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We get it: You’re hesitant about adding another step to your already-stacked skin-care routine, but if it’s glass skin you’re after, you’re well-suited for Korean toner pads. For the uninitiated, “toners serve as both a treatment and a way to prep your skin for further products in your multistep skin-care routine,” founder of Soko Glam, Charlotte Cho, previously told Vogue.
Vogue’s Favorite Korean Toner Pads
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An easily misunderstood step, per Cho, the benefit of opting for a toner pad format is its sheer convenience. While liquid formulas require a separate cotton round (often absorbing more product than your skin does), toner pads come pre-soaked and ready to use—no extra tools required. Housed in sleek jars, often with their own mini tweezers for hygienic retrieval, these pads deliver the perfect dose of product with every swipe.
From excess oil and irritation to dull skin and antiaging, Korean toner pads reflect K-beauty’s signature balance of skin-first tradition and cutting-edge innovation. Whether you’re after a quick refresh post-cleansing, or a targeted 15-minute masking moment (yes, some formulas can double as mini sheet masks), toner pads offer a tailored approach to treating skin. Below, a look at eight formulas to consider, recommended by Vogue editors and the pros.
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Best for Blackheads: Medicube Zero Pore Pads
- Why We Love It: Medicube’s pore pads draw upon plant extracts like cypress leaf and skullcap to limit excess sebum and prevent future congestion, while willow bark extract and lactic acid clear out impurities and visibly tighten pores. Drawing upon traditional Korean rituals in the process to gently exfoliate skin, Glow Recipe cofounder Christine Chang previously told Vogue that “a common bathhouse tradition is to splash spoiled milk onto faces after cleansing as milk contains lactic acid, which helps smooth skin texture and brighten.”
- Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, salicylic acid, willow bark extract, hyaluronic acid, panthenol
- Best For: Enlarged pores, blackheads, oily skin
- Size: 70 pads
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Gentle exfoliation formula | A pricier pick |
| Works well at fighting congestion |
Best Viral: Jiyu Toning Polish Pads
- Why We Love It: A viral TikTok pick for hydrating and brightening, these versatile toner pads blend snail mucin, niacinamide, peptides, centella asiatica, and licorice root extract into one multipurpose formula. Simply swipe one on as a daily refresh, or apply to your face for 15 minutes as a spot-treating blemish pad.
- Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, snail mucin, peptides, centella asiatica
- Best For: Dark spots, wrinkles, acne scarring, fine lines
- Size: 100 pads
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Multipurpose uses and effective targeted treatment | A pricier pick |
| Noncomedogenic formula with hydrating and brightening ingredients |
Best Hydrating: Biodance Collagen Gel Toner Pads
- Why We Love It: Say goodbye to dry skin with Biodance’s unique gel toner pads enriched with low molecular collagen and moisturizing agents like hyaluronic acid and allantoin. Plus, the gel coating around the pads makes for a particularly gentle application, ideal for maintaining a healthy skin barrier. Pro tip: Pop them in the fridge before placing them on your face for a delightfully cooling refresh.
- Key Ingredients: Collagen water, glycerin, allantoin, hyaluronic acid, collagen extract
- Best For: Hydration, cooling
- Size: 60 pads
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Nonabrasive formula, focuses on hydration rather than exfoliation | Not vegan |
| Noncomedogenic and skin-firming ingredients |
Best Physical Exfoliant: Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Pad
- Why We Love It: Perhaps it is indeed wine o’clock—not in the beverage sipping sense, but rather this toner’s star ingredient. Here, red wine extract (hello, antioxidants!), resveratrol, and fruit enzymes provide a gentle liquid exfoliant for breaking up congestion and texture in a three-layer design. Layer one is 100% pure cotton mesh that works to physically exfoliate the skin while layer two, a cushion pad, utilizes a gauze thread pad to push the essence into the skin. Lastly, layer three is drenched in the peeling serum, which smooths texture and wipes away any lifted dead skin.
- Key Ingredients: Red wine extract, lactic acid, resveratrol, raspberry extract, hyaluronic acid
- Best For: Enlarged pores, bumpy texture
- Size: 30 pads
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Dermatologist tested, cruelty-free, and vegan formula | May be irritating on sensitive skin types |
| An effective two-in-one exfoliant |
Best for Hyperpigmentation: Mediheal Madecassoside Cotton Facial Pads
- Why We Love It: Mediheal’s toner pads are best used after a breakout to help repair the skin and reduce scarring. The key ingredient, madecassoside, has been studied for its ability to reduce hyperpigmentation by inhibiting melanin synthesis. Additionally, its gentle vegan gauze provides extra physical exfoliating effects and is a gentle way to resurface and rejuvenate the skin. And yes, this pick also includes mini tweezers for hygienic application.
- Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, glycerin, centella asiatica extract, alantoin, madecassoside, rosemary leaf extract
- Best For: Hyperpigmentation, acne scarring
- Size: 100 pads
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Formula features acne and hyperpigmentation-fighting ingredients | Some report a slightly tacky feeling after use |
| Noncomedogenic |
Best for Acne: CosRx Original Clear Pad
- Why We Love It: Breakouts, be gone! These cult-favorite toner pads from CosRx are a skin-care staple for anyone dealing with congested pores, excess oil, or the occasional stress-induced flare-up. Infused with betaine salicylate (a gentle BHA) and soothing white willow bark extract, they swipe away buildup without wrecking your moisture barrier. Plus, the low-pH formula keeps your skin’s natural balance in check—perfect for sensitive skin that still needs a deep clean. Bonus: They’re hypoallergenic, so even reactive skin types can get in on the glow.
- Key Ingredients: BHA, white willow bark extract, panthenol, allantoin
- Best For: Oily, acne-prone, or combination skin
- Size: 70 pads
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Effective pore clearing and oil reducing ingredients | Some don’t prefer the medicinal scent of these toner pads |
| Low-pH formula makes this gentle enough for daily use |
Best Soothing: Anua Heartleaf 77% Toner Pads
- Why We Love It: Infused with 77% heartleaf extract sourced straight from Korea, these calming pads deliver anti-inflammatory benefits that help bring stressed skin back into balance. Paired with gentle PHA exfoliation, the formula works to refine pores, curb excess oil, and keep blackheads at bay, making it a go-to for blemish-prone skin or anyone dealing with rough, uneven texture.
- Key Ingredients: Heartleaf extract 77%, evening primrose extract, centella asiatica extract
- Best For: Enlarged pores, blemishes, acne-prone skin, brightening, dark spots
- Size: 70 pads
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Fragrance-free and low-pH formula | Some report skin purging after initial use |
| Gentle exfoliation |
Best Strong Exfoliant: Some By Mi 30 Days Miracle Truecica Clear Pad
- Why We Love It: These aren’t your average toner pads. Some By Mi’s 30 Days Miracle Clear Pads bring serious skin-clearing power in a single swipe. Powered by a cocktail of AHA, BHA, and PHA, they gently exfoliate on multiple levels to decongest pores, smooth texture, and sweep away dead skin cells. At the same time, the brand’s signature blend of calming cica and tea tree help soothe inflammation and fortify the skin barrier while the aforementioned exfoliants work their magic.
- Key Ingredients: AHA, BHA, PHA, centella asiatica, tea tree leaf extract,
- Best For: Powerful exfoliation, enlarged pores
- Size: 70 pads
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Combines powerful AHA exfoliants with soothing ingredients like tiger grass | Can be drying or irritating for those with sensitive skin |
| Low-pH formulation |
Everything You Need to Know
What are toner pads?
Why opt for toner pads versus a regular toner? Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Noah Gratch argues its all about the delivery method. “Toner pads provide a uniform application and often combine both chemical and very light physical exfoliation due to the texture of the pad,” he explains. “Many toner pads are also formulated with additional active ingredients, such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid, or niacinamide, targeting concerns like acne, pigmentation, or texture. Regular toners, on the other hand, may not always deliver the same level of exfoliation or treatment in a single swipe.”
The Benefits of Using Korean Toner Pads
Experts wax poetic on the many perks of K-beauty toner pads. “Pre-soaked pads are convenient and travel-friendly, and they come pre-measured (with all the same ingredients of your favorite Korean skin care) to ensure consistency—whereas regular toners can be easy to over apply or under apply,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Azadeh Shiraz. “I also find toner pads to be more hygienic, as they come individually sealed or jarred with lower chance of contamination, whereas a regular toner bottle is more likely to get contaminated or spill.” Long story short: We can’t think of a reason why you wouldn’t use toner pads.
Meet the experts
- Charlotte Cho is the cofounder of marketplace Soko Glam.
- Dr. Noah Gratch, MD, FAAD is a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in treatments for acne, eczema, hyperhidrosis, rosacea, psoriasis, and skin cancer.
- Dr. Azadeh Shirazi is a board-certified dermatologist based in La Jolla, California.
- Alicia Yoon is a Korean skin-care expert and founder of Peach Lily.
