Do you really need a toner? Seven options for every skin type

Here's a short, no-nonsense round-up of seven lotions and toners for every skin type — including the most sensitive. The aim? To cleanse and brighten every complexion, without turning your routine into a ten-step performance.

In the daily beauty ritual, between make-up removal or cleansing and your day or night moisturiser, toner is the next step. Is it really necessary, or just a leftover from another era of cosmetics? Honestly, a toner is not compulsory. Used well, though, it can be the step that earns its place between cleansing and moisturising.

After make-up remover or cleanser, residue often remains: minerals from hard water, traces of oil, tiny bits of make-up. A toner finishes the cleanse, rebalances the hydrolipidic film and prepares skin for the serum that follows. It also aims to counter the drying effects of water that's too hard, treat the skin and get it ready for moisturiser. As with any skincare, choose according to skin type: clarifying and mattifying for combination to oily skin; soothing and hydrating for dry and sensitive skin.

Decléor Aroma Cleanse Tonifying Lotion. Tonifying and cleansing, this lotion is aimed at all skin types and primarily set out to cleanse gently while putting the finishing touch to make-up removal. Formulated with essential oils, as Decléor products tend to be, it contains lavender, petitgrain and orange extracts, among others, to wake up the complexion while treating it.

The reality? The scent is gorgeous, the lotion is gentle and refreshing, and it's a proper pleasure to use. It removes the last traces of make-up and cleanser beautifully and gives the complexion a lovely brightness. Skin feels clean and fresh — perfect in the morning before day cream and make-up, and in the evening after cleansing. One caveat: very sensitive skins may flush or redden with this one. It is genuinely tonifying, but it can slightly irritate unpredictable complexions, so it's best for normal, combination and oily skin, or for dry skin that isn't prone to redness or irritation.

Melvita Apicosma Hydrating Lotion. This is the one for dry, sensitive and irritated skin. Alcohol-free and made with rose water, honey and immortelle, this very gentle lotion is all about hydration: it soothes and softens while neutralising the irritating effects of hard water. After cleansing — whether with water or a make-up remover — sweep a cotton pad soaked in lotion over the face and neck, let it sink in, then apply your day or night moisturiser.

The scent is discreet and pleasant, and the lotion doesn't sting or irritate; it visibly softens the skin. It's a cocooning kind of product. Worth remembering: choose it for its formula and tolerance, not because the bottle looks prettiest on the shelf.

Dior Tonique Magique Mattifying Toner. This one is for unpredictable skin — combination and oily types with enlarged pores, excess sebum and blemishes. It contains white tea extracts, a liquorice derivative and alcohol, an ingredient that turns up often in mattifying toners and is best avoided by sensitive skin.

Ideal for finishing make-up removal, it leaves skin clear and clean with its astringent effect, helps pores look tighter, helps reduce the appearance of minor blemishes and mattifies shine. We like its fresh scent, which — a bonus — doesn't smell of alcohol, and its immediate cooling effect. On the other hand, it's genuinely tonifying, so use it sparingly: one application a day is enough to help avoid irritation.

The application? A few drops in the palms, then pat — don't rub. A soaked cotton pad works too, but it drinks more product, a detail that matters when you reach the end of the bottle.

Clarins Alcohol-Free Toning Lotions with Iris and Camomile. Clarins looks after every skin type with two toning lotions: camomile for dry skin and iris for combination to oily skin.

What they share is the absence of alcohol, for a high-tolerance product that treats skin gently. Nice scents, fresh textures and cheerful bottles make both practical and pleasant to use. They remove every trace of make-up, cleanse while caring for the skin and leave it clean and ready for the next steps. One small niggle: the iris lotion leaves a slight film on the skin, so avoid it if you prefer a neutral finish.

Then compare textures for yourself: a fluid formula sinks in faster and suits combination skin well; a richer texture leaves a film that feels pleasant on dry skin but less comfortable in hot weather.

Carita Lotion Poudrée Idéal Contrôle. A lotion doubled up with a proper mattifying treatment — that's what Carita offers with this two-phase 'powdery' lotion. On the menu: a product that, as well as cleansing, is astringent and mattifying, refines skin texture and helps remove impurities. Quite a billing. We fell for its very fresh scent, which wakes you up first thing, and its soft texture, which doesn't leave a greasy film. The efficacy is there, although on its own it won't stop shine; paired with a suitable day moisturiser, it's convincing. The catch? The price. It's a luxury treatment, as is often the case with Carita.

Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Fresh Toning Lotion. This is one we appreciate for its wake-up call. Formulated with a touch of menthol, it gives a cooling effect, temporarily refined-looking pores and a brighter complexion — ideal for waking up your face in the morning, cleansing skin and preparing it for day cream. In skincare terms, it aims to balance and is intended for normal to combination skin. That cooling kick, though, could make sensitive or dry skin feel flushed, so it's best avoided by anyone prone to redness. A big plus for its divine scent: the ideal toner for summer.

Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion. Here we have a two-in-one: a cleansing and make-up removing lotion formulated especially for ultra-sensitive and irritated skin. Made largely of thermal spring water, with a gentle plant-derived cleanser added, it removes make-up and cleanses thoroughly, is fragrance-free, doesn't strip the skin and isn't greasy; it's formulated to limit the risk of irritation on intolerant skin. The texture is fluid and fresh, leaves no film and doesn't need rinsing. A high-tolerance product, then, that soothes and reduces the tightness of dry skin; follow it with a spritz of thermal spring water and a moisturiser.

One note: for removing face make-up, the Avène lotion is excellent; for heavily made-up eyes, it's better to use a dedicated eye make-up remover, bi-phase if the make-up is waterproof or long-wear.

Léna's verdict: yes, a toner has a place in a routine — on one condition. It should answer a real need in your skin, not tick a box out of habit.

Price guide

Price gaps come down to formula, patented actives, organic certification (which pushes up the cost of raw materials) and where you buy. A large size often works out cheaper per litre than a small travel bottle — but only if you're sure you'll finish it before it spoils. The original French price check put gentle, simple formulas at around €9–€11, branded 200 ml lotions at €19–€24 and the most elaborate treatments at up to €34. In the UK, those figures don't translate neatly into pounds, so check the current £ RRP and any promotion at your chosen retailer. Where you shop matters too: a chemist or pharmacy, a beauty hall and a supermarket won't offer the same discounts.

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