While they may not look too dissimilar to your average post-cleanse toner, acid toners (also known as liquid exfoliants) actually do a whole lot more leg work.
Sure, they're applied in the same way (cotton pad gently swept over your face), but they take it up a notch by resurfacing your skin and sloughing away any dead cells, in turn ridding your complexion of fine lines, emptying blocked pores, reducing the appearance of imperfections and generally leaving you with brighter, smoother, healthier finish.
It's all thanks to the inclusion of exfoliating ingredients such as BHAs (salicylic acid) that are ideal for blemish-prone skin and AHAs (lactic acid, glycolic acid) which will work their magic on pretty much any skin type, other than very sensitive.
Here are eight acid toners worth their weight in gold...
Zelens PHA+ Bio-Peel pads, £52Infused with a quad of hydroxyl acids to gradually resurface your skin, these little pads will reduce the appearance of fine lines, banish dullness and empty clogged pores. While they're powerful, they've also been carefully formulated by the one and only Dr Marko Lens to be non-irritating and hydrate as well as exfoliate, to leave your skin plump, bright and quenched.
Pixi Glow Tonic, £18The secret to a healthy glow. Oil and alcohol-free, the combination of aloe vera, ginseng, witch hazel and glycolic acid in this gentle but astringent toner work in unison to firm and soften the skin, while pumping oxygen to your skin cells for an all over boost in radiance.
Perricone MD Pre:empt Series Exfoliating Pore Refiner, £40This clever, lightweight formula from Dr. Perricone will gently yet effectively exfoliate your skin to refine the appearance of imperfections, leaving your complexion smooth and radiant. It offers a great alternative if you can't use abrasive exfoliators and is specially designed to target the first signs of aging.
Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme, £14.95 These citrusy scented pads not only contain 5% glycolic acid, but also lactic (great for dehydrated skin), salicylic and mandelic alongside niacinamide - making them a powerful treatment if you'd like to treat blemishes, resurface your skin, improve elasticity and reduce acne scarring.
Alpha H Liquid Gold, £33.50Alpha H Liquid Gold is slightly different to other acid toners, namely because you leave it on overnight so in a sense, it's more like an exfoliating night treatment. And it does far more than a toner, too. Designed to be used 3 nights a week, the key ingredient is glycolic acid which clears any dead skin cells from your complexion. It causes your skin's PH level to drop, which forces your skin to behave like it's younger by accelerating the production of hyaluronic acid, elastin and collagen. If you have blemishes, large pores, scarring or other imperfections this essentially revs up the speed at which your skin repairs itself.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Astringent Micro-Exfoliant Lotion, £12Ideal for oily skin types, sweep a dash of this toner over your complexion a few nights a week to give it a refresh. Citric acid (an AHA) helps enhance your skins cell turnover, while salicylic acid - one of the most popular ingredients for treating blemishes - is a dream for troubled skin by clearing blackheads, soothing any inflammation and preventing clogged pores.
Biologique Recherche Lotion P50, £55While it may have a pretty strong scent of vinegar, the payoff is totally worth it. It's formulated to maintain your skin's pH, exfoliate, regulate any excessive sebum production (oil) and even prevent/treat ingrown hairs. It combines a mega line-up of acids - citric, lactic, malic (great for boosting collagen), phytic and salicylic - to strip back your skin and resurface. What's more, it works a treat on hyper pigmentation.
Clinique Clarifying Lotion, £19 If your suffer from sensitive skin, this is the acid toner for you. The gentle lotion will sweep away any dead skin cells to reveal a clearer complexion and perfectly prep your skin for moisturiser.
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