Face Off: Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner vs Etude House SoonJung pH 5.5 Relief Toner

So you want a hydrating toner. Maybe you’ve been hearing that you need to tone but the astringent or exfoliating toners on the market don’t work with your skin. Or maybe you’ve fallen down the k-beauty rabbit hole and are interested in trying the seven skins method. Either way, if you’ve been on the skincare internet for a while, you’ve probably heard of these two. So, which should you use?

But First — Do You Need A Toner?

Short story shorter, you don’t need a toner.

Historically they were used to restore the skin’s pH to it’s natural acidity (around 5.5) when cleansers were more basic/alkaline. Modern cleansers tend to respect the skin’s acid mantle, so this is less necessary.

That said, those who deal with dehydration in their skin, or who are trying to plump their skin, can definitely benefit from a few layers of hydrating toner. Layering a hydrating toner is frequently referred to as seven skins, which specifically refers to layering it seven times. If you’re interested for more information on hydrating toners and how to use them, check out my incomplete introduction to hydrating toners. On that note, on to the comparison!

Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner

Dear Klairs seems to be one of the first k-beauty brands that folks in Western markets get into, and it’s for good reason. The Supple Preparation Toner is quite popular, and so popular that they also launched this unscented version free of essential oils — when purchasing, be sure to check which one you’re getting! (It is worth noting that unscented does not mean without scent, though — some find the slightly clinical smell of this toner off-putting.)

The Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Toner is a hydrating toner in that that is its primary purpose, but there’s more to this than just hydration, which it has in spades thanks to sodium hyaluronate, beta glucan and aloe extract. Like basically any good k-beauty toner, it includes soothing ingredient like centella asiatica extract, betaine and panthenol.

This toner is unusual in that it also boasts a surprising number of antioxidant ingredients, as well as ingredients that can help address oxidative stress: licorice root extract, luffa cylindrica extract, purslane extract, tocopheryl acetate (a form of vitamin e), sodium ascorbyl phosphate (a vitamin c derivative), arginine, proline. and copper tripeptide-1.

Texture-wise, this toner has a surprising amount of body to it. The surface tension on it when you tap it into your palm is honestly quite impressive. It also means that it’s potentially less viable as a candidate for seven skins if you don’t enjoy the feeling of a film building up — personally I found three layers of this to be all that I wanted to use.

Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethyl Sulfone, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Natto Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Chlorphenesin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Panthenol, Arginine, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Beta-Glucan, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Portulaca, Oleracea Extract, Lysine HCL, Proline, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Methionine, Theanine, Copper Tripeptide-1

Ingredients for the Dear Klair supple preparation toner

Etude House SoonJung pH 5.5 Relief Toner

The Etude House SoonJung line is designed for sensitive skin, and this is quite possibly the most stripped-down and non-irritating toner out there. In a world where many of us are looking for more and more interesting ingredients in our skincare to just pack that extra punch, SoonJung is here to say that sometimes simple is better, and more isn’t more.

Like the Dear Klairs toner, the SoonJung pH 5.5 Relief Toner focuses on hydration. It’s notable in that it avoids hyaluronic acids in any of its forms — an ingredient which has become almost as common as water itself in skincare, but which can backfire on some sensitive skin, and on those in arid climates like yours truly. Instead SoonJung relies on the oldie-but-goodie glycerin for its humectant properties, as well as propanediol.

Because its emphasis is on relief, all of the other ingredient are there to calm and sooth the skin: betaine and panthenol, like Dear Klairs; madecassoside, a form of centella asiatica; green tea extract, known to be anti-inflammatory; and scutellaria baicalensis root extract.

This toner is definitely more watery than Dear, Klairs, and you may not feel like you have anything on in the first few layers. By the fifth layer, however, the skin really feels softer and more soothed, even when severely dehydrated.

Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Betaine, Panthenol, Madecassoside, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, 1,2-hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Polyglycerin-3, Disodium Edta

Ingredients for the Etude House SoonJung pH 5.5 Relief Toner

The Face Off: When To Use Which

Alright cool, so we know ingredients, but we know that skincare is about a whole lot more than that. So which should you use for your skins?

What you’ll get from either: a boat load of hydration. Truly, k-beauty toners are there for the hydration and everything else is everything else. But if your skin’s been feeling a bit tight, looking a bit dull, or seeming a bit plagued by fine lines, you truly can’t go wrong here.

What you’ll get from Dear Klairs Supple Preparation: hydration without all the layers, as well as some passive brightening benefits.

What you’ll get from Etude House SoonJung: some serious soothing and skin softening.

So, which one you should pick? As with all skincare, it depends on your skin, your goals and your budget. If you want to try a hydrating toner but don’t have the patience or the coin to use that much but want to feel the hydrating benefits, Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner is a great option. If your skin just feels like it can never get enough water and your skin barrier’s constantly suffering for it, Etude House SoonJung pH 5.5 Relief Toner is definitely the one for you. Either way, happy toning!

Honorable Mentions

Due to popular demand, I wanted to also add some toners and essences I very much enjoy but didn’t merit being part of this face-off because they’re not similar enough:

Cosrx Cica Toner, with seven forms of cica, which is even more watery than the SoonJung toner and which I love to pieces for both its soothing properties and its feeling of deeply penetrating hydration.

Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner, which I definitely deem more essence than toner, for its slippery and syrupy consistency. Not great for layering, but great as the last step of your toning steps.

Cosrx Propolis Toner, which is more moisturizing and brightening than hydrating per se, but is a huge help for dry skin that can still struggle with the occasional breakout.