Toners are one of those invaluable beauty products that simply do so much for your skin. Whether it’s prepping your face for serums, killing acne-producing bacteria, or calming irritated skin, they pack a serious punch in the functionality department. When to comes to finding the best toners for minimizing pores — because yes, they do that, too! — we’ve got the in.
OUR SKINCARE EXPERTS HAVE tested OVER FIFTY OF THE TOP Astringents and tonerS & Evaluated thousands of customer reviews
For those of you in a hurry, here is a sneak peek of our top 2 picks for best pore minimizing toner.
Top 2 – Editor’s PicksIf you’re in a rush, here’s our top picks for the best pore minimizing toners in 2024. |
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#1 – Misumi Pore Purifying Toner
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Our #1 Choice
5.0 stars out of 5
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#2 – Eminence Organic Skin Care Stone Crop Hydrating Mist
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Our #2 Choice
4.0 stars out of 5
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What Is a Toner?
First, let’s clarify what a toner is and why it’s used. Toners are liquid solutions that are applied to the skin with a cotton ball or pad. You use them just after cleansing and before moisturizing. Toners can help remove traces of dirt, makeup, cleanser residue, and excess oil.
Can toner help reduce the size of your pores?
Now, let’s get one thing straight: nothing will actually get rid of your pores — they’re there for a reason! Pores are essentially just tiny hair follicles that contain sebaceous glands, which produce vital oils for our skin. The size of your pores pretty much depends on your genes, but can also be determined by skin type (those with drier skin may see smaller pores, oil-prone skin may see larger ones), how much exposure to UV rays you’ve had, your age, your history with acne — etc.
While you certainly can’t change their true, physical size, you can totally visibly reduce the appearance of pores. There are face washes, moisturizers, and tons of sheet and face masks that can help, but what we’re focusing on here is the power of pore-blasting toners. Toners have a variety of primary ingredients, depending on the type, but most will include something (like an astringent) that deeply cleanses pores, washing out hard-to-reach dirt and oil while promoting skin cell turnover, so that pores are much harder to spot.
Here’s a Before and After picture of a customer who has been using Misumi Skincare’s Pore Purifying Toner for 6 weeks.
If you’re above twenty years of age and are interested in preventing premature signs of aging, pick a toner with Hyaluronic Acid. This miracle ingredient will help alleviate dry skin, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
So without further ado, here are some of the best, dermatologist-approved toners to help tighten pores.
10 Best Toners for Minimizing Large Pores
Our Number 1 Choice
1. Misumi Pore Purifying Toner
All skin types can really benefit from using this revitalizing toner, made with a combination of soothing herbs and natural ingredients, all of which nourish the skin and prepare it for further treatment. Misumi’s Pore Purifying Toner is by far the best toner available for acne-prone, sensitive, oily, combination, and aging skin. It is especially great for shrinking pores and tightening the skin. It contains Witch Hazel Extract, which helps to minimize pores, calm breakouts, redness, and swelling, while also preventing future breakouts.
It also contains a blend of Hyaluronic Acid, Sage, Lavender, Lemon Peel, Marigold, Hops, and more. Lavender extract can be very beneficial for acne-prone and oily skin due to its antibacterial and sebum-balancing properties. It also helps to even out skin tone. Lemon Peel lightens age spots, unwanted freckles and uneven skin tone. Sage removes excess oil production without drying the skin, and also helps with eczema and psoriasis.
When it comes to finding a ground-breaking toner with all the most advanced natural ingredients, we’ve got to hand it to Misumi’s Pore Purifying Toner. With premium quality ingredients at an affordable price, this toner easily beats tough competition and luxury skincare brands. The non-greasy formula doesn’t leave behind any trace of residue and is free of parabens. With daily use, you’ll get smooth, soft, clear skin with a youthful glow and minimized pores.
Pros
- Reduces the appearance of large pores
- Unclogs and tightens pores
- High quality natural ingredients
- Amazing properties for acne-prone and oily skin
- Additional anti-aging benefits
- Helps reduce redness and even out skin tone
- 60 Day Money Back Guarantee
CHECK OUT WHAT CUSTOMERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE PORE PURIFYING TONER
Pore Purifying Toner
This stuff is a must! It is fading my dark spots & makes my pores smaller. My skin feels so clean after I cleanse and tone.
Perfect for my pores.
I’m usually not a big fan of toners. They tend to dry my skin out. Not with this one, it’s very gentle and my skin feels soothed. I’ve already noticed a difference in the size of my pores and the overall texture of my skin. I love this toner and I will keep coming back for more.
2. Eminence Organic Skin Care Stone Crop Hydrating Mist
This hydrating mist is created through the use of biodynamic farming, a traditional mechanism of farming that’s considered the next level up from organic—it’s essentially the truest method of growing ingredients and creating healthy products. It contains salicylic acid, which gently removes dirt and impurities from the skin, as well as mineral-rich spring water that softens and condition.
3. Obagi Obagi-C Rx System C-Balancing Toner
 Lily Talakoub, M.D., dermatologist at McLean Dermatology and Skincare Center, loves this toner because of its ability to balance the skin’s pH while simultaneously decreasing sun damage and hyperpigmentation, all thanks to its infusion of vitamin C. “It also ​contains witch hazel as an antibacterial and aloe​ vera to decrease inflammation,” she adds.
4. REN Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic
This multitasking toner is designed to enhance your skin in almost every way possible, by reducing fine lines, acne, visible pores and dehydrated skin. The key ingredients are lactic acid. The former is a gentle AHA that stays on the surface of the skin and the latter helps promote a balanced skin tone and addresses unevenness.
5. Epionce Balancing Toner
Dr. Talakoub explains that this balancing toner is best for those with sensitive skin that’s also oily or combination since it is gentle and non-irritating. “It contains cucumber extract to help soothe the skin and reduce redness,” she says. It also contains marshmallow extract, which promotes cell regeneration and helps repair damaged skin.
6. Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
This toner can be used on most skin types, including normal, oily and combination. It contains a blend of hyaluronic acid, panthenol, jojoba and ceramides to promote a calm, clear complexion while reducing redness and sensitivity.
7. Glytone Acne Clearing Toner
This salicylic acid–containing toner is great for clearing and exfoliating the skin, explains Dr. Jaliman. “It helps control oil production and unclog the pores, which can be especially beneficial during the summer months.” It’s also a great prep for the skin before you apply primer and foundation.
8. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Micro-Exfoliating Astringent Skin Toner
This toner also has salicylic acid, which is mild and instantly unclogs and tightens the pores. It’s also nice and gentle—the formula has been tolerance-tested, meaning you can use it without fear of irritation.
“This toner helps prevents acne breakouts and will also keep your skin smooth,” says Dr. Jaliman.
9. Murad Clarifying Toner
Say goodbye to excess oil once you apply this clarifying toner. It helps deep-clean the skin, removing impurities that are buried inside pores, prevents breakouts and helps tighten pores. It also keeps inflammation at bay, thanks to a combination of algae extract and allantoin.
10. SkinCeuticals Equalizing Toner
This alcohol-free face-mist spray is ideal for those with acne-prone skin, since it gently exfoliates and soothes. “It has aloe and this will help with redness associated with acne-prone skin and the AHA will gently exfoliate the dead skin cells,” explains Debra Jaliman, M.D., board-certified NYC dermatologist, assistant professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and author of Skin Rules. “It also has soothing chamomile extract and is oil-free and fragrance-free.”
Conclusion
It’s all too easy to neglect toner and skip over this important step, but incorporating an effective toner for is the way to ensure you’re doing everything possible to keep skin clean, balanced, and healthy.
Applying toner to the skin after cleansing is an essential step to treating and taking care of your skin. It can help to even out skin tone, reduce redness, clear acne, as well as fight off premature signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles. Depending on the ingredients, toners can also help control oily skin and keep your skin matte all day long.