Clarins Toning Lotion with Iris recently got an upgrade. It’s now called Clarins Purifying Toning Lotion and promises to be a greener version of the original. Truth be told, I wasn’t a fan of the original version. I’m not a fan of toners in general. Everyone says they’re a must in your skincare routine, but when I stopped using them, I didn’t notice a difference in my skin. I may just as well have been splashing water on my skin all these years.
And yet, as a beauty blogger and skin coach, I have a duty to review product before bashing them. Hence why I’m updating my review of this toner. I’ve kept pictures of the old packaging, but the review, as of January 2024, refers to the new (and improved?) formula. Did it make me change my mind about toners? Not really. Here’s why:
Key Ingredients In Clarins Purifying Toning Lotion: What Makes It Work?
GLYCERIN TO HYDRATE SKIN
Think of glycerin like a magnet for water. It works like this: glycerin attracts moisture from the air and binds it into your skin. Once there, the extra moisture makes your skin softer, plumper and brighter. It’s such an underrated ingredient, but a must for hydrated skin. It’s particularly good for oily skin because it gives it that much needed boost of hydration without adding more oil to it and clogging pores.
Related: Why Is Glycerin In All My Skincare Products?
The Rest Of The Formula & Ingredients
NOTE: The colours indicate the effectiveness of an ingredient. It is ILLEGAL to put toxic and harmful ingredients in skincare products.
Green: It’s effective, proven to work, and helps the product do the best possible job for your skin.
Yellow: There’s not much proof it works (at least, yet).
Red: What is this doing here?!
Aqua/Water/Eau: The base of the toner, it’s a solvent that helps dissolve other ingredients. It also has hydrating properties.
Propanediol: A type of alcohol that enhances penetration of active ingredients and draws moisture from the air into the skin.
Methypropanediol: Another solvent that helps active ingredients better penetrate your skin. Ironic there are so many here as there really aren’t any actives that need to penetrate skin for the toner to work.
Butylene Glycol: It helps active ingredients better penetrate skin while hydrating it.
PPG-26-Buteth-26: An emulsifier that prevents the oily and watery parts of a formula from separating.
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil: An emollient and emulsifier. It makes skin softer and smoother while preventing the oily and watery parts of a formula from separating.
Ethylhexylglycerin: A preservative that also hydrates skin.
Maris Aqua /Sea Water/Eau De Mer: Purified sea water that still contains trace minerals to soothe irritated skin.
Caprylyl Glycol: A humectant that draws moisture from the air into your skin, keeping it hydrated for longer.
Parfum/Fragrance: The most irritating ingredients used in skincare products, it makes them smell good. It has no other benefits.
Disodium EDTA: A chelating agent. It’s a fancy way of calling ingredients that attach to the mineral ions in the water and neutralise them before they can spoil the formula.
Potassium Sorbate: A preservative that inhibits the growth of bacteria in your lotions and potions.
Phenylpropanol: It’s used to mask the scent of unpleasant ingredients. It’s also a solvent and preservative.
Phenethyl Alcohol: A colorless liquid that masks the unpleasant scent of skincare ingredients.
Spiraea Ulmaria Extract: Known as meadowsweet, it has antioxidant and soothing properties.
Laminaria Digital Extract: A marine plant extract that can soothe redness and irritations.
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract: A type of algae with soothing properties.
Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract: It has astringent properties that can absorb excess oils. But it also has irritating compounds that can cause problems for skin. At this low concentrations, it’s more likely to irritate skin than benefit it.
Saccharide Isomerate: A humectant that draws moisture from the air into your skin, keeping it hydrated for longer.
Crocus Sativus Flower Extract: A.k.a. saffron, it’s said to have antioxidant and soothing properties. But I couldn’t find any proof this is the case when topically applied to skin.
Texture
This toner has a lightweight, green texture that looks kinda cool. I mean, when was the last time you saw a green toner?! It sinks quickly into the skin without leaving a tacky residue behind.
Fragrance
The scent’s less cool. It’s overpowering, unpleasant and I can’t wait for it to fade away. Thankfully, it does so quickly. Plus, fragrance can irritate sensitive skin. There really was no reason to include it here.
How To Use It
Just like any other toner, you can use it up to twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, just after cleansing. Use a cotton pad to pat it on your skin.
Packaging
Clarins Purifying. Toning Lotion is housed in a sleek green bottle. You get 200ml of product, so it’ll last you a long time.
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Performance & Personal Opinion
My skin’s combination (dry cheeks, oily t-zone). I find Clarins Purifying Toning Lotion keeps the shine at bay for a few hours, so I don’t have to blot my face too often during the day.
If your cleanser does a crappy job at removing every last trace of dirt from your face, this toner can finish the job. That’s all well and good, but why not switch to a better cleanser instead?
So far so good. But I’m not a fan and I’ll tell you why. Clarins claims this is a “greener” formula. And while it may have some plant extracts, they’re all present in trace amounts that do nothing for your skin. The bulk of the formula is just basic hydrating alcohols. They didn’t even use hyaluronic acid, the gold standard for hydration, just to keep the price low, know what I mean?
Overall, Clarins Toning Lotion is an average toner with a very expensive price tag. It works and does what it is supposed to do but so do lots of other toners that cost much less.
How Does Clarins Purifying Toning Lotion Compare To Other Clarins?
Like most brands, Clarins makes more than one toner. Here’s how Clarins Purifying Toning Lotion compares to its siblings, so you can pick the right formula for YOU:
Clarins Hydrating Toning Lotion ($30.00): A basic, hydrating formula enriched with Aloe Vera to soothe red, irritated skin. Available at Boots, Clarins, Harrods, and Ulta
Clarins Soothing Toning Lotion ($30.00): I’m not a fan of this toner. It’s hydrated indeed, but it has more fragrance than soothing agents! Not exactly what sensitive skin needs…
My Clarins CLEAR-OUT Purifying Matifying Toner ($21.00): Again, not a fan. It reduces excess oil by drying it out with alcohol… which can irritate skin in the long term. Leave it on the shelf.
What I Like About Clarins Purifying Toning Lotion
Lightweight, fast-absorbing lotion
Hydrating, leaves skin softer and plumper
Keeps shine at bay for a few hours
What I DON’T Like About Clarins Purifying Toning Lotion
Has fragrance, which can irritate sensitive skin
Very basic formula
“Green” ingredients are present in trace amount that don’t do much
Who Should Use This?
This is most suitable for oily-skinned women who can’t do without a toner. Everyone else, you don’t need it.
Does Clarins Purifying Toning Lotion Lives Up To Its Claims?
CLAIM
TRUE?
This alcohol-free toning lotion, enriched with organic meadowsweet and organic witch hazel extracts, purifies the skin and tightens pores.
It’s true it doesn’t contain drying alcohol (although it contains moisturising alcohols). But it can’t purify skin. No skincare product can.
Enriched with the [Microbiota Complex], it promotes the natural balance of the skin flora.
This is made up of 3 marine-based ingredients and 1 earth-based ingredient. But Clarins won’t mention their names. Why? It’s true that are marine- and earth-based ingredients here, but in such low amounts, they don’t really do much.
Discover our new ‘greener’ toning lotion formula, now even more gentle on the skin to help balance the skin microbiota. With meadowsweet & saffron flower extracts.
Note that Clarins says the toner is enriched “With meadowsweet & saffron flower extracts.” It doesn’t claim these extracts do anything. I’ll let you wonder why…
Leaves skin soft, shine-free, and refined
It’s true it leaves skin soft and shine-free. But redefined doesn’t mean anything.
Price & Availability
$30.00/£25.00 at Boots, Clarins, and Sephora
The Verdict: Should You Buy It?
No one needs a toner and this one isn’t good enough to make me change my mind. If you get a sample, use it. But I wouldn’t invest my money on it – just saying.
Dupes & Alternatives
Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic (£18.00): A hydrating toner loaded with any soothing ingredient you can think of to reduce redness and irritation. Available at Boots, Look Fantastic, and Sephora
Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner ($24.00): A hydrating toner with niacinamide to hydrate, soothe, and fight acne and a bunch of skin soothers to reduce irritations. Available at Dermstore and Paula’s Choice
Aqua/Water/Eau, Propanediol, Glycerin, Methypropanediol, Butylene Glycol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Maris Aqua /Sea Water/Eau De Mer, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum/Fragrance, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbet, Phenylpropanol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Laminaria Digital Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Crocus Sativus Flower Extract [V3541A]
About Gio
Hi, I’m Gio. I’m a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and writer on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever – every day. I bust skincare myths and debunk marketing jargon to help you figure out what’s worth the splurge and what’s best left on the shelf – using science, not hype. I also offer skincare consultations to help you create the best skincare routine for your unique needs.
