A hydrating toner or hydrosol is something that I would recommend for every one of my facial clients to have in their skincare routine. Believe it or not, a simple water-based fluid helps really boost the results of our skincare! Hydrating toners and hydrosols are liquid skincare products that help add and seal more hydration to your skin. Products like these are different than oil clearing, astringent toners that are used to mattify our skin. These hydrating fluids help us achieve better hydration, balance our skin’s barrier, and allow our serums to be more effective. Don’t have something like this in your current skincare routine? After reading this blog I promise you’ll be going out to grab a hydrosol or hydrating toner ASAP.

scrub me secret: skin essences are products that have gained some popularity these past few years. A skin essence is basically just a trendy name for a hydrating toner. skin essences are water-based hydration fluids that contain various ingredients like antioxidants and minerals. for marketing purposes, some companies will label these hydrating fluids as a hydrating mist or toner and others will label them as a skin essence.

Hydrating toner & hydrosol - how they differ:

What is the difference between a hydrating toner and a hydrosol you ask? I’m here with all the info you need! A hydrosol is a water-based product that contains actual plant-based materials distilled from flowers or plants. A very common hydrosol, and my personal favorite, is rose water. Rosewater is made by soaking fresh rose petals in water and then using a distillation method to extract antioxidant-rich floral water from the petals. Chamomile and lavender hydrosols are popular as well.

A hydrating toner is a product that’s a little bit more of a complex formulation vs. a hydrosol. We will actually often find hydrosols or floral water in a hydrating toner product. There are a lot of different hydrating toners on the market, each with a unique formulation of ingredients. These hydrating binding products often, but not always, include ingredients like hyaluronic acid, fruit extracts, & aloe juice. Both hydrosols and hydrating toners are meant to be used after cleanser and/or exfoliation and before serums. If you’d like more information on the correct order to use skincare click here to read a super helpful blog post.

scrub me secret: saturating your skin with a hydrosol or hydrating toner so the surface feels damp is the best way to get the most out of your product! When serums or moisturizers are applied to skin that’s damp with water and hydration binding ingredients it can more easily absorb and lock in moisture.

Hydrating toner/hydrosol for dry skin:

Dry skin types lack moisture, so a hydrating fluid is really beneficial. A product like this not only infuses your skin’s surface with water and hydration but also helps your moisturizer deeply absorb. When a moisturizer is applied to dry skin it softens and treats the surface but doesn't sink in as deeply as we want it to. When you apply a moisturizer to skin that has been saturated with a hydrating toner or hydrosol the moisturizer travels deeper into the skin and works better.

For dry skin types, especially those who live in less humid climates it’s also helpful to mist your skin throughout the day with your hydrating fluid. You can spritz your hydrosol or toner over any makeup, moisturizer, or SPF. It’s a nice way to give dry or dull skin a healthy glow.

scrub me secret: when we are talking skincare, there is a difference between lacking moisture and lacking hydration. the lack of moisture means your skin doesn't contain enough oils or lipids to keep the surface soft and healthy. A lack of hydration means that your skin is dehydrated and lacks water.

Hydrating toner/hydrosol for oily/congested skin:

Believe it or not, skin types that produce excess oils or are congested can benefit from a hydrating fluid as well! These hydrosols and hydrating toners are super lightweight and non-pore clogging so there are no worries there. A hydrating product like this can help pores stay at their tightest. Adding some extra water and hydration to the surface will support the skin’s elasticity, in turn making sure the pores can bounce back after they are cleansed and/or exfoliated. Having a balanced barrier is something else that’s really important for oily and congested skin types; this balance will help to lessen the overproduction of oils.

Oily and congested skin benefit from an oil clearing or astringent toner also. If you have both an astringent toner and a hydrating toner in your routine try using one in the AM and the other product in the PM. You are also welcome to layer your toners if that feels good for your skincare routine. Play around a little and see what’s best for you!

Hydrating toner/hydrosol for sensitive skin:

Sensitive skin types need to be treated with gentle, calming and balancing products. Hydrosols are especially great for sensitive skin types because of their minimal ingredients. Pure distilled rose water has always served my clients with sensitive skin well. A hydrating toner that contains any soothing ingredients like chamomile, CBD, or aloe is also really great for treating sensitive skin. A hydrating fluid will help minimize redness, keep your barrier as balanced as possible, and allows your calming serums and/or moisturizers to work their best.