I contemplated making a post like this a year ago, but I wasn’t putting as much effort into it until December 2024. My plan was to make a super detailed in-depth analysis of every product to decide once and for all which of these reigns supreme. The honest truth is that nearly all of them are good. The differences that I can see and feel are minor between them. The bottom line is that if someone is only concerned with hydration and skin softening (which was a big issue for me in winter), nearly anything labeled a “milky toner/essence” will do. Some of these are new purchases that I’ve only had for a few weeks, but the rest range from three months, six months, and a year+.

STATS: I had normal skin when I was younger, normal-to dry in my 20’s, and now in my 30’s I have just dry skin. I don’t have a set skincare routine. The only product types I use consistently are cleansers and sunscreen. I double-cleanse with Bioderma Sensibio H₂O Micellar water and Lisa Eldridge Skin Enhancing Treatment Cleanser. For years I used the Round Lab Birch Juice Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA++++ (Korean version not US), although I’ve been testing two other sunscreens this year instead. I use a toner or essence several times a week (many different ones) and add a moisturizer whenever it feels necessary (many different ones as well). Even though I have dry skin, it’s easily prone to pore clogging if the moisturizer I use is too thick and heavy. So, I need truly hydrating ingredients to seep into the layers of my skin and also have a thin occlusive barrier that lasts all day. My second problem with traditional moisturizers is that most of the ones that don’t clog my skin also don’t remain on the surface for that long. Hence my absolute love of milky skincare!

TESTING PROCESS: The products in the rankings (excluding Pixi) went through at least 1-2 rounds of being used for one week straight. In addition, I did a ton of side by side tests, putting one toner on one half of my face and another toner on the other side to be able to compare them in real time from morning until night. The toners went head to head with the same brands for a minimum of three consecutive days.
I did some tests on bare-face days and others underneath makeup. To test the effectiveness on even more dehydrated skin, I would sometimes apply the product to my legs, arms, knees, and elbows. There were plenty of breaks between tests, as it’s a struggle for me to be consistent with a skincare routine.

Ultimately, I’m not a scientist or dermatologist. I don’t even consider myself to be a skincare enthusiast. However, I still want to have good and effective products, so I’m forced to try out a lot of different skincare to find what will work the best for me. I’ve done this process to the best of my ability and the best ways that I know how, but this is still not a guarantee that others will have the same negative or positive results as me. I normally don’t post about skincare, but since I was taking on this project for myself, I figured it could still potentially help others who are interested in Milky Toners, but don’t know why to choose one over another.

DISCLOSURE: There are no affiliate links in this post. I am not being sponsored by any of the brands mentioned. I purchased everything with my own money except the TirTir Milk Skin Light which was a free gift with purchase from YesStyle when I was buying makeup on the website. The only thing I have is a referral link and the reward code G9UHT8 that was generated for me as a regular customer that YesStyle creates for every account holder. I think the codes gives a 5% discount, but I have often found codes floating around online or in the email newsletter that give 8-15% off. So, I encourage anyone to look for better codes instead.

Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner and Moisturizer (aka Cream Skin Refiner, etc.)

This product has undergone so many name changes, reformulations, and packaging updates, but the only change I’ve been able to detect is that it’s slightly lighter in consistency. I’ve been using it since at least 2021 and it’s one of those skincare products that actually makes a huge difference in my skin.

This is the product that sparked my curiosity about all of the others, and when it comes to deciding which milky toner fits my needs the best, it is this one from Laneige.* What puts it above the others is the longevity factor and it being emollient, but not sticky. I can still feel it on my skin when I wear it overnight. It clings to my face and keeps the surface continually moisturized, which is a godsend in winter in Germany. Even though it’s able to hydrate and moisturize, it’s particularly great at locking in that moisture. So, anyone who hates feeling product still on the skin might not enjoy this one. However, the residual product on the skin doesn’t bother me the way it can with some of the other milky toners I’ve used.

One other thing I want to point out is that if you buy this product, make sure everything is properly tightened. I thought my latest bottle had a leak, but even though the outer cap was on tight, the innermost cap was actually loose. Once I twisted that to tighten it, everything was fine.

Some of the ingredients in this worth highlighting are the Glycerine and various Glycols, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Squalane, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramides, and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract.

*While I have technically found a product I like more than the toner from Laneige, I am hesitant to demote it to second place because I haven’t tried the other one long enough to stand the test of time. I need to at least try it in winter to know for certain.

The Ordinary Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky Toner

This is the second oldest product I have in the bunch. From a sensory standpoint, I love that this was the most milk-like. It has a very weak natural scent, a bit like bread, which is probably from the yeast extracts. It keeps my skin moisturized and soft, but it’s supposed to be exfoliating and brightening as well. I don’t know for certain if it actually brightens, but I can at least vouch for having less dry patches the next day after I use this. And it still does an overall decent job of making my skin feel less dry. It also doesn’t leave a film behind once enough time has passed for it to fully soak in. So, I like this product and the clinical-looking semi-frosted glass bottle that it’s in. It’s just not what I turn to during the months when the weather is especially cold and dry.

The hero ingredients are Yeast Extracts and Squalane.

I’m from – Rice Toner (original and Black Rice version as minis)

These look like they are made up of one solid solution, but due to the bi-layer/phase, both versions need to be shaken up before every use.

Regarding the classic formula, I really like this toner as an all-rounder type of product. It seems to do a bit of everything in terms of skin softening, moisturizing, and hydrating, but also soothing. If my face feels a little irritated, I’ve noticed I’ve instinctively reached for this product over some of the others. So, this rates highly for me in the soothing department, but it performs a little weaker than the others at fulfilling the other tasks. While it works for my dry skin, I think other skin types might enjoy this too because it leaves only a small amount of residue behind on the face. This is also supposed to brighten, but I don’t notice that happening. Perhaps just a little.

With the new Black Rice formula, it is very clearly marked as being for those with oily skin. It’s supposed to control sebum production, increase skin’s radiance, soothe, balance moisture, etc. Because of the beneficial ingredients, I figured perhaps this would be something I like in summer when I want to wear only lightweight products.

Whenever I apply the Black Rice Toner, I can feel slight oiliness in random spots, whereas the rest of my face has no residue and just feels like hydrated skin. I’ve tried to shake up the bottle very well, but it might be impossible to get the two layers properly blended so that my face feels the same everywhere I touch. Any spots with the extra moisture will feel like the rest of my skin within a few hours as it gets absorbed. After several more hours, I get the impulse to want to apply more products on top. It’s just not a hydrating enough or a moisturizing enough product on its own, but it feels better in conjunction with the rest of my skincare (moisturizer, sunscreen, and so on). There could be an occasion where I still like it during summer, but I would say this is indeed not suited for dry skin.

The aspect I find strangest is that despite the Black Rice Toner not feeling hydrating enough for me, I’ve noticed I get an increased amount of closed comedones when I use this for several consecutive days. My best guess for the cause of this are those spots on my face that feel oilier than the rest because the solution isn’t mixed evenly. Perhaps I could try to rubbing the liquid in my hands first before applying it to my face, but I honestly don’t want to spend more time figuring this out considering how much happier I am using other products. For instance, the Pat Mcgrath Essence seems to contain more oil, and yet I don’t have this issue with it.

Some of the key ingredients of the original formula are Rice and other types of Extracts, Niacinamide, and various Glycols.

Besides Rice Extracts, Niacinamide, and Water, the Black Rice Toner has either different forms of similar ingredients or different ingredients entirely from the classic rice version. Some notable ones are Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycolic Acid, Dicaprylyl Ether, Adenosine, Polyglutamic Acid, and Panthenol.

TIRTIR Milk Skin Toner (original and light version as minis)

These toners from TirTir taught me that ingredients aren’t everything. How one uses them matters. These formulas are stacked with amazing things my skin loves, but there seems to be something in them that prevents me from liking them as much as the others. Both contain extracts like Witch Hazel, Anise, and Peppermint, but I don’t know if those are enough to put them at nearly the very bottom of the list. There may be other ingredients I’m unfamiliar with preventing my skin from feeling moisturized or hydrated enough when I use them. One such possibility is the fact that I sometimes use milky toners instead of, and not always with, moisturizer. This contains Sodium Hyaluronate, which is wonderful in humid climates, but can have opposite effects in dry ones. Where I live in Germany, and during most times of the year, it is not as humid as Florida. So, I have experienced some problems when I don’t prep my skin properly and something I used contains this ingredient.

It’s no surprise that the Light version is less suited for my dry skin than the regular version. It doesn’t have as much of an occlusive layer as some of my other milky toners (which will be a positive thing for some other people). So, even though these great main ingredients are being put on my skin, the potential water loss happening simultaneously might be working against it. However, the original doesn’t cut it for me sometimes, depending on what I use it with. When I use a normal amount of the original Milk Skin, it has the same issue as the Light version, but if I use a lot, my face feels sticky. I dislike the feeling more than the residue and film other toners leave behind. I could just change my habits and always use this with a moisturizer so I can put on a normal amount, but that’s easier said than done. For now, I prefer to keep using my milky toner favorites and then perhaps I’ll circle back to the TirTir Milk Skin original, as it’s one of the “newer” ones I’ve had (for at least three months).

Some of the ingredients worth mentioning from both versions are tons of extracts (like Rice, Licorice Root, and Oat), Glycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Ceramide NP, and multiple Peptides (most interesting of them for me being Copper).

Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner

This has the same issue for me as the TirTir Milk Skin. If I use too little, it doesn’t feel moisturizing enough, but if I apply too much then it feels uncomfortably sticky. This doesn’t matter as much if I apply other products on top, but it becomes an issue on my no-makeup days.

I was attracted to this product because of the mention of glow in the name. I hoped it would give me a glass skin effect, but it’s a glycerin type of shine and not the kind one gets from makeup that would have at least mica in it.

This formula is packed with a lot of great ingredients and unlike TirTir’s toner, I haven’t noticed anything in this that would be a potential issue for my skin. So, I’m a bit confused why I only like it instead of loving it considering this is among the most hyped up milky toners of the bunch. The reason it still manages to rank high for me is because of how it feels over time with back to back uses compared to others. For example, the I’m From Rice Toner feels more enriching to my skin in a side by side battle, but given enough days using the Anua Toner consistently, my skin ends up looking better on the Anua side.

Some of the interesting ingredients in this bottle are Niacinamide, Oryza Sativa Rice Seed Protein, Arbutin, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP and AP, Panthenol and Ascorbic Acid.

Farmacy Honey Milk Hydrating Essence

This took me a long time to buy because I was waiting for it to go on sale at the Douglas retailer. It’s one of the more expensive toners, but has definitely been worth it to me. This essence feels thick and luscious on the skin, like an actual skin treatment. The design is simple, but the yellow frosted glass bottle feels like I’m handling a luxury product.

This smells like chamomile, but for some reason the information my olfactory neurons signal to my brain registers the scent as eggnog! I have to keep smelling it for a few seconds longer to then correctly identify the chamomile. It’s very strange, but I love the smell of eggnog, so I’m glad that this is my experience without any added parfum.

My skin easily soaks up the product. Depending on my hydration level prior to use, it may or might not leave behind some residue, but it’s never an excessive amount and it doesn’t feel sticky. My face feels so soft and supple that it really gives my Laneige Toner a run for its money. I started using this in February 2025, so I haven’t been able to test this out yet in all four seasons. It’s possible this could become my new number one favorite. For now though, it’s still Laneige.

One other thing I wanted to point out is that despite my dry skin, Aloe Leaf Extract or Aloe Vera can sometimes trigger my skin to start excessively producing oil. I assume it depends on what other ingredients it is paired with, but I’ve never fully figured this out. Two products I vividly recall having this issue with (and being forced to stop using them) were the Covergirl Clean Fresh Skin Milk Foundation and the Rephr 1.0 Gentle Cleanser. Aloe Leaf Juice, which is what the Farmacy Essence contains, does not seem to have that extreme of an effect. Thank goodness!

Some of the important ingredients are Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Honey Extract, Ceramide NP, Panthenol, Squalane, Arginine, Anthemis Nobilis Extract and Citric Acid.

Pixi Milky Tonic Soothing Toner (travel size)

So many people love Pixi skincare, particularly their toners, but what usually keeps me away are all the potential skin sensitizing ingredients. I made the mistake of assuming there wouldn’t be any in their “soothing” milky product. Bad assumption on my part, but at least I only have the mini!

I tried this as soon as it arrived and was surprised by the soapy-herbal and partly astringent smell. It’s not a bad smell, but it’s very strong. I put it on my face and it felt soothing for about five seconds before my face started to tingle and it got a bit warm. The warm sensation only lasted around ten seconds, but the tingling persisted for a few minutes. I was surprised and alarmed by that first experience, but I thought perhaps the product was intended to have this effect. The fact that there was a slightly oily residue on my skin lulled me into a false sense of security, assuming a product with oil would only be soothing. I had completely forgotten about how easily my pores get clogged. I tested this product for another day and noticed I had some whiteheads, but didn’t figure out the connection until the third usage. Ultimately, I was still bothered by the tingling and worried it could be my skin reacting to whatever was inside, so I started doing research at that point and realized how many potentially irritating things are in here like Orange Peel Extract, Lemon Peel Extract, Mandarin Orange Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, and Sodium Citrate. There are also Clove and Lavender extracts.

There are nice things in here too, but I’m not surprised anymore why my skin was tingling. For a time, I tried to at least use this on the roughest spots of my body (like knees and elbows), but the fear of developing contact dermatitis made me ultimately stop using this.

Some people love scented products. Some people are against them to a extreme degree within clean beauty. The bottom line for me is that the uncomfortable oily film left on my skin, the strong smell, warm-tingling sensation, and pore clogging are reasons enough for me to not recommend this to anyone, no matter the skin type.

Some of the interesting things contained in here are Glycerin, Jojoba Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, multiple fatty acids, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, and tons of extracts.

Dr. Ceuracle – Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence

I’m including this in the milky toners category because it can be thought of as a “Milk Tea” and it looks milkier after I shake the bottle to get that bi-phase mixed together properly.

I’ve wanted to try this product for a very long time, but it was always out of stock whenever I checked YesStyle’s website. So, it’s the newest one to my collection along with the I’m From Black Rice Toner that I purchased in early May.

I talked about the possibility of the Farmacy Honey Milk surpassing the Laneige one some day, but this one from Dr. Ceuracle technically has already. I’m just reluctant to say it’s definitely better without being able to confirm how it’ll perform in winter time when my skin is at its driest.

This essence feels even more nourishing than Laneige’s Milky Toner, but with an even thinner occlusive layer. I can only really feel residue if my skin is already at a good moisture level due to having used the Lisa Eldridge Cleanser Treatment. Otherwise, the Kombucha Essence seeps quickly into my skin and the surface just feels normal, healthy, and hydrated without noticeable residue. The feeling persists the entire day, and when I apply it overnight, it continues to make my skin soft and supple. It’s a small performance difference between the two, but I can at least say Dr. Ceuracle is a winner in the springtime, and most likely will be better for the summertime as well. This is also why I’m not sure if its barely-there moisturizing barrier will be strong enough to keep away my dryness in winter.

I find it interesting that the Anua toner is touted to be glowy, but hardly has that effect on my skin, whereas the Dr. Ceuracle essence provides more noticeable shine. It’s also a bit funny that the glass bottle and cap look exactly how the older Laneige packaging used to be!

One of the big selling points for this product (other than the detox claims that I’m not so sure I believe) is the balancing aspect. I do think this essence manages to do that, so this could be great for more skin types than just dry. However, if you’re someone that has above average dryness, Laneige might be the safer bet.

Some of the many interesting ingredients in this formula are Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Sunflower Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, and Ceramide NP.

Pat Mcgrath Labs Divine Skin: Rose 001 The Essence

I reviewed this in the past, as much as one can review a deluxe sample. This reminds me of a non-greasy, yet oilier (and therefore more intensely moisturizing), version of the Laneige Cream Skin Toner. It’s a bi-phase toner that needs to be shaken up. It felt fantastic and unctuous on the skin, the bottle looked beautiful, and it smelled luxurious, but that perfume and the price is why I ultimately hadn’t purchased the full-size (until now). I didn’t think the benefits were worth the money compared to other options on the market, especially with some of its ingredients I wasn’t so fond of.

Some of the many interesting ingredients in here are Glycerin, Almond Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil, Ceramide NP, Squalane, and Panthenol, but also Rose Water and Rose Extract, Hexyl Cinnamal, Parfum, and Red 33.

The reason I have it now is because the brand created the Divine Skin: Prep, Set, Glow Essentials Kit which costs $108 and includes full-sizes of the Glow Setting Spray, Essence, and Hydrating Glow Cream. The site lists the value at $124, but I’m not sure where that number came from considering the cost of all three items separately is actually $202.
This bundle is an even better savings for anyone in the EU because of the existing surcharges. The price of the three items sold individually comes to the US equivalent of $253 (€223), yet the bundle price is nearly the same at €97.
The way I look at it, I basically paid $36 (€32) for each item. At that price, the essence was absolutely worth it to me to get!

For those only interested in skincare, Pat Mcgrath also has the Divine Skin: Rose 001 Signature Glow Duo Kit (essence and cream) for $141. The VIP Sale dropped the price to $98.70. I preferred the kit I bought because for ten extra dollars I could get the setting spray too.
Without this kind of bundle discount, I wouldn’t have been able to justify spending so much on this essence. It’s like my secret guilty pleasure skincare product! I try to avoid some of these ingredients, but it feels so nice!

Even though this contains fragrance, it’s the second to last ingredient. I remember how strong and beautiful the smell of rose was in my sample, but I can barely smell any of it in my full-size bottle. I wonder if the Essence has always been this way (and if it was just my sample that had a strong scent of rose), or if the brand uses less parfum in the newer bottles.

Since my previous tests of this was in a very humid climate, and now it’s springtime in a less humid climate, I can’t say with certainty how this will fare during a dry winter. However, this being the “oiliest” (but not greasy) of the bunch gives me more confidence in saying this will work well during that time too. Many of my favorite milky toners are hydrating enough that I can skip putting on a moisturizer, but this essence is a step further in feeling like I put on a thin layer of facial oil. My dry skin really seems to love this product!

I like pairing this with the PML Hydrating Glow Cream because even though the texture looks thick and stiff, it spreads easily and absorbs fairly fast. As long as I don’t use too much of both products, it doesn’t feel heavy on my face. I’m quite impressed with these products, though I would still never repurchase them without a big discount or bundle deal like the one I got.

Honorable Mention #1: Rephr Rebalancing Essence 1.0

This doesn’t have “milky” in the name, but it pretty much is a milky toner/essence. It leaves a semi-sticky layer on the skin for a while, but then fully seeps into the skin, leaving only a little bit of residue behind. This has the texture/consistency and looks of the Laneige toner, but it doesn’t have that long lasting moisturizing layer that protects the skin from water loss. So, one would definitely need to follow this one up with additional skincare after.

There are a lot of nice ingredients in here, and in good amounts. On the website, Rephr highlights the 3% Glycerin, 2% Niacinamide, 2% Meadowfoam Seed Oil, 1% Panthenol, the 1% blend of Betaine and Allantoin, 0.5% Squalane, and 0.2% Madecassoside.

It’s a good essence, but I prefer other milky products that have more of the hydrating, moisturizing, and skin softening properties. I stopped using it sometime in 2023, which is why I put it in the honorable mention section, since I can’t test this head to head with my toners. From memory, I would say this essence is most like if there was a middle product between the TirTir Skin Milk and TirTir Skin Milk Light.

My review of Rephr Skincare moved to the archives which can be found HERE.

Honorable Mention #2: COSRX – Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream Mist

This is not part of the toner section because it’s so lightweight that I didn’t think it would be fair to include it. I bought it with the intent of giving the milky toners an extra boost in hydration during the later hours of the day, but the ones I used most often didn’t need it!

My second reason was to use this on makeup days if my face was looking a bit dry, similar to MAC Fix+. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t see any changes to how my makeup looked. The bottle mists the product fairly well, with me being able to see only a few moisture droplets here and there, but once they dried my makeup continued to have the same finish as before. My face didn’t look dewier or glassy. This might be a fantastic aspect for a matte-lover or someone with oily skin who still wants to use moisturizing products without adding extra shine or sheen.

This mist can be soothing, although sometimes it’s still not enough if my skin reaches a certain threshold of irritation. If I completely douse my face to try and use it as the sole milky product, it can get the job done in the warmer months, but not in winter. If I douse my face to use overnight (again during the warmer months), I wake up with my skin feeling silky smooth and just incredible. So, I like this product as a milky toner booster in winter or as an extra lightweight moisturizing option in summer. However, it really isn’t necessary. I’m mostly using it to use it up because I bought it. When I finish this product, I won’t be repurchasing it purely because my milky toner favorites are already fantastic and don’t need extra help.

Some of the beneficial ingredients are Glycerin, Panthenol, and three different Ceramides. What I’m a bit wary of are the various citrus products such as Bergamot Fruit Oil.

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So, that is everything! Eleven toners/essences have been put to the test! When it comes to ranking them though, I didn’t think grading them from best to worst would be fair, considering the best milky toner for me will not be the same as the best one for someone who has oily or combination skin. Using numbers or stars didn’t feel fair either, so I decided to put these into categories!

Group S: Laneige, Dr. Ceuracle, and Farmacy
These are the holy grail products that I would easily repurchase, even at full-price.

Laneige gets my personal award: “Stands the Test of Time.”
Dr. Ceuracle gets a medal for being, “Even Better than People Say.”
Farmacy gets the trophy for being the, “Most Soothing and Nourishing.”

Group A: Anua, I’m From (white rice), and The Ordinary
These are all toners that are good and work. They will do at least the very basics of keeping the skin soft and moisturized. If someone’s skin really likes a particular ingredient in these toners, that could determine whether it works even better than normal for some people.

I’m From (for the original formulation) is the, “Best Beginner/Starter Milky Toner.”
The Ordinary wins, “Favorite for Gentle Exfoliation.”

Out of everything I’ve tried, I think choosing I’m Rice is the best place to start for someone who wants to dive into Milky Toners. Like Laneige, it has been around and loved for a long time for a reason. It’s more soothing than some of the others, and it’s the perfect middle ground to figure out if something more moisturizing/occlusive is needed, if less is better, or this could be just right at the start.

Group B: Pat Mcgrath
This is my, “do as I say, not as I do,” controversial category. I should stay away from the fragrance, but there’s so little in here that it might not pose a problem. It’s way too expensive, but my skin loves it! Between the smell (if both the essence and cream are used together), the touch, and visual appeal of the packaging, this really engages my senses. I want to recommend it, but the price and some of the ingredients are holding me back. This deserves to be in Group A, at the very least, but my inability to recommend it with confidence is why it’s in its own category.

Group C: TirTir (original), TirTir (light), and Im From (black rice)

I don’t think these three are bad at all. The last two are clearly just the weakest ones for someone with very dry skin. The regular TirTir Milk Skin has a plethora of nice ingredients, but doesn’t feel like it’s working as well for me as plenty of others on the market. So, I can’t recommend it based on my own preferences and experience, but I can’t write them off either. They are bound to be fantastic for someone with another skin type. Between the TirTir Light and I’m From Black Rice, I would guess the one from TirTir is probably the best for oily skin between the two.

Group D: Pixi
If this product was a movie, it would win the Razzie award in the category, “Why Must You Hurt Me?”
It’s not a complete failure because the tingling and warming could be the favorite thing someone likes about this. Someone could also enjoy the scent as much as I enjoy the essence from Pat Mcgrath. This also can’t possibly clog everyone’s pores. I consider most of my pores to be on the smaller side, so perhaps it’s just a me problem for it being easier than it would for someone else. This at least felt good enough that I would have continued trying this out if it only had one or two cons for me. So, I can understand why this is popular, even though I can’t personally recommend it.

I hope this has been fun and helpful! Thanks for reading!

-Lili ❤