Toners are probably the most underrated beauty product.
“It’s just water,” they say.
“What does it even do?” they ask.
They tone, damnit! They tone. If you’re a toner skeptic, but are willing to give one a try, allow me to introduce you to a collection of simple, effective, affordable toners from Bretanna by Jordan Naturals.
{Bretanna sent me samples of its witch hazel toners to review. They cost $3.99 for 2.25 ounces.}
Alcohol- and fragrance-free, Bretanna toners keep it real with short ingredients lists that contain things known to deeply cleanse and refresh the skin.
To back up though: The function of a toner is several-fold. 1) Toners can remove traces of makeup, oil or other debris post-cleanse; 2) Toners can prep the skin to better absorb serums, oils and other treatments; 3) Toners can provide a burst of hydration throughout the day, dew-i-fying makeup and offering a little glow on the go.
Bretanna toners, which have a base of witch hazel, offer a combination of 1 and 2 because of witch hazel’s naturally astringent properties and the various Bretanna blends’ soothing ingredients that prep the skin for further products.
While I’ve experimented with various witch hazel toners, I’ve found Bretanna toners to be the gentlest while offering a true toning, lightly astringent texture that leaves my skin feeling extra clean and ready for the next steps.
Bretanna toners are packaged in pour-top bottles, meaning the toners are designed to be poured onto your choice of cotton ball or cotton pad and gently swiped across your face.
While I sampled four different toner formulations, I was drawn most to the Citrus & Sage and Geranium Rosehip + Aloe blends for their abilities to curb excessive oiliness and revitalize the skin.
Here’s the full ingredients list for each blend:
Aloe
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) distillate, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, benzoic acid
Citrus & Sage
Hamamelis virginina (witch hazel distillate, aloe barbadensis leaf extract polysorbate, citrus sinensis (orange) peel oil, citrus aurantium (orange) peel oil expressed, salvia officinalis (sage) leaf oil, benzoid acid
Geranium Rosehip + Aloe
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) distillate, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, polysorbate, pelargonium graveolens (geranium) flower oil, rosa canina (rosehip) seed oil, benzoic acid
Lavender Chamomile
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) distillate, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, polysorbate, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, anthemis nobilis (chamomile) flower oil, benzoic acid
As you can see, each blend has varying levels of ingredients, from minimalist Aloe to ones with six ingredients. Not too shabby. You’ll also note that each blend contains benzoic acid as a preservative to keep the blends of witch hazel, aloe and essential oils stable.
Citric acid is another common preservative used to keep toner blends stable (you can find this in the popular Thayers witch hazel toners), so keep in mind that it’s necessary to have a little something in there to keep a blend stable. What that little something is is up to you to decide your comfort level!
But, for someone on a budget and switching to naturals or someone who wants to see what toners are all about, Bretanna is a good choice to explore without going broke. The smaller sizes go for $3.99, and the larger sizes cost $12.49.
That’s a far cry from many of the luxury toners on the market that can cost upwards of $60 — especially for someone who’s just now getting in to all of this toner madness.
I’d repurchase these as travel toners (though, not from the Bretanna website, which is kind of difficult to maneuver … fix that, please!) and recommend them to those who are looking to experiment without giving up too much cash.
