Understanding Toner vs Serum in Skincare

You’ve likely come across toners and serums on your search for a holy grail skin care product. Both skin care products come in a liquid form that boast skin benefits to rejuvenate your skin. So, are these products the same?

The short answer is no. Toners and serums each serve a unique purpose, even if a few of their benefits do overlap.

Fortunately, we’re here to take a microscope to the serum vs toner debate so that you can shop wisely—and, if you so choose, weave both products into your skin care routine for an extra dose of radiance and softness.

What is a Toner?

A toner is a cleansing skincare product used between washing your face and applying your moisturizer and/or serum. (Note the steps here—a topic we’ll discuss more later.) Upon impact, toners do triple duty: 

• Deep cleanse your pores to remove any impurities that may have been missed when washing your face—like dirt, sebum, and makeup [1].
• Restore the pH balance of your skin, which can be altered by everything from your age and genetics to environmental pollution and, yes, even the cleanser you use to wash your face [2].
• Provide your skin with its first hydration burst post-cleanse before applying your other products.

What Are the Main Benefits of Toners?

While toners once had a bad rap for causing dry skin, modern formulas have scored a coveted spot on the 10-step, K-beauty glass skin routine because of the benefits they can offer [3].

Ever wonder what does toner do for your face? Here are a few of the biggest potential pluses of toning your skin:

• Enhanced nutrition – Every part of our body requires essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients—and our skin is no different. Plus, as the first line of defense against the world, it also needs a ton of protection to keep you safe (first and foremost) and glowing. Toners work toward this by featuring ingredients like antioxidants, which help stave off oxidative damage and the premature aging that comes with it, and calming ingredients like chamomile, which combats bacteria without shifting your pH balance [4].
• Improved hydration – Hydration is the golden ticket to smooth, lustrous, and glowing skin. While cleansing is fundamental, it can also strip your skin of its natural oils, mainly if you use a cleanser with shady ingredients (like crushed walnuts) or harsh chemicals, like parabens [5]. Today’s toners boast a wealth of hydrating ingredients from grapeseed oil to mineral water.
• Enriched skincare results – Toners’ ability to thoroughly cleanse your face puts your skin in a prime position to soak up the products that follow in your skincare routine. Common examples include, a daily moisturizer with SPF or your go-to night cream. Plus, the improved hydration that toners provide allows other products to penetrate your epidermis (the top layer of your skin) rather than just hovering on the surface of your skin barrier. 
• Minimized breakouts – Contemporary toners won’t treat acne or completely fix  acne-prone skin, per se. Still, certain formulas can help you sidestep blemishes and blackheads by removing the sweat and makeup you didn’t catch when cleansing.

What Are the Primary Ingredients in Toners?

The toners of the 80s and 90s were heavy on alcohol. Nowadays, toners are mainly water-based and feature a host of healing ingredients, depending on the type you choose and its chief purpose. For instance, ingredients may include [6][7]:

• Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs)
• Herbal extracts
• Amino acids
• Propolis
• Rosewater
• Aloe vera
• Salicylic acid

It’s important to note that not all toners are the same. In fact, the ingredients found in your toner will depend on what the toner was deliberately designed to address: for instance, acne, dullness, or dryness. The sheer number of toners available today means you’re bound to find a formula that will help you reach your specific skincare goals. But PROVEN Skincare simplifies your search with AI-powered technology to infuse the benefits of toner into your personalized skincare set.

What is a Serum?

Serums are lightweight but potent solutions specifically designed to target a bevy of skincare woes, such as:

• Hyperpigmentation 
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Dryness and/or dullness
• Acne

The prevailing concept behind serums is that their elevated concentrations of active molecules can get through the top layer of your skin barrier more effectively to reach your dermis—the middle layer of your skin where magic-like plumpness and elasticity happen [8].

Also, while it may take up to six weeks to see the results of a new moisturizer, serums’ fast-acting properties may deliver more noticeable results sooner. At the same time, the active ingredients—which we’ll touch upon shortly—need to be “sealed in” for maximum effect with a moisturizer, whose principal role is to act as a humectant [9].

What Are the Main Benefits of Serums?

• Brighter skin – Some serums are crafted with superstar skincare ingredients, like vitamin C, which can help revivify dullness, brighten your complexion, and improve your overall luminosity [10].
• More balanced skin tone – Many serums are formulated with anti-inflammatory ingredients that can temper redness, reduce hyperpigmentation, and even out your skin tone—a boon for anyone who wants a flawless complexion [11].
• Reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles – Serums created with anti-aging ingredients like retinol may soften the sight of aging, encourage collagen production, and boost firmness and elasticity [12]. 
• Protection from oxidative damage – Serums that are rich in ingredients like green tea and resveratrol—two natural antioxidants—may help protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation, environmental pollution, and more [13].

What Are the Primary Ingredients in Serums?

The ingredients found within a serum depend entirely on the serum you choose. In addition to common ingredients like Vitamin C and retinol, serums may contain:

• Hyaluronic acid
• Vitamin E
• Ferulic acid
• Astaxanthin

Serum vs Toner: How Are They Similar?

Skincare products have become so advanced that trying to figure out how one compares and differentiates from another can be downright dizzying.

When it comes to toner vs serum, both accomplish similar goals: they bless your skin with rejuvenating ingredients and bump up hydration. Both are also absorbed quickly and can smooth out your skin’s texture.

Toner vs Serum: How Are They Different?

Still,need further clarification? In case you’re in a rush when stocking up on skincare products, here are the core differences you need to know:

• Consistency – Serums have a slightly thicker consistency than toners. Indeed, the latter bears a resemblance to micellar water.
• Purpose – Toners are crafted to deep cleanse, rehab your skin’s pH balance, hydrate, and prep your skin for products. Serums are one of those products—and they’re formulated to provide targeted nourishment and promote specific goals, like combatting the signs of aging.
• Packaging – Toners typically come in larger bottles and are applied with a cotton pad. Due to having highly concentrated ingredients, serums are typically packaged in smaller bottles, occasionally with a dropper.

In What Order Should You Use Toners and Serums?

If you’ve ever wondered how to use face toner or a serum, it’s crucial to know that the order in which you use and apply your skincare products does make a difference. This is one of the reasons why the glass skin routine is broken down into steps. Ideally, if you’re using both a toner and a serum, your routine should look like this:

• Wash your face with a gentle but powerful facial cleanser. Pat—not rub furiously—dry.
• Apply a toner with a cotton ball or bamboo pad (or your fingers, if you’re searching for ways to reduce waste) while your skin is still slightly damp.
• Gently massage a serum into your skin.
• Apply a moisturizer to lock in hydration. 

Do You Need Toners and Serums?

Cleansing, moisturizing, and shielding your skin from the sun’s harmful rays with an SPF are pretty much non-negotiable parts of any effective and healthy skincare routine; anything else you add to this can be thought of as extra credit.

Toners and serums fall into this latter category. With their capacity to purify, replenish, hydrate, and medicate your skin, they can amplify its health, integrity, texture, and luminosity. That said, they’re totally optional. You can use one or another, both, or neither. 

If you’re already bemoaning a skincare routine that has more moving parts and complexities than a physics equation, consider seeking out hybrid products, like toner-serum hybrids or PROVEN’s customized facial cleanser, which purifies, exfoliates, and tones all at once.

Clarify and Nourish Your Complexion with PROVEN Skincare

Ultimately, there is no toner vs serum debate. The right formulas can do wonders for your skin, helping you obtain and sustain a clear, fresh, supple, and gorgeous complexion.

But the emphasis here is on the right formulas— which is precisely where PROVEN Skincare can help. After taking a quick but thorough skincare quiz, we’ll pair you with products that offer the exact science-backed ingredients you need to confront your biggest skin concerns. In other words, we’re here to simplify your skincare regime while delivering beautiful, radiant results.

Take our questionnaire today to experience the benefits of customized skincare that’s just as unique as you.