What does green tea toner do for the skin? Is it good for acne? What about dry skin?
It turns out that green tea is beneficial for all skin types because it’s rich in antioxidants to help the skin heal and stay young-looking. It’s effective whether you have oily or dry skin.
Also, green tea is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory to reduce acne, and it’s an astringent that refines pores. (1)
Of course, even though it’s very versatile, green tea isn’t the only ingredient in a toner. Whether or not the toner provides oil control or is moisturizing depends on the rest of the formula. That’s why we selected different types of green tea toner to review here.
Here’s an overview to help you quickly find what you need:
| The best green tea toners | Why we love them |
|---|---|
| ISNTREE Green Tea Fresh Hydrating Face Toner |
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| PURITO Centella Green Level Calming Toner |
|
| BENTON Deep Green Tea Toner |
|
| COSRX One Step Green Hero Calming Pad |
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| Ambi Even & Clear Intense Clarifying Toner |
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| TONYMOLY The Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Skin |
|
How to choose the best toner
The trick to finding the best toner is to get one that matches the needs of your skin type. For example, toners with alcohol might be all right for oily skin, but they could dehydrate dry skin further and might irritate sensitive complexions. Also, you don’t need to have artificial colors or fragrances in a toner for it to be effective. Instead, look for these ingredients (alongside green tea) based on your skin type:
Oily skin needs sebum control from ingredients like salicylic acid or willow bark. It can also benefit from oil-free formulas and non-greasy moisturizers like hyaluronic acid. Also, witch hazel is an excellent astringent for oily skin, but it’s gentle enough for dry skin, too.
Dry skin does well with hyaluronic acid but needs additional moisture. There’s nothing wrong with a toner that contains aloe and lightweight natural oils rich in vitamins and nutrients to strengthen the skin. Since dry skin tends to have a weak barrier against dehydration, toners with ceramides and panthenol are a bonus.
Sensitive skin will do better without perfumes, artificial fragrances, and complicated formulas. Keep it simple with essentials like green tea and Centella asiatica, a soothing herb.
Normal skin might not need a toner, but there’s no harm in using one to keep the skin clean and healthy. Check out the green tea toner below as it’s ideal for normal to oily skin.
Best Green Tea Toners in 2023
ISNTREE Green Tea Fresh Hydrating Face Toner
Here’s a popular Korean green tea toner for oily to normal skin. It’s watery and refreshing, so you only need two or three drops for the entire face.
The formula has no artificial fragrance or perfume, but it has a slight woodsy scent from the natural ingredients. It has a high concentration (80%) of Jeju Island green tea extract, making it one of the most potent antioxidant toners available. In fact, this particular species of green tea is especially high in polyphenols, amino acids, and minerals.
But that’s not all that’s inside the bottle. The toner also has Centella asiatica to heal inflamed skin and allantoin to soothe it. A proprietary blend of botanicals calms sebum production, too.
Users say that using the toner every day reduces redness and gradually makes large pores less noticeable. What’s also nice is that it boosts the skin’s hydration to make the complexion dewy but not greasy. The effects last for twenty-four hours after applying it.
Lastly, it’s dermatologist-tested and given a green rating by the EWG Skin Deep Database. It has no parabens, artificial colors, formaldehyde, petrolatum derivatives, drying alcohol, or phenoxyethanol.
Pros:
- The perfect toner for normal to oily skin
- 80% concentration of green tea from Jeju Island with a potent blend of polyphenols, amino acids, and minerals
- No artificial fragrance, color, parabens, drying alcohol, petroleum derivatives, or other nasty chemicals
- Hydrates for up to twenty-four hours while controlling sebum production
Cons:
- None
PURITO Centella Green Level Calming Toner
Some toners have the consistency of water, but this one is slightly viscous which feels pleasant on a sensitive, dry face. Just a little bit goes a long way. If you take acne medication, it will help calm redness and soothe the skin, helping rehydrate the dry patches. That’s not surprising as one of the key ingredients is Centella asiatica, also known as tiger grass or cica. It draws water into the skin, reduces inflammation, and promotes healing.
Moreover, people with combination skin love this toner, too. It moisturizes the T-zone without making it oily and leaves the cheeks smooth and ready to absorb moisturizer. Part of its secret is the slightly acidic pH. Plus, it has hyaluronic acid in tiny molecules that penetrate deep into the skin to plump it.
Lastly, the toner has panthenol, or vitamin B5, that strengthens the skin’s natural barrier. Happily, there is no artificial fragrance, just a natural scent from the botanical ingredients. Some of these include bergamot, geranium, ylang-ylang, and rose oils.
This product is vegan and cruelty-free with no artificial fragrance or parabens. It’s packaged in a bottle made of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic and boxed and upcycled sugarcane fibers printed with soy ink.
Pros:
- Rich in green tea, Centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol to soothe redness, promote healing, and rehydrate
- Features botanicals like bergamot, geranium, and ylang-ylang
- Ideal for combination complexions and acne-prone skin
- No artificial fragrance or parabens
- Packaged in postconsumer recycled and sustainable materials
Cons:
- None
BENTON Deep Green Tea Toner
Here’s the best green tea toner for oily skin. Not only does it control shine, but it also makes pores look smaller and reduces breakouts. Some call it the Holy Grail toner for acne.
First, it has green tea right from the source in Boseong, Korea where it’s carefully brewed to maximum strength. In fact, it’s 53% green tea!
Then, the toner includes willow bark and pomegranate extracts. The former is where salicylic acid comes from, a powerful anti-acne ingredient that unclogs pores and exfoliates dead skin. It’s also an anti-inflammatory that’s related to aspirin. Meanwhile, the latter is an excellent source of vitamin C, known to improve tone and clarity and promote firmer skin.
Just as important, it’s dermatologist-tested and formulated to avoid irritation with no artificial fragrances or colors. It’s also mildly acidic to help the skin retain hydration.
Pros:
- Over half the formula consists of green tea from Boseong, Korea
- Also has willow bark and pomegranate to reduce shine, unclog pores, and even skin tone
- Anti-inflammatory to calm redness
- Mildly acidic and moisturizing
- Dermatologically tested and free of artificial fragrances and colors
Cons:
- None
COSRX One Step Green Hero Calming Pad
Did you know that you can use toner to take off your makeup or wash your face when you’re in a hurry? This one is ready to use as it’s a jar of saturated toner pads. Each cotton pad is two-sided: one side has an embossed texture for exfoliation and the other is smooth to finish treating the skin.
Seventy-five percent of the toner is green tea water for a quick infusion of antioxidants and moisture. Next, 2% is Centella asiatica to clear up acne and heal inflammation. Last is 2% witch hazel, a wonderful astringent that balances the skin and tightens pores.
If you’re familiar with this brand, you already know they are cruelty-free and never include parabens or harsh ingredients in their products.
Pros:
- Saturated toner pads with two different textures: one for exfoliating, one for soothing
- Three-fourths of the formula consists of green tea water
- Also has Centella asiatica and witch hazel to balance the skin and treat inflammation
- Cruelty-free, contains no parabens
Cons:
- None
Ambi Even & Clear Intense Clarifying Toner
Are you frustrated with acne scars or breakouts? This toner is designed to clear up acne and fade discoloration. It doesn’t work overnight, but give it a couple of weeks and you should see a noticeable improvement.
It’s designed to be used twice a day after washing your face. Although it’s a spray bottle, we highly recommend spritzing it on a cotton pad and wiping it across the face to ensure a concentrated application.
It has salicylic acid, the number one anti-acne medication to keep pores clear and get rid of blemishes. In conjunction with witch hazel and plenty of vitamin C, it works miracles on pimples.
However, it’s the kojic acid and bearberry that get rid of the acne scars by stopping the skin from making too much melanin. At the same time, licorice root evens out skin tone and reduces redness.
Along with green tea, it has other natural extracts like chamomile and cucumber to calm the skin.
Pros:
- Combats acne and hyperpigmentation, clarifies the complexion
- Has salicylic acid, green tea, and witch hazel to combat acne
- Kojic acid and bearberry fade hyperpigmentation and prevent new acne scars from forming
- Calms the skin with chamomile, cucumber, and licorice root
Cons:
- It provides better results when applied with a pad or cotton ball instead of simply sprayed on the skin
- Has an artificial fragrance, but it’s one of the last ingredients
TONYMOLY The Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Skin
Talk about dedication – the green tea in this toner is fermented in sunlight for over a year. As you might imagine, this special ChungTaeJeon tea offers an intense dose of nutrients and antioxidants for the skin.
The toner has a soft but perky lemon fragrance from lemon seed oil which is naturally antibacterial. It’s also enriched with vitamin C and rosewood oil. Happily, there are no parabens, perfumes, or artificial colors. However, it contains alcohol.
It’s packaged in a squirt bottle that shoots out the liquid in a stream. This is handy in one way because it keeps the contents from getting contaminated, but it won’t work well for spritzing the skin. It’s better to squirt the toner onto a cotton pad.
Pros:
- Features fermented green tea brewed in sunlight for over a year
- Intense dose of antioxidants with extra vitamin C, lemon seed, and rosewood oils
- No parabens, perfumes, or dyes
Cons:
- In a squirt bottle instead of a spray bottle or something that could be poured, but the design prevents contamination
- Contains alcohol
Conclusion
Green tea toner is outstanding for all skin types, and especially helpful for combination and oily complexions. It’s rich in antioxidants to promote flawless skin.
We hope our reviews helped you find your new favorite facial toner today. If so, please tell us about your experience with it in the comments below.
Source:
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10926734/ Katiyar SK, Ahmad N, Mukhtar H. Green tea and skin. Arch Dermatol. 2000 Aug;136(8):989-94. doi: 10.1001/archderm.136.8.989. PMID: 10926734, accessed October 7, 2021