If you get endlessly confused by the long list of skincare categories beyond cleanser and moisturiser, you’re not going to like this, but buckle in.
There’s a new type of skincare product making waves – the milky toner.
Though we’ve bounced back from our belief that we need 10 step skincare routines, this latest arrival adds another step you might not already carry out.
Bear with us though, it serves a useful purpose and while it’s absolutely not essential, it may benefit your skin.
What is milky toner?
First, a walk down memory lane. Many of us still remember the early toners, thin liquid-y waters applied with a cotton pad, designed to restore the skin’s pH balance and remove leftover residue after cleansing.
Older cleansers, including soaps, were very alkaline so toners, often with with astringent ingredients like alcohol or witch hazel, were used to bring the skin back to a slightly acidic state as well as promising to ‘tighten’ pores. Unfortunately they also often left skin feeling dry, tight and stripped.
These days, skincare formulations have become a lot smarter and toners have shifted well away from their harsh alcohol-heavy former selves.
In fact, we kind of wish the word ‘toner’ was done-away with because the new iterations are hydrating, soothing, treatment-based products that serve to replenish and rehydrate skin. The reason the word remains is that they are applied in the same step in your skincare routine – after cleansing, before any serums or moisturiser.
Milky toners are sometimes labeled as skin ‘milks’, likely to get around toner’s former reputation.
Unlike serums, these products have a lightweight, often watery, consistency, and a layer-friendly approach for delivering potent ingredients.
Like many of the best current skincare innovations, milky toner in particular is a product development that first emerged in Korea. It quickly became a viral hit given its reputation for helping achieve supple, dewy and radiant skin.
With an opaque, lotion-like consistency and a high concentration of moisturising ingredients such as plant extracts and even finely dispersed emulsions, milky toners serve to add another level of hydration. The inclusion of calming ingredients such as Cica, derived from the plant Centella Asiatica, also helps to soothe and reset skin.
Like their predecessors, many also prep skin to receive further skincare products.
L-R: Rebound Skin Milk Activated Cica Toner; ILIA The Base Face Milk; Rhode Glazing Milk; Paula’s Choice Nourishing Milky Toner; Laneige Cream Skin Toner Moisturiser
Which product should I choose?
Sasha Plavic, Brand Founder of ILIA, likes to think of them as a “cross between an essence and a lightweight moisturiser.”
“It has soothing properties and redness reduction on application,” she shared with MECCA, referring to ILIA’s The Base Face Milk which is available at the beauty chain. “So, if you have any rosacea or kind of skin concerns, it will immediately soothe and smooth the skin and reduce redness. We have four types of hyaluronic acid in there, so it really helps to plump up the skin and get it ready for makeup application.”
Skincare educator and pharmaceutical scientist Hannah Collingwood English worked with Rebound skincare on its Rebound Skin Milk Activated Cica Toner. Collingwood English says the formula is “designed for dehydrated, combination or dry acne-prone skin that’s sensitive, skin prone to redness and red marks and/or uneven skin tone.”
Another similar hit that has taken off globally (although not available here as yet) is the TikTok hit Rhode Glazing Milk, from Hailey Bieber’s skincare line. Like the Rebound product it has ceramides, glycerin, hydrating ingredients and coconut derived emollients.
These lightweight products offer a great solution for those that have dry, or crepey skin but find moisturisers designed for dry skin too thick or heavy.
How to use milky toner
A milky toner is used a little differently from a watery toner because of its creamy, emulsion-like texture. While you can use a cotton pad to apply, it will soak up much of the goodness. Instead, it’s better to apply with your hands.
Wash your face with your usual cleanser, then gently pat your skin dry (leave it slightly damp if you like extra hydration). Dispense a small amount of milky toner into your fingers and smooth or pat over skin.
Give it a few seconds to sink in. Milky toners often feel nourishing and slightly lotion-like so need a little time to absorb before you continue with another serum or moisturiser over the top.
