Milky toners are trending online, and these 12 are truly deserving of the attention.

      (Image credit: @kaitlyn_mclintock; original artwork by Audrey Hedlund)

      Some refer to them as milky toners, while others label them milky essences or skin milks. Despite the various imprecise names, they are widely featured online. If you check Instagram or TikTok, you'll undoubtedly come across numerous celebrities, content creators, and skincare specialists using them in GRWM videos. Although this category of products isn’t exactly new, they've gained immense popularity in recent years, largely due to the rise of the "skin flooding" trend and the internet's fascination with smoothing, plumping, and moisturizing properties. Moreover, contemporary formulas have evolved to include enhanced ingredients. They are packed with skin-soaking moisturizers, barrier-reinforcing soothers, and luminosity-enhancing actives. As Brendan Camp, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in NYC, explains, these products are essentially hybrids of toner and moisturizer. "Milky products have a milk-like texture and appearance due to the emulsification of oils and water-soluble components. Unlike traditional toners, milky toners are more hydrating and can sometimes serve as both a toner and a light moisturizer."

      For many, these products have become essential in their skincare routines, especially during the fall and winter months when issues like dryness, redness, and irritation are more prevalent. Personally, I find them to be indispensable. My skin absorbs them eagerly, soaking up the essential moisture and comfort they provide. However, I don’t just pick any milky toner; quite the opposite. After trying countless formulations, I have narrowed my favorites down to 12 expert-approved options that are genuinely worthy of the hype. Below, you’ll find the best milky toners available, as chosen by me (a beauty editor) and two top skincare professionals.

      **The Best Milky Toners, Listed**

      **Best Overall:** Rhode Glazing Milk

      **Best Affordable:** Bubble Cosmic Silk Hydrating Milky Toner

      **Best Barrier-Strengthening:** Ilia The Base Face Milk

      **Best Brightening:** Chanel Éclat Premier Bright Milky Essence

      **Best Exfoliating:** Eadem Cashmere Peel Gentle AHA + PHA Exfoliating Toner

      **Best Spray:** Violette_FR Boum Boum Milk

      **Best Overall: Rhode Glazing Milk**

      **Size:** 2.2 or 4.2 oz | **Key Ingredients:** Ceramide trio, mineral complex, vitamin E

      I would argue that Hailey Bieber's Rhode Glazing Milk significantly contributed to the online craze surrounding milky toners. Launched as one of her three initial skincare products, it has enjoyed immense popularity ever since. As a beauty editor, it's easy to dismiss it as just another celebrity-driven product (the beauty market is indeed crowded with celebrity brands), but this one truly deserves the acclaim. Its milky, creamy texture envelops the skin in plush moisture. Ingredients like ceramides, magnesium, zinc, and copper fortify the skin and combat irritation, while vitamin E provides antioxidant benefits. And the glow! True to its name, Rhode's Glazing Milk imparts a dreamy, dewy radiance to my skin. In my opinion, it serves as the ideal pre-moisturizer or makeup prep step.

      **Customer review:** "Rhode Glazing Milk is a product that instantly improves your skin's appearance. It's incredibly lightweight and absorbs quickly, giving a fresh, dewy glow without any greasiness. It perfectly preps the skin, making moisturizer and makeup application much smoother, almost as if your skin naturally feels softer and more hydrated. If you desire that soft, radiant 'glazed' look effortlessly, this is the ideal daily step. It's gentle, soothing, and leaves your skin looking revitalized."

      **Best Affordable: Bubble Cosmic Silk Hydrating Milky Toner**

      **Size:** 3.4 oz | **Key Ingredients:** Oleic acid, linoleic acid, arnica, allantoin, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, maple sap water

      Drugstore skincare can rival, if not surpass, high-end options, and I firmly stand by this claim. When friends or family request budget-friendly recommendations, I direct them to Bubble's Cosmic Silk Hydrating Milky Toner. Its creamy yet lightweight consistency is non-comedogenic and alleviates redness and irritation effectively. This is all thanks to an impressive ingredient list that features ceramides, hyaluronic acid, fatty acids, and skin-calming arnica and allantoin.

      The only drawback? The packaging. It uses a twist cap that necessitates careful opening and closing; otherwise, it can spill, leading to messiness and waste. Nonetheless, I'm awarding it my top drugstore choice purely because the formula is exceptionally effective.

      **Customer review:** "This product is incredibly hydrating. Living in