Summertime is here! Days are getting longer and warmer, and your skin’s needs may be changing with the seasons. Warmer days might mean more inflammation and redness, sun-damage and hyperpigmentation, or excess oiliness that could lead to pesky breakouts. As such, it’s important to reassess your routine and see what swaps you might need to make to keep it healthy and happy this summer.

We love toners (or skins as they are sometimes called in Asian beauty) for their flexibility - you can use them to lightly hydrate and treat the skin before proceeding with heavier products, or thinly and repeatedly layered to give your skin a deep drink of moisture and nutrition, or even mist them across your face for a refreshing midday treatment. Here are our top picks for summer toners that can help soothe, cool, brighten, and balance your skin so it can look its best everywhere under the sun.

Soothing and Cooling

Perhaps the most common skin problem during the summer is inflammation caused by the hotter temperatures. Some of you may experience increased redness and irritation because of the heat. If you experience these symptoms, worry not! There are several skincare ingredients known to help cool your skin’s temperature and calm down inflammation.

We all probably know about the calming properties of Centella asiatica extract (also known as cica). But for those of you who don’t, this star ingredient is a mainstay in K-beauty formulations for a reason! Cica is known to boost collagen production, speed up wound healing, and soothe irritation. Tigers have been observed rolling in fields of the plant to heal their wounds in the wild! You can find it in many cult favorite products like the CosRX Centella Water Alcohol Free Toner, the Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Toner, and the Purito Centella Green Level Toner.

Heartleaf (Houttuynia cordata) is a lesser known but equally powerful natural extract and it is the hero ingredient of the Goodal Calming Essence Mist. Heartleaf boasts of many calming and healing properties, including a clinically proven ability to lower the skin’s temperature and soothe skin damaged by UV rays.

While the Goodal Mist is technically not a toner but an essence, (Confused? Check out our article about the different K-Beauty skincare steps!) it has a light formulation delivered through a fine mist so you can think of it as an extra potent toner, conveniently packaged so you can carry it around and spray as needed throughout the day.

Always remember that what works on your face can also help with irritation on the rest of your body! You can try to apply your favorite soothing toner to calm down itchy heat rash spots.

Brightening

I’m sure we’re all doing our best to stay on top of sun protection. However no sunblock (and no skincare addict) can always be perfect! As such, it can be important to have products in your arsenal to help deal with sun damage, especially if you’re trying to prevent or treat hyperpigmentation and skin dullness.

The I’m From Rice Toner is formulated with rice extract and niacinamide, known brightening ingredients that help minimize the appearance of pigmentation caused by sun exposure. It also helps even out the complexion for a bright, summery glow.

Niacinamide is also an ingredient that fortifies the skin barrier so it can bounce back quicker from any damage the sun’s rays might inflict on your skin.

The toner has a light, milky texture that leaves a bit of emollience on your skin, which means it can stand in for a cream moisturizer when layered in the summer. Perfect for cutting down your skin care routine and keeping it light on warm, sunny mornings!

Balancing

Changing weather conditions may sometimes throw your skin off its natural balance, resulting in oilier, more acne-prone skin — especially if the heat leaves your skin feeling more dehydrated than normal. For this, we love the do-it-all iUNIK Tea Tree Relief Toner to help restore your skin’s balance and prevent breakouts and excess sebum production.

The iUNIK Tea Tree Relief Toner’s hero ingredient is 67% tea tree leaf water, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. Tea tree is known to help combat against acne because of these properties. Meanwhile, hydrating and soothing ingredients such as Centella asiatica leaf water, Portulaca extract, and iUNIK’s signature 6-sprout extracts help restore skin moisture to prevent the production of excess oil.

Any of these toners catch your eye? Check out our shop for the products mentioned above. Always remember that your skin is already beautiful and you should treat it with kindness!

Love from the Peaches&Creme team 😎☀️