The Best Natural & Organic Toners from Eco-friendly Beauty Brands
Skincare can be a complex subject. “Which products should I use?” “Do I follow a certain routine?” “Is all of this really necessary?”
These are all questions you have asked yourself a time or two I’m sure.
One product that can be especially confusing is toner. It gets mixed reviews so it can be hard to determine how it benefits you, and if you should even purchase this product.
In this post we’ll be answering all of these questions and concerns. We’ll also be comparing organic toners and traditional toners.
By the end of this post you’ll be able to determine if you want to add toner to your skincare routine, and you’ll even have a few places to start your search for a natural face toner.
This post does contain some affiliate links which means The Honest Consumer will receive a commission if you decide to purchase, however, at no additional cost to you!
What Is Toner and Why Is It Important?
Toner can be considered as a primer for your skincare. It gets rid of any excess dirt and oil left from your cleanser so that your other products can truly flourish in what they are meant to do.
In an interview with Allure, co-founder of Soko Glam and licensed esthetician, Charlotte Cho had this to say about how toner works, “It brings your skin back to its natural acidic state, sweeping impurities away and helping your skin absorb your skincare products.”
The consistency of toner feels like water, but it is much more than that.
Toners include ingredients like antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties.
The toners we have access to today are not what they used to be. Most of the negative feelings towards toners come from what the old formula used to be.
Some of the benefits you will notice when using a toner for a long period of time are that it helps remove excess dirt and makeup, provides instant hydration to your skin, soothes your skin, and more.
Before this product used to contain too much alcohol and had astringent properties, leaving your skin too dry.
The toners we have access to today are much gentler on our skin and can help almost any skin care concern.It’s not just used for oily skin.
There are toners that now help hydrate your skin, and even some for sensitive skin.
Organic Toner vs. Traditional Toner
Now that you know the basics of a good toner, it’s time to take it up a notch.
If you are living a clean and organic lifestyle you’ll want to pick a toner made with organic ingredients.
There are some differences between organic and traditional toner that may help make the decision to buy organic toner even easier.
Traditional toner can be much harsher to your skin: the culprit here is alcohol and harsh chemicals. It can cause dry skin, acne, irritation, inflammation, and more. You definitely want to find alcohol-free toner when shopping.
Toners can make your skin more sensitive to the sun: The sun is already damaging to the skin. Adding a traditional toner can just make that problem worse.
It can cause health issues: While fragrance can smell great, it isn’t great for our health. Toners that have fragrance on the ingredient list can cause allergic reactions, migraines, and more.
There are other concerns you’ll want to know about traditional toners. Next up you’ll learn what you should look for in organic toners.
How To Pick The Best Toner
It’s time to determine what pure ingredients you should be seeing in a natural toner.
That way you can make a more informed purchase and know what you are putting on your body. Here are five of the top natural main ingredients you’ll want to look for and the benefits they have.
Rose Water: This ingredient is great for healing, hydrating, and maintaining your skin’s pH levels.
Hyaluronic Acid: If one ingredient came to your mind when you heard the word skincare, this one is most likely it. With good reason too! Hyaluronic acid helps provide moisture to your skin, without a greasy feeling.
Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera isn’t just used for sun burns. It can also soothe your skin from other reasons your skin may be irritated and/or red.
Essential Oils: Different essential oils provide different benefits. Tea Tree Oil is especially beneficial for unclogging pores and removing build up. Just make sure the oils are 100% pure.
Green Tea Extract: This ingredient can help multiple skin issues. Some of those are acne-prone skin and anti-aging. It’s definitely something you want to see in a natural toner.
The Best Natural & Organic Toners from Sustainable Beauty Brands
If you aren’t sure where to start looking for organic face toners I’ve made a list for you. These four brands would make excellent choices to add to your skincare routine. What’s the best natural toner? That’s for you to decide. Check out these amazing options that feature natural ingredients and consider adding one of these to your skin care routine.
Zero Waste Rose Water Toner by EcoRoots
With the only four clean ingredients including Rose Water, Organic Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Hibiscus Flower Extract, and Vegetable Glycerin, it’s clear that this is truly a natural toner. Since it’s a face spray, applying the toner is easy, and can be done at any time. This Rose Water Toner from EcoRoots helps your skin feel hydrated, balanced, and is great for soothing your skin.
This is the toner that I personally use and I love how it feels on my skin. It also smells amazing.
A full sized bottle can be purchased for $24 or they have a mini bottle for $12. The mini bottle is great if you want to give this product a try, but aren't ready to fully commit.
EcoRoots is a women-owned small business that prides itself in offering products that are vegan and low-wate.
They not only use packaging that is 100% recyclable, EcoRoots also gives back to the environment with each purchase.
They do this by partnering with organizations that give back to the planet. One of these organizations is Ocean Conservancy, which they have raised over $12,000 for.
Face Toner Made with Organic Ingredients from Meow Meow Tweet
The Geranium Palmarosa Face Toner is a quadruple threat. You can use it not only as a toner, but also a makeup setter, soothing scalp spray, and aftershave.
It has key ingredients like apple cider vinegar, lavender oil, palmarosa oil, and more.
It leaves your face feeling fresh, balanced and toned.
You can purchase it in three different sizes, a mini (5 ML), a full size (3.8 oz), or a bulk size (9.5 oz).
The prices of this natural toner range from $4.50 to $24 depending on which size you choose.
Meow Meow Tweet also offers Chamomile Yellow Gel Face Toner. The gel toner is especially formulated for dry, maturing or extra-sensitive skin.
It has no essential oils, but is packed with hydrosols and soothing herbs to balance skin, deliver nutrients and promote cell regeneration. The scent is honeyed apples and the price ranges from $8 to $20 depending on the size of the toner.
Meow Meow Tweet was founded in 2009 in New York by Jeff Kurosaki (they/them) and Tara Pelletier (she/they). Their unique name was created for their two cats and their bird.
They started out creating homemade soaps and have now expanded to skincare and deodorant. The business is truly a team effort with Tara creating the formulas for the products and Jeff creating the illustrations on the packaging.
Their products are vegan, low waste, and created in small batches.
Each month they give a percentage of their sales to an organization in the areas of Earth & Nature, Social Justice, and Animal Justice. They have previously given back to organizations like DigDeep, The Newburgh LGBTQ+ Center, and WIRES Australian Wildlife Rescue.
Affordable Witch Hazel Toner from Public Goods
Public Goods’ Witch Hazel Toner is an alcohol-free, natural astringent, safe for your entire body.
Known for relieving inflammation and soothing the skin, witch hazel has been a time-honored commodity for its host of benefits including treatment of acne, balancing of oily skin, natural disinfectant properties as well as relief for eczema, insect bites, burns and chapped skin.
Made with organic aloe vera, this witch hazel toner is safe for sensitive skin and is an ideal active ingredient for D.I.Y. face wash, makeup remover, deodorant and acne cleanser. This toner features an affordable price point under $6!
Public Goods is a one stop shop for healthy, sustainable, everyday essentials. Public Goods groceries focuses on all natural, organic, & non-GMO products.
Natural Hydra Toner from Corvus Botanicals
The Hydra Toner is made from botanicals like Rose Water, Alcohol Free Witch Hazel, and Palm Free Glycerin.
Some of the many benefits include hydrating the skin and preventing moisture loss. It comes as a four ounce mist, but you can also order a four ounce bottle with a cap to refill your bottle.
It works great for different skin types (oily skin, combination skin, and dry skin). This makes it a great option for anyone to get radiant skin. The Hydra Toner can be purchased for $16.
Corvus Botanicals is a zero waste, organic skincare & self care brand founded in late 2017 by Stacia Thompson-Wrench. She was unsatisfied with the skin care products she was seeing on the shelves.
With a background in Environmental Biology and a passion for conservation, she set out to create her own products.
This company is founded on holistic sustainability and getting reconnected with nature.
The company goes the extra mile by doing things such as, working with cruelty-free manufacturers and suppliers, creating recyclable packaging, and planting a tree with every order. Corvus Botanicals uses organic and fair trade ingredients whenever possible.
Refreshing Tidal Rose Toner by EarthHarbor
The Tidal Rose organic toner is actually a two for one. Not only is it a natural facial toner, but it also doubles as a makeup setter.
There is a lot to love about this product. The skin-loving benefits - for starters - include locking in moisture, softening skin, and restoring pH balance. This toner is also vegan, cruelty free, nontoxic, and so much more!
The website recommends using this after your cleanser and before your moisturizer, or any time you need a skin refresh throughout your day.
The Tidal Rose organic toner can be purchased for $16.
The founder of EarthHarbor, Ali Perry-Hatch, MPH, started her company out of her treehouse kitchen.
She wanted to make skincare products that were high-quality and ocean-friendly. In addition to a clean beauty company, the founder also found it important to be a sustainable and scientific company. They partner with 1% For The Planet to help keep the ocean safe and solve the global water crisis.
How to Apply Toner
There are a few different ways to apply toner. You can use a cotton ball, pad, or even your hands. Be sure to avoid getting toner in your eyes, nose, and mouth.
When using a cotton ball or pad, soak it in the toner and then gently apply it to your face in circular motions. Start from the inside of your face and work your way out. Or for a zero waste option you can also use your hands to apply the toner. Simply pour some onto your palms and then massage it into your skin in circular motions.
Be sure to follow up with a moisturizer after applying toner. This will help to lock in the moisture and keep your skin hydrated. You can apply toner in the morning and at night, whatever works best with your current skincare routine.
Now that you know what a great addition an effective toner is, will you be adding in an organic toner to your skincare regimen? Hopefully this guide has provided a good list of organic facial toners for you to shop and become a resource for you to reference if you shop for toners at the store.
For more tips & tricks on sustainable living be sure to follow The Honest Consumer on social media, subscribe to our newsletter, & check out the Ethical & Sustainable Brand Directory.
Many of us don’t give a second thought to the brand of toothpaste we use. If it’s minty fresh, helps with our sensitive teeth, and can be bought for a couple of dollars, what more do we need to know? The truth is that there’s a lot more to our toothpaste than any of us ever believed, and it might even be harmful to us. Read on for a guide to non-toxic toothpaste, and why it might just be the right time to switch.