Best Toners for Oily and Acne-Prone Skin

For my first post this 2017, I decided to update an article I wrote a while back that received a lot of hits—Best Toners for Oily Skin. But I added a little twist to this article and made it Best Toners for Oily and Acne-Prone Skin, because usually when you have oily skin (like me), you’re also more prone to breakouts, which sucks.

I’ve also become more particular about the ingredients found in the products I use, especially after working in the beauty industry and running a beauty blog for three years now. For example, my dermatologist advised me to stay away from products that contain lanolin or wool alcohol, and lauril sulfate—because these are products that trigger my breakouts.

For toners, I always look for ones that contain salicylic acid because it cleans the pores, evens out the skin, controls oiliness, and best of all—treats and prevents acne.

Below are four tried-and-tested facial toners that I’ve used for a while and yielded positive results. Just a reminder though (and I always say this here on the blog) is that what works for me may not always work for you, and what works for you may not always work for me. However, I wanted to list these four toners because of its wonderful effects on my skin. You can try to experiment and see what works best for you, but if none of these work, let me know so I can maybe recommend something else.

1. Avene Eau Thermale Cleanance Mat – Mattifying Toner

This is a relatively new product by one of my favorite skincare brands, Avene. If you’ve been following the blog for a while now, you’d know that their Cleanance Gel and Cleanance Lotion Toner are staples in my skincare routine. I think I’ve been using them both for five years now. But Avene recently pulled out the Cleanance Lotion Toner (I honestly freaked out when I found out) and reformulated it with the now Cleanance Mat Mattifying Toner (imagine my relief after).

It’s a new and improved formula that still contains salicylic acid along with their Thermal Spring Water that soothes, softens and calms the skin, monolaurin that reduces excess oil, and zinc gluconate that soothes irritation and redness. It also has silica absorbent powders that give its mattifying effect, which is why I love using this as my day toner to help keep my skin shine-free.

You can get this at selected Mercury Drug, Watsons, and SM Beauty stores for Php 1,660.

2. Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Cooling Toner

I discovered this product a few months ago when Avene pulled out the Cleanance Lotion Toner and I had just run out. In my state of panic, I ran to every Watsons, Mercury Drug, and SM Beauty stores only to find this in Watsons Greenbelt 1.

The first thing I looked at was the ingredient list, and I was relieved to find that it contained salicylic acid. It also had glycolic acid, which not only brightens the skin but also promotes the renewal of cells. I love that this toner saved me when Avene’s was out of stock, which is why I now use this as my night-time toner.

My favorite thing about it aside from its affordable price (only Php 351 at BeautyMNL!) is the cooling sensation right after you apply it. This is definitely perfect for oily and acne-prone skin, however, if your skin is more on the sensitive side, I suggest to gradually introduce the product by applying it once every other day, then eventually everyday.

3. Pixi Glow Tonic

When Glamourbox first brought in Pixi’s Glow Tonic in late 2014, I was so surprised with the positive feedback it gained from beauty editors, bloggers, and customers. In fact, it was so successful that it was always out of stock days after it was replenished in stores.

The Glow Tonic was first made available in the UK, and because of the raves and amazing reviews by UK beauty bloggers, it was also brought to the US and eventually the Philippines. Since then, I’ve read and heard nothing but good things about it.

To be honest, I was a bit skeptical to try it at first because when it comes to skincare, it’s hard to convert me to other products when my current lineup is already working wonders for me. It also didn’t help that Pixi’s Glow Tonic doesn’t have salicylic acid, which is the one ingredient I always look for in my toners. But because of the hype, I decided to try it for myself and was not disappointed. It didn’t cause any breakouts, my skin didn’t react negatively to it, and the glycolic acid helped to brighten up my complexion.

This is currently my mom’s toner, and she absolutely loves it. In fact, she has two extra bottles of these in her stash because of the fact that it goes out of stock often.

Just remember that if you’re using glycolic acid, always apply sunblock to protect your skin because since glycolic acid gently exfoliates to reveal a fresh layer, it leaves the skin a bit more vulnerable to the sun.

You can grab Pixi’s Glow Tonic in three sizes (Php 1,690 for the 250ml, Php 990 for the 100ml and Php 390 for the 15ml) over at Glamourbox.

4. Human Nature Balancing Face Toner

Last but not the least is Human Nature’s Balancing Face Toner, which was sent to me by the brand about three months ago. Like Pixi’s Glow Tonic, it doesn’t have salicylic acid either but it’s made with natural ingredients that make it ideal for sensitive skin. I tried it for a couple of weeks and was happy with the results. My brother’s girlfriend, Karina, also says this was the only toner that worked well on her—and that’s saying a lot because she has really sensitive skin, and also suffers from psoriasis.

You can get this for only Php 185 at BeautyMNL.

So those are my highly recommended toners for oily and acne-prone skin. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments so I can answer them! Wishing you all a flawless 2017 ahead!