Toners are still shaking off their nostalgic reputation, stemming from the harsh, astringent formulas that once dominated drugstore aisles. Today’s modern iterations are far more gentle, with milky toners and essences beginning to take over the genre—and for good reason.
“Milky toners and essences tend to be thicker than your standard, watery toners and essences,” says beauty expert, author, advocate, and co-founder of skincare brand Good Light David Yi. “This can help with water retention and deliver ultra-moisturizing abilities.” While these hydrating options are recent arrivals to the Western market, they’ve been thriving in Asia for years—and are far from new. “It all goes back to the Egyptian era, when pharaohs would be dunked in milk in the mornings as a ritual,” explains Yi. “This was great not only for hydrating skin, but also for sloughing dead skin cells from the natural lactic acid.”
Shop the Best Milky Toners
Real cow’s milk is usually not present in today’s milky toners and essences—but a plethora of other brilliant, moisturizing, and nourishing ingredients are instead. With the help of countless reviews, endless testing, and expert picks, we’ve narrowed down the 15 best milky toners and essences for healthy, glowing skin.
Best Barrier Repair
Good Light Moon Glow Milky Moisturizing Toning Lotion
Pros
Vegan- Made for sensitive skin
Cons
- The light exfoliation might be too intense for easily irritated skin.
I’m starting with a favorite of mine from Yi’s gender-inclusive brand, Good Light. The brand’s hydrating, soothing, and nourishing milky toning lotion features clever ingredients (including meadowfoam seed oil and snow mushroom) for a complex and balancing experience.
Key ingredients: Meadowfoam seed oil, snow mushroom, niacinamide, ceramides
Customer review: “This is the perfect toner and literally found it go viral on TT. It has niacinamide and oat kernel extract and it’s the best product I’ve tried. Period.” —Donna
Pros
- Barrier repairing
- Deeply hydrating
Cons
- Over $50
Although this creamy elixir only launched earlier this year, it has already become a viral sensation, loved for its deeply hydrating, plumping, and refreshing formula. Take it from me, whose sensitive (and acne-prone) skin drank up a whole bottle (which took a few months). I enjoy layering a few rounds of the milk-texture moisturizer on my eczema-prone skin morning and night, which feels wonderfully soothing and deliciously nourishing.
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, Barrier Renewal Complex, microalgae extract, prickly pear flower extract
Customer review: “This is pricey but nothing has ever made my makeup look so good or my skin look so hydrated. Worth every penny!!” —Sarah
Pros
- Safe for sensitive skin
Cons
- Not as deeply hydrating for dry skin
Wish your milky toner doubled as a peel? You’re in luck, thanks to Eadem. The Cashmere Peel is a gentle and hydrating exfoliant that targets clogged pores, blackheads, blemishes, uneven texture, fine lines, and hyperpigmentation. While many exfoliants can be harsh, this formula pairs soothing and hydrating ingredients (like rice water and colloidal oatmeal), so it truly performs like a first-of-its-kind milky toner turned exfoliant.
Key ingredients: FastFade Complex (a blend of lactic acid, azelaic acid, tranexamic acid, and gluconolactone), rice water, colloidal oatmeal extract, glycerin
Customer review: “This is seriously a godsend for my sensitive skin. It’s so creamy and gentle, I barely feel like I’m using a chemical exfoliant. No visible redness or feeling of moisture stripping (like other harsh exfoliants I’ve tried)!” —Bbhav
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Pros
- Refillable
- Hygienic spray applicator
Cons
- Over $60
Esteemed makeup artist and ultimate French It girl Violette crafted a minimalist’s dream skincare and makeup routine with her eponymous line, which features a bevy of multitasking products. Her Boum-Boum Milk is a three-in-one spray that acts as a toner, serum, and moisturizer in a single bottle. The probiotic-rich, hydrating, and nourishing milky mist rebalances, moisturizes, and soothes instantly. Plus, it’s brilliantly refillable.
Key ingredients: Fermented birch sap, glacial water, squalane, olive leaf extract
Customer review: “Like a soft damp shower of smoothness.” —Maya
Pros
- Cost-conscious
- Unscented
Cons
Famously known for their effective toners, Thayers has, thankfully, stepped into the milky toner genre with this hydrating launch. Proven to deliver 48 hours of hydration after application, this gentle, alcohol-free, and creamy formula is clinically proven to boost moisture levels by 35 percent.
Key ingredients: Snow mushroom, hyaluronic acid, elderflower water
Customer review: “It’s gentle, [has] wonderful hydration, and allows your subsequent skincare to sink into the skin nicely as well. I’m so happy I grabbed it.” —Ree
Pros
- Contains soothing honey
- Rich milky texture is great for dry skin
Cons
- Slight scent can be irritating to some users
Chamomile and Hawaiian white honey sound more suitable for a cup of tea than a skincare formula, but Farmacy has harnessed the power of these pantry ingredients into its newest hydrating milky essence. The gentle formula also features ceramides and panthenol (a form of vitamin B5 known to attract and retain moisture while also visibly calming redness) to leave skin nurtured, supported, and replenished.
Key ingredients: Hawaiian white honey, ceramides, chamomile, panthenol
Customer review: “BUY THIS it’s unbelievable. Literally melts into my face. Feels so so good on my rosacea cheeks. I will buy this over and over. So moisturizing and soothing.” —Katy
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Pros
- Calms redness
- Absorbs fully for a matte finish
Cons
Paula’s Choice version of a milky toner is both barrier-repairing and skin-soothing—without added frills. The toner is designed not just to support reactive skin but also to help reduce signs of sensitivity and visible aging with continued use. The milky fluid formula is even gentle enough for skin prone to rosacea.
Key ingredients: Allantoin, Ophiopogon japonicus (mondo grass), marshmallow root, panthenol
Customer review: “I love how this makes my skin feel! I have very very sensitive, combination skin and it’s difficult to find products that genuinely work. This toner is always calming and nourishing and feels sooo yummy.” —Dierdra
Pros
- Gentle enough for even eczema users
Cons
- Not available in stores
The viral product that practically started a voracious appetite for the milky toner genre, the Glazing Milk created by Hailey Bieber’s brand is a lightweight, luminous, and calming formula. But it’s not just a status item–the milk has the ingredients and awards to back it up (including the prestigious Seal of Acceptance from the National Eczema Association).
Key ingredients: Ceramides, beta-glucan, magnesium, zinc, copper
Customer review: “This glazing milk is so so hydrating and leaves the perfect glow under moisturizer. It is hydrating and cools your skin down! One of my favorite products I have ever tried! I also never put on makeup without putting some glazing milk on!” —Faith
Pros
- Soothing
- Under $20
Cons
This price-conscious option from Byoma isn’t just hydrating, it’s intentionally designed to minimize transepidermal water loss for a healthier and stronger skin barrier over time, too. The gentle milky toner is ideal for all skin types, but dry, dehydrated, and sensitized skin will especially drink it up.
Key ingredients: Lipids, polyglutamic acid, cica
Customer review: “This toner is nothing but moisturizing. No HA, no lactic or glycolic acid, no niacinamide. My skin loves it... It is slightly tacky but that goes away after it dries. I use it am/pm and it really helps maintain my skin’s hydration all day.” —M.S.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Best Softening
Versed Baby Cheeks All-in-One Hydrating Milk
Now 19% Off
Pros
- Clean ingredients
- Under $20
Cons
- The bottle can be finicky.
Buzzy and clean skincare brand Versed has perfected the milky toner with Baby Cheeks. The formula is foolproof: It balances, hydrates, softens skin, is non-irritating, and is easy to use.
Key ingredients: Coconut water, bamboo extract, algae extract
Customer review: “I was skeptical because I’m such a sucker for high-end skincare, but I actually love this toner! My skin feels moisturized and fresh after using this toner instead of feeling tight or stripped like some toners make my skin feel. I like to opt for moisturizing products despite having some mild acne concerns and this toner is a great addition to my skincare regimen!” —Milkandmagnolia
Pros
- Refillable
- Various size options for travel
Cons
Laneige describes its milky toner as “simplified skincare without simplified results,” which is the perfect way to think of the multi-tasking and non-irritating Cream Skin. Deeply nourishing, firming, and strengthening, the formula has been clinically shown to make skin look and feel more hydrated, radiant, and bouncier after two weeks of use.
Key ingredients: Ceramides, peptides, white leaf tea
Customer review: “This is my holy grail. I use this after I wash my face at night, before serums and moisturizer. I also use this on clean skin before makeup application. So hydrating and gives an awesome skin prep to apply makeup on.” —Nicolea
Pros
- Under $15
- Non-sticky feel
Cons
Priced at an impressive $14, this milky toner from the Ordinary is a steal. The brightening and hydrating formula gets a good majority of its heavy lifting from the 30 percent saccharomyces ferment, a popular ingredient (cultured from yeast) in many toners, serums, essences, and moisturizers because of its bountiful minerals, amino acids, beta-glucan, and vitamins.
Key ingredients: Saccharomyces ferment, aqualane
Customer review: “Never sticky, always smoothing. I use this every morning after cleansing and before serums and moisturizer. Love the way this makes my skin feel soft and supple.” —Val
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Pros
- Absorbs quickly
- Under $15
Cons
ITK is focused on healthy skin at an affordable price, and this milky toner is a shining example of that. Crafted with a handful of hardworking and effective–yet gentle—staples, this hydrating and calming toner balances and renews instantly.
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, green tea, squalane
Customer review: “This toner is not too harsh on the skin. For the price, the amount received is very good! I’ve only used this a couple of times so far, but I do think I would purchase this again.” —Ryan
Best for Evening Out Skin Tone
Fenty Skin Fat Water Hydrating Milky Toner Essence
Pros
- Addresses pore size and skin tone
Cons
- Slight scent can be irritating for some users
- Finicky packaging
Fenty’s beloved Fat Water has a hydrating sister with a “thick” (as described by the brand) and milky texture. This moisturizing version hydrates, while also still addressing skin tone and pore size like the original Fat Water iteration.
Key ingredients: Tamarind, hyaluronic acid, mineral PCAs, panthenol
Customer review: “I ordered this product after I found the regular Fat Water too harsh to use every day. The second I put it on my face it felt like a breath of fresh air. It’s incredibly hydrating and soothing.” —MelodyMoop
Pros
- Under $20
Cons
- Slight scent and essential oils can be irritating to some
A botanical bonanza of ingredients, including jojoba milk and oat extract, join forces to make this price-conscious milky toner extra special. The formula also has a long list of essential oils, like orange peel and rose flower extracts, which provide a natural light scent—but could be slightly irritating for those more sensitive to botanical oils.
Key ingredients: Jojoba milk, oat extract, jojoba seed oil, camellia leaf extract, orange peel extract, rose flower extract
Customer review: “A little goes a long way. A solid everyday toner. Works well regardless of what else you have in rotation. Soothing and moisturizing. I always go back to it.” —AC
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
What makes milky essences and toners different from standard toners and essences?
While a milky toner formula can be quite similar to its more astringent sister, these hydrating iterations have distinct ingredients. “Milky essences and toners typically have a high concentration of lipids in them, giving them that cloudy appearance, while standard toners and essences tend to have lower concentrations of lipids or none at all,” says Geeta Yadav, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Facet Dermatology.
What are the benefits of milky toners and essences?
The short answer is that these luscious, creamy formulas are packed with lipids, leaving your skin feeling nourished and silky soft—all without a heavy residue. “Lipids, like ceramides and fatty acids—which you’ll frequently find in milky essences and toners—are crucial to skin health,” says Yadav. “They help fortify the skin barrier to prevent water from escaping the skin and irritants from getting in.”
Are milky toners beneficial to all skin tones?
“They are especially beneficial for dry and sensitive skin types, but in many cases, they can be used by all skin types—those with oily skin may find that these products deliver the lightweight hydration their skin needs without the weight or greasy feel of a traditional moisturizer,” says Yadav. Once the humid, hot weather enters, “milky toners and essences may provide enough nourishment to keep oily skin balanced and comfortable.”
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Meet the experts
- Dr. Geeta Yadav, a Toronto-based board-certified dermatologist and founder of Facet Dermatology.
- David Yi is the author of Pretty Boys, advocate, and co-founder of publication Very Good Light and skincare brand Good Light.
Shop more beauty tips from Bazaar
- The 11 Best Mineral Sunscreens for All Skin Tones, According to Derms
- The 13 Best At-Home Chemical Face Peels for Baby-Soft Skin
- The 10 Best Bronzing Drops for a Natural Sun-Kissed Glow
- The 12 Best Drugstore Vitamin C Serums
Kristin Limoges
Freelance Editor
Kristin Limoges is a freelance editor, covering all things beauty, wellness, and travel. She was previously the wellness editor at Domino Magazine. Kristin can usually be found face, hair, and body masking simultaneously, while thinking-up clever DIYs for her small-space Chinatown apartment.
