate some folks who can’t tolerate added fragrance.

Best Pore Minimizing

Thayers Witch Hazel Facial Toner

$11 at Amazon $11 at Ulta $11 at Target

Active Ingredients: Witch hazel, aloe leaf juice | Skin Type: Oily, combination, balanced | Benefits: Refines pores, smooths | Size: 3, 12 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This affordable toner is a beauty staple, but it's also especially great for sensitive skin, thanks to soothing ingredients such as aloe vera and the brand's proprietary witch hazel extract. There are different scents to choose from, including lavender, cucumber, and rose petals. According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Francesca Fusco, M.D., witch hazel works great in a pinch or if you're on a budget. This formula does contain fragrance, which makes the scents so strong (but in a good way). It’s alcohol-free and you shouldn’t have to worry about it irritating your skin.

Best Calming

Mario Badescu Aloe Vera Toner

$16 at Amazon $16 at Ulta $16 at Walmart

Active Ingredients: Aloe leaf juice | Skin Type: Dry, balanced | Benefits: Hydrates, smooths | Size: 8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Aloe vera is a master at calming, soothing, and hydrating, so it makes total sense that this classic toner made our list as the best toner for sensitive skin. Plus, its formula is alcohol- and fragrance-free, so it's extra gentle. This toner will leave your skin feeling cool and refreshed and doesn’t cause any dryness or irritation. The only thing we wish we could change is the fact that it contains dyes (which give the formula its green color). This isn’t a dealbreaker, however, if you know that your skin is reactive to dyes, you’ll want to skip this one.

Best Soothing

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Toner

$24 at Amazon $24 at Sephora $24 at Ulta

Active Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, wild oats, honey | Skin Type: Dry, combination skin | Benefits: Hydrates, soothes | Size: 6 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

When you hear the words oat milk, you may think of what you added to your iced coffee this morning. But it's also an ingredient in this First Aid Beauty toner, which harnesses the power of wild oats and colloidal oatmeal to soothe the skin. From there, propolis extract (a derivative of honey) and hyaluronic acid provide a calming, hydrating boost. This formula is ideal for folks with super sensitive skin, or anyone struggling with eczema or dry patches on their face during the winter. The texture is thick and almost feels like an essence, rather than a lightweight toner. Because of this, you probably shouldn’t reach for this pick if you have oily skin, as it might be too heavy. On the flip side, it couldn’t be more hydrating or soothing for dry, irritated skin.

Best Refreshing

Kiehl's Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner

$48 at Amazon $48 at Sephora $30 at Ulta

Active Ingredients: Calendula extract, allantoin | Skin Type: Dry, combination | Benefits: Hydrates, smooths | Size: 4.2, 8.4, 16.9 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

"The Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Toner cleanses and refreshes all skin types, including oily," explains dermatologic surgeon Dr. Michelle Henry, M.D. "But the plant-based, soothing ingredients make it gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin types." We love that there are real calendula leaves in the formula that comes out whenever you squirt the product onto a cotton round. The ingredient list in this lineup couldn’t be more soothing—calendula calms, allantoin soothes, and great burdock root moisturizes. This pick is safe for folks with acne-prone skin, and we noticed it works to reduce redness as well. 

Best Exfoliating

ProActiv Revitalizing Toner

$20 at Amazon $25 at Ulta $25 at Ecosmetics.com

Active Ingredients: Glycolic acid | Skin Type: Oily, combination | Benefits: Exfoliates, smooths | Size: 4 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

This is one of the few toners on this list that contains an exfoliant. Given that it contains glycolic acid to slowly exfoliate and soften the skin, some folks already using exfoliants may not want to use it, however, it has a host of nourishing, soothing, and hydrating ingredients to consider, including aloe, glycerin, panthenol, and allantoin. These ingredients should work to balance out the astringent nature of the glycolic acid.

Best Anti-Aging

Dermalogica Antioxidant Hydramist Toner

View on Dermalogica $48 at Amazon $48 at Ulta

Active Ingredients: Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, glucosamine, vitamin C | Skin Type: All | Benefits: Hydrates, firms, evens out skin tone | Size: 1, 5.1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, MD likes the Dermalogica Antioxidant HydraMist for its ingredients—vitamin C, vitamin E, and green tea. "This works great for more of an anti-aging step but still for sensitive skin," Dr. Levin adds. All skin types (even acne-prone) and tones can benefit from the cooling properties of this toner. You can thank pea, rose, and clove extract for the protective and comforting properties of this formula which smells lovely, dries down quickly, and helps protect your skin against environmental aggressors throughout the day. 

Best K-Beauty

Sulwhasoo Essential Balancing Water

$68 at Amazon View on Sulwhasoo.com

Active Ingredients: Purslane, goji berries | Skin Type: Dry, balanced | Benefits: Hydrates, smooths, firms | Size: 5.07 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Toners with glycerin and hyaluronic acid can help hydrate the skin and prevent dryness. "I like Sulwhasoo Essential Balancing Water, which has a watery gel-like texture," explains Dr. Engelman. "Toners are essential in the K-beauty routine; Korean beauty-lovers look to it to provide hydration and balance the pH of the skin." Although this toner has a watery consistency, it also feels like a gel when you apply it to the skin. It makes skin feel soft and plump and can help soothe redness, too.

Best Hydrating

Environ Youth EssentiA Vita-Peptide Toner

$84 at Amazon View on Shoprescuespa.com View on Joannaczech.com

Active Ingredients: Niacinamide, peptides, witch hazel | Skin Type: Dry, mature | Benefits: Hydrates, smooths | Size: 6.76 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Not all toners are made equal. According to Dr. Fusco, the Environ Youth EssentiA Vita-Peptide Toner contains peptides, which improve skin tone and elasticity and make it great for layering with other products. What’s more, niacinamide, peptides, and witch hazel work together to hydrate and cleanse the skin before applying any serums or moisturizers on top. This is a great toner to use after cleansing because it helps to remove any makeup or residue that might have been left over after washing your face.

Best Milky

Violette_FR Boum-Boum Milk

$64 at Modaoperandi.com View on Violettefr.com

Active Ingredients: Olive leaf extract, fermented birch sap | Skin Type: All | Benefits: Moisturizes, calms | Size: 3.3 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Milky toners challenge the astringent properties of toners’ past, and this Violette_FR pick not only envelops the concept of a nourishing and purifying toner but also prioritizes bringing back moisture to the skin with its creamy consistency. It is filled with probiotics and was made to bottle up the likings of a serum, toner, and moisturizer in one, employing glacial water and squalene for hydration and a spritz application method for smooth toning sessions.

Best Lightweight

SK-II Clear Lotion Skin Toner

$80 at Sephora $118 at Fragrancenet.com $80 at Bloomingdales

Active Ingredients: Alpha hydroxy acids | Skin Type: Combination, balanced, oily skin  | Benefits: Exfoliates, firming, evens out skin texture | Size: 5.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

If the feeling of feeding your complexion a tall glass of water calls your name, SK-II’s Facial Treatment Clear Lotion Toner is the one to choose. Even with exfoliating acids incorporated within, this toner has an ultrafine consistency that shrinks pores without any type of tingling sensation. It is super lightweight, so it may come off as underwhelming, but trust that it will serve as an extension of your cleansing regimen and hydrate the skin barrier with the brand’s proprietary ingredient, a mixture of antioxidants and amino acids.