5 Best Vegan Face Toners for Pristine Skin

As a busy mom, I’m always looking for a quick way to improve my beauty routine. I discovered toners as an easy addition to the regular cleanse and moisturize regimen.

Not all toners are created equal so it’s important to find the right one that works for you!

In a Hurry? Here’s Our Quick List of Top Picks

• Era Organics Facial Toner & Organic Face Mist
• Teddie Organics Rose Water Facial Toner Spray
• InstaNatural Rose Water Facial Toner
• Christina Moss Facial Toner
• Dr. Alkaitis Organic Herbal Toner

How Are Vegan Facial Toners Different?

It’s important to note the differences from other toners when selecting a vegan toner.

Vegan toners contain natural, plant-based ingredients that are typically not as harsh as their non-vegan counterparts. They are also cruelty-free.

Some examples of ingredients to avoid include hyaluronic acid, traditionally derived from rooster combs.

Also, fats and oils derived from animals, and any ingredients from bees such as honey or royal jelly which are often utilized.

Rather than searching through the ingredients label, it helps me to look for a certified vegan and cruelty-free product.

How to Choose the Best Toner

When choosing a facial toner you should look at the ingredients and the specific benefits of each.

For instance, during the winter months, or in dry climates look for ingredients that are soothing and hydrating such as aloe vera.

If you’re concerned about controlling your acne, then a toner with astringents like witch hazel would do the trick.

If you have conditions like rosacea or extremely sensitive skin, looking for a toner without astringents that has pure, naturally anti-inflammatory ingredients would be optimal.

These are all things to consider when shopping for the best one that works for you!

Here’s a helpful video explaining toners and tips for choosing the best one for your skin type:

Are Facial Toners Safe or Even Necessary?

In our vast retail market across the globe you’ll find many different types of toners all claiming they are the best. Though are they even necessary? Are they safe?

It comes down to what your individual needs are and how toners can help.

Some may need toners to help control oil and dirt which can lead to acne. Others may want toners to boost their beauty routine or prep the skin for other products.

So are they safe? In short—yes. However, depending on your skin type, you should pay close attention to which kind you use.

Traditionally, toners were made with very harsh ingredients.

However, these days, there has been more attention paid to adding beneficial ingredients like essential oils, extracts, and other ingredients to help sooth, calm, and protect the skin.

Furthermore, as the vegan market is revolutionizing, you’ll find more and more products free from animal derived ingredients and cruelty-free.

So not only are they safe for you, but they are safe for earth’s beloved animals!

What are the Advantages and Benefits of Using Toners?

For starters, toners are great for refreshing your face, balancing your skin’s pH, and shrinking pores. They are useful as an extra layer of protection on your skin and can add moisture.

Why is it important to balance your skin’s pH? pH levels indicate the acidity in your skin on a scale of 0 to 14 with the ideal being 7.

Toners can help you reach this ideal neutral skin acidity that will help your skin be less prone to oiliness and infection.

Toners protect your skin by removing toxins such as environmental elements like smog and chemicals. It also hydrates and provides a protective layer on your skin’s surface to ward off any of those toxins.

Acne is a problem for a lot of us (me included)! We all hope for clear skin into adulthood after the teenage misery, but often can be still there.

Thankfully toners are great for controlling and even clearing acne by removing oil build-up and dirt from your pores. Also, a lot of toners include anti-inflammatory ingredients to help calm acne down.

If your skin appears to be aging, certain toners contain natural anti-aging ingredients which protect and even feed your skin cells.

Finally, some toners are quite versatile and can be used in other areas on your body!

Some Key Things to Look for in Facial Toners

Attributes to look for that differentiate the products on our list are—you guessed it—the ingredients!

Most of the toners contain witch hazel and this seems to be the standard ingredient in toners for its astringent and anti-inflammatory qualities.

However, depending on your skin type, you may want to look for a toner that is witch hazel and alcohol free.

Speaking of alcohol, I like that most of the toners on our list only contain alcohol derived from grapes so it’s less drying.

Other things to look for are the specific ingredients which make each one unique.

Some offer a formula that includes coenzyme Q10 which is anti-aging, and others offer pure rose water for calming, anti-inflammatory action without the drying.

Apple cider vinegar is also a unique ingredient that naturally balances pH.

5 Top Picks for Vegan Facial Toners

Era Organics Facial Toner & Organic Face Mist

This facial toner by Era Organics has several great ingredients including organic aloe vera, witch hazel, orange flower, rose water and apple cider vinegar. It’s great for balancing pH levels on your skin and reduces oil.

Furthermore, it fights bacteria, fungus, and parasites. It minimizes pores for an even complexion and nourishes skin cells.

The apple cider vinegar, while amazing for your skin, can make this smell a bit like vinegar. However, it’s not over-powering and smells quite pleasant.

I also like the company uses a USDA certified organic alcohol derived from grapes! This type of alcohol is not drying like the usual kind, and in small amounts it’s actually good for your skin.

Teddie Organics Rose Water Facial Toner Spray

Teddie Organic’s facial toner is made of 100% pure rose water! I like this toner because of its simple, pure and organic ingredient.

If you suffer from rosacea this might be right for you since it doesn’t contain witch hazel or alcohol which may trigger a rash in some people.

I also love this as it has such a nice, light scent of roses! It also absorbs oil and refreshes your complexion.

Rose water has traditionally been used for years for its natural anti-inflammatory properties, and it can also help with acne, dermatitis, and eczema.

You can also add it to your shampoo for soft and shiny hair!

InstaNatural Rose Water Facial Toner

This Organic Rose Water Toner from InstaNaturals utilizes one ingredient to naturally and effectively tone skin on the face, body, and scalp.

InstaNatural uses only ingredients derived from or made from a renewable resource found in nature and are free from parabens, sulfates, formaldehyde, synthetic dyes, and other harmful ingredients. They do not conduct or commission any animal testing.

The only ingredient in this toner is pure, natural rose water made from organic Rosa Damascena flower petals. Rose water is soothing, hydrating, and revitalizing—balancing the skin’s PH without any harsh or drying ingredients.

Because it is gentle and free of dyes and chemicals, this toner can be used as a facial toner, a bath soak, or even a hair and scalp treatment.

The spray bottle makes it easy to mist onto cotton pads or directly on the body. Just be sure to avoid the eyes and other sensitive areas.

Rose water also has a lovely light scent and really comes to the surface with no other ingredients to mask it.

Christina Moss Facial Toner

Christina Moss is a family-owned company and I like they adhere to providing non-toxic, cruelty-free and (of course) vegan-friendly ingredients!

The toner helps balance pH, tighten pores, and clear the skin.

This one may be for you if you are looking for a toner with anti-aging ingredients.

These include coenzyme Q-10 and edelweiss extract known for protecting your skin cells from damage, and for their natural anti-aging properties.

Working in harmony, these two ingredients are excellent antioxidants!

I like the first ingredient is organic aloe vera which is naturally calming to the skin, and has been traditionally used for its healing properties.

Green tea extract works to boost energy to skin cells and rejuvenate them. It also helps to control acne prone skin.

Dr. Alkaitis Organic Herbal Toner

Roll out the red carpet for this toner—it’s definitely ranked up there with luxury beauty!

Dr. Alkaitis formulated their toner with non-toxic, non-estrogenic compounds and non-oxidative oils.

If you are suffering from oil and acne, and have tried other toners that struck out, this is probably the one for you!

I love the herbal smell from the pure essential oils and herbal complex. They also use grape alcohol which is not as drying.

Additionally, the toner can help soothe and heal burns; acting as a great after-sun tonic.

This is a multi-purpose toner – it acts as a toner, balancer, astringent, and anti-inflammatory!

Top Choice for the Best Vegan Facial Toner

All of the toners on our list have great qualities! However, we’ve picked the top vegan toner that stands out: Era Organics’ Facial Toner & Organic Face Mist.

This toner includes rose water and witch hazel other toners boast for using, but the special ingredient here is the apple cider vinegar, making this unique!

This product does everything you’d expect from a toner like soothing, anti-inflammatory, and moisture, but the apple cider vinegar also helps create a pH balance on your skin. It’s like an all-in-one toner!

At an affordable price and effective formula, we pick this vegan toner as the winner!