Korean beauty excels in many longstanding arenas (see: sunscreen), but it’s broken new ground when it comes to prepping skin in particular. And now, the best toner pads have joined the other post-cleanse staples, including face essences and milky toners, to amplify the effects of your skin-care routine and deliver additional layers of hydration to skin.
But the term “toner pads” is a little misleading. “They are much more versatile than simply toner in pad form,” says Y. Claire Chang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. Depending on the exact formulation, they can hydrate, soothe, brighten, and prep skin for the remainder of your routine—often all in addition to exfoliating. That’s in line with Korean beauty’s emphasis on barrier support and consistent yet gentle treatment, as is their general tendency “to avoid any harsh ingredients that will dry out or irritate the skin,” says Jane Yoo, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
Vogue’s Favorite Toner Pads:
To accomplish that, you’ll often find K-beauty heavyweights like cica and heartleaf woven into the pads, where they help make the most of a few swipes. With that in mind, scroll ahead for our expert recommendations.
Best Overall: Aestura A-Cica365 Cooling Relief Toner Pad
Aestura
A-Cica365 Cooling Relief Toner Pad
- Why We Love It: It’s hard to overstate the appeal of Aestura’s toner pads, which have a built-in cooling effect to immediately calm skin. The pads are “packed with hydrating and soothing ingredients, making them ideal for replenishing moisture and reducing inflammation, particularly after retinoids or laser treatments,” says Dr. Chang, who notes that they also stay moist on skin for a long time, locking in hydration. Dr. Yoo, for her part, has also used them in tandem with retinoids, crediting the lineup of Centella asiatica (also known as cica), zinc, and a gentle polyhydroxy acid (a very mild chemical exfoliant) with keeping her own skin calm and comfortable.
- Key Ingredients: Centella asiatic, zinc, polyhydroxy acid
- Best For: Redness or irritated skin, paired with retinoids
Best for Dry Skin: Torriden Dive In 5D Hyaluronic Acid Toner Pads
Torriden
Dive In 5D Hyaluronic Acid Toner Pads
- Why We Love It: Designed with dry and dehydrated skin in mind, these pads have not one, not two, but five molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, allowing them to sink to different layers of skin, and plump them from the inside out. The hyaluronic acid—along with panthenol, allantoin, and ceramides—allow it to function “almost like a mini hydrating mask you can use as a prep step before serum,” says Dr. Yoo. Dr. Chang, for her part, co-signs it for anyone with dry skin as well.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, panthenol, allantoin
- Best For: Dry or dehydrated skin, as well as mature skin
Best for Mature Skin: Biodance Collagen Gel Toner Pads
Biodance
Collagen Gel Toner Pads
- Why We Love It: Biodance might be best known for its overnight face mask, but its toner pads can help maintain plump, smooth skin on a daily basis. They’re infused with the brand’s low molecular collagen, which helps boost skin elasticity; that’s noteworthy since most collagen molecules are too large to penetrate skin.The sheets are also coated in a gel essence for a smooth, seamless feel, which minimizes friction—making these the virtual opposite of an exfoliating pad. All the while, the collagen is accompanied by hyaluronic acid and galactomyces (a fermented yeast extract) to make glass skin a reality with every swipe.
- Key Ingredients: Hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid, galactomyces
- Best For: Those with signs of aging, like fine lines and sagging skin
Best for Large Pores: medicube Toner Pads Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Medicube
Toner Pads Zero Pore Pad 2.0
- Why We Love It: A boon for those with large pores, oily skin, or a combination of the two, these pore pads deliver smoother-looking skin in a few swipes. They pair lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that removes dead cells on the surface of skin, with salicylic acid, which is oil-soluble and can therefore absorb into pores and clear them from the inside out. It’s a potent duo, but one that’s buffered by allantoin and hydrating hyaluronic acid. The pad also has an embossed side for mild physical exfoliation, as well as a silky side that helps press the formula into skin.
- Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, allantoin
- Best For: Oily or acne-prone skin, or those with large pores
Best for Textured Skin: belif PHA 2% Toner Pads
- Why We Love It: Even when they do set out to exfoliate skin, K-beauty’s toner pads tend to take a thoughtful approach, balancing a relatively mild 2% PHA—a far gentler cousin to alpha hydroxy acids—with cica and panthenol, which together help soothe skin. The resulting formula “walks the line between a true exfoliant and a soothing pad,” says Dr. Yoo. The pads are also infused with the brand’s Napiers Original Formula, a blend of soothing, hydrating botanicals that give extra attention to stressed skin. “It’s my go-to recommendation for someone who wants visible texture improvement but has been burned by harsher AHA pads in the past,” Dr. Yoo adds.
- Key Ingredients: Polyhydroxy acid, cica, panthenol
- Best For: Uneven skin texture or dullness
Best for Redness: Abib Heartleaf Spot Pad Calming Touch
Abib
Heartleaf Spot Pad Calming Touch
- Why We Love It: Instead of the typical lineup of cica and allantoin, these gentle pads eschew the usual K-beauty ingredients for heartleaf. “Heartleaf has become a popular soothing and hydrating ingredient with anti-inflammatory properties,” says Dr. Chang. Heartleaf is also antimicrobial, and works alongside wintergreen leaf—a natural source of beta hydroxy acid—to clear pores. But in spite of their efficacy, “these pads are gentle enough for daily use and work well for patients with acne-prone or combination skin who also struggle with redness,” she says.
- Key Ingredients: Heartleaf extract, hyaluronic acid, trehalose, wintergreen leaf, allantoin, caffeine
- Best For: Acne-prone skin and those with large pores
Best for Oily Skin: Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Truecica Clear Pad
Some By Mi
AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Truecica Clear Pad
- Why We Love It: At first glance, the lineup of exfoliating acids in these toner pads—AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs—seems like they could be a recipe for irritation. But that’s not the case whatsoever, thanks to a proprietary blend of four types of cica that actively calms skin while the acids exfoliate. Tea tree oil also serves as a natural astringent, stymieing the excess oil that could otherwise clog pores. Together, they leave skin smooth and matte, making it the ideal prep step ahead of makeup.
- Key Ingredients: Willow bark water, hyaluronic acid, tea tree water, cica, madecassoside
- Best For: Oily or acne-prone skin, or people with uneven skin texture
Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Mediheal Madecassoside Blemish Pad
Mediheal
Madecassoside Blemish Pad
- Why We Love It: For those with redness stemming either from irritation, breakouts, or some other form of inflammation, these pads are an immediate salve. “Madecassoside and centella asiatica help reduce visible inflammation while providing lightweight hydration, making it an excellent option for those with redness or post-acne marks,” says Dr. Chang. (Madecassoside is an anti-inflammatory compound derived from cica.) And unlike most acne-minded formulas, these are intended to be especially gentle—courtesy of allantoin and cica itself—making it ideal for those prone to sensitive skin. Not looking to quell breakouts? Mediheal offers a host of other toner pads—from its Collagen Ampoule pads Vogue’s Kiana Murden swears by, to its PDRN Lifting pad that addresses fine lines.
- Key Ingredients: Madecassoside, niacinamide, allantoin, cica
- Best For: Those with inflammatory acne, or anyone prone to redness
Everything You Need To Know
Toner pads can benefit just about everyone, in part because there are formulas suited for a wide variety of skin types and concerns. “They are particularly helpful for people with dehydrated skin who want an easy way to boost hydration, those with sensitive or rosacea-prone skin looking to calm redness, or acne-prone patients who want gentle exfoliation without overdoing it,” says Dr. Chang.
On top of that, there’s the sheer convenience of a pad versus a liquid. They’re ideal for “anyone who wants a simplified toning step, and especially those with sensitive or reactive skin who cannot handle alpha hydroxy acid pads,” says Dr. Yoo, who uses them herself after she goes for a long run. “This also includes people who want some multi-layered hydration, in addition to those wanting a calming ritual after cosmetic procedures or, in my case, a strenuous workout.”
Unlike a toner that you might pour onto a cotton round, “K-beauty toner pads come pre-soaked in the formula itself, so it’s a one-step swipe,” says Dr. Yoo. She recommends using them directly after cleansing and before applying a serum.
How often you use it largely depends on the ingredients. If you’re working with a hydrating or soothing formula, twice daily use works for most people, according to Chang. Meanwhile, “true exfoliating pads with PHAs, AHAs, and BHA are fine nightly for tolerant skin, but I’d advise starting at once or twice a week and building up if skin is sensitive or barrier-compromised,” says Dr. Yoo.
You can also use toner pads as a makeshift sheet mask in a pinch. “If your skin is feeling irritated or dehydrated, leaving hydrating toner pads on the cheeks or forehead for several minutes can provide an extra boost of hydration before the rest of your skin care,” says Dr. Chang.
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue‘s vast network of experts—from board-certified dermatologists to celebrity estheticians—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to toner pads, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredients, texture, packaging, and the skin-care concerns they address. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you. Read more about our testing methodology here.
