This Part of Your Skincare Routine Is Essential, and Most People Skip It

As you probably know by now, we're true skincare heads over here. Our collection of lotions and potions is ever-evolving, as is our understanding of ingredient labels, sustainability practices, and the like. But that doesn't mean we'll give our undivided attention to just any product launch. As editors, it's our duty to weed through the highly saturated skincare industry to pinpoint the most innovative takes on outdated ideations, find the most effective formulations, and above all, study the cost-benefit analysis of any product we put in front of our audience. (Okay, sometimes we're suckers for cute packaging, too.) That's why we were all ears when we learned our sister skincare brand, Versed, would be dropping two new game-changing toners that promise to remind you why this multi-purpose category of elixirs is such an integral part of any skincare routine.

The clean, vegan brand just launched its new go-to skin tonics—available now—which are formulated to cleanse, moisturize, balance, and brighten up our faces in just a few pumps. Enter Versed's latest buzzy launches: Baby Cheeks All-in-One Hydrating Milk ($18) and Weekend Glow Daily Brightening Solution ($18).

If you struggle to remove your makeup in a way that's both gentle and effective, need to clear debris from your pores to help them look less pronounced, or want to incorporate a gentle daily exfoliation to the mix, it's probably time to incorporate toner into your regime and these two bottles of goodness should be at the forefront of your vanity. As per usual, the products leave out stripping, irritating, and toxic ingredients in favor of the good stuff your skin actually likes. Read on for the nitty-gritty.

The Details

You can tell just by looking at this opalescent solution where the idea of dubbing it a milk came from. It's a multitasking blend of moisturizing and softening algae extract, bamboo extract, and coconut water that can provide a thorough cleanse, melt away makeup, restore the skin's natural pH balance, remove hard-water residue, or just add an extra boost of hydration to the skin. Long story short, it's basically four products in one. The best part is that you can sub it in at practically any step in your routine, and it'll work its magic. We love that it can replace wasteful single-use wipes when used with reusable cotton or microfiber pads or muslin cloths. 

Post-breakout marks got you down? Skin feeling lackluster or dull after the long winter? Just need a boost? If you answered yes to any (or all) of these questions, then you need this potent brightening solution in your life. Uneven skin tone, dark spots, and post-breakout marks are no match for its complex of skin-brightening lactic, glycolic, kojic, and azelaic acids; bearberry extract; and skincare sweetheart vitamin C. Say goodbye to harsh skin lighteners like hydroquinone to fade scars. And unlike other, less skin-friendly chemical exfoliating treatments, this one is gentle enough for daily use and doesn't cause any discomfort on application. Bonus points because it can also visibly refine the look of enlarged pores. Honestly, this is one of the main reasons we just hate to hear that people tend to skip toner altogether. Your pores love this step!

Why We Love Them

Aside from the obvious benefits of their clean ingredients as well as being vegan and cruelty-free, we absolutely love the fact that these toners can replace several products in our skincare routines. We're all about paring back these days, so the idea of being able to ditch makeup remover, cleanser, or individualized exfoliators is highly motivating. Not to mention the new releases can both be used with reusable applicators, like cotton pads, so we can make meaningful steps toward eliminating pre-soaked, single-use wipes and single-use cotton rounds from our routines.

We would also be remiss not to emphasize the value of these $18 tonics. In a world where micellar waters, refining toners, and exfoliating solutions can reach costs in the hundreds of dollars, these affordable options are really helping to democratize the skincare space without sacrificing safety or efficacy. While testing, we were super impressed with the amount of product dispensed by the pump mechanism on the bottle. Just two or three pumps left our cotton pads completely saturated and primed for swiping across the face, neck, and chest. Consider these elixirs editor-approved.

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