Are facial toners necessary

Toners have caused a lot of confusion in the beauty world, but they've recently gotten a K-beauty upgrade and are back in the skin routine game. Older generation toners contained drying alcohol that would strip the pores of its natural oils, but the new products have nixed the alcohol and contain nourishing ingredients that work to hydrate and rebalance the skin. While its alcoholic days are behind it, the question still remains, what exactly is a toner? Toner is similar to water but packed with more hydrogen and oxygen molecules. It can also be packed with other beneficial ingredients like tea tree, rose, salicylic acid, and other skincare essentials, depending on your needs.

Vitamin C. Glycolic Acid. Hemp Seed Oil. Lactic Acid. Jojoba Oil.

But what about toner? The often-misunderstood skin-care step, toner can be confounding. Fortunately, Jillian Wright—an esthetician and the in-the-know founder of Indie Beauty Expo—has the rundown on who benefits from one.

As more newfangled beauty products hit the market, it seems women's skincare routines are expanding exponentially. In Korea, women commonly use upwards of 14 products a day. But amidst an overwhelming number of ambitious-sounding serums and creams and antioxidant -loaded oils, one product has seemingly fallen out of favor. Toner, once a critical step in a less-complicated beauty world, has now gotten a rap of being outdated -- at least when stacked up next to all the other action-packed options out there. While brands still sell plenty of it and others swear by it, ultimately, how necessary is toner?