Ultimate Guide: What is a Toner, Essence, Serum, and Ampoule?

Most people know what a moisturizer and cleanser is, but do you know what the difference is between a toner, essence, serum, and ampoule? You've probably heard these term being thrown around when shopping for skincare products, but if you're new to skincare, it can feel overwhelming to learn what each of these products actually does and how they work.

Understanding the roles of these skincare products can significantly enhance your beauty regimen.

Note: this post includes affiliate links. I never link to a product that I don't 100% stand by, and only include products that I love.

What is a toner?

How it works

Your toner works to cleanse your skin and prime it to fully absorb all the good ingredients that will come in the rest of your skincare routine. You can use toners for specific needs -- for example, there are toners with hyaluronic acid that focus on hydration or others that focus on calming redness or sensitive skin.

When to use

Use your toner both in the morning and the evening, right after you've cleansed your face.

Benefits of Using a Toner

• Cleanses Your Skin: A toner helps remove any last traces of dirt, makeup, and impurities in your pores after you wash your face.

• Restores Your pH Balance: Our skin is acidic by nature, but that balance can get disrupted after cleansing. A toner can help restore this balance.

• Priming for the Rest of Your Routine: A toner readies your skin for the next steps in your skincare routine by opening up your pores, and allowing for your skin to more fully absorb the products that you will put on afterwards as part of your of skincare routine.

Toner Recommendations

• My favorite clean toners are from ISOI and Haruharu Wonder - both are established and reputable k-beauty brands that use clean ingredients.  The ISOI toner includes hyaluronic acid (to help keep your skin hydrated) and other natural ingredients like tea tree extract, fermented soybean extract, and grapefruit peel oil. The Haruharu wonder toner is great for sensitive skin and includes ingredients like rice extract and ginseng and is both alcohol-free and fragrance-free. 

What is an essence?

How it works

An essence is like a toner in that it helps prep your skin to absorb all of your products, but it generally has a bigger focus on hydration and moisture.  

When to use

Use your essence both in the morning and the evening, right after you've used your toner. If you are short on time or want to streamline the number of products used in your skincare routine, you can skip an essence and move straight on to a serum after your toner. (see below)!

Benefits of Using an Essence

An essence preps your skin for your next step (adding on a serum) and can add an additional layer of hydration before you put on your serum.

Essence Recommendations

• My favorite essence of all time (before I started switching to cleaners products) was the SK-II facial treatment essence. I found it to be highly effective in smoothing and brightening my skin, while also improving my hyperpigmentation. I was reluctant to stop using it because I saw such great results, but because it does contain parabens, I have been slowly weaning myself off (as I've said in earlier posts, switching to cleaner products is definitely a messy process and a journey so I am being kind to myself and giving myself time to fully switch!) My new, clean essence that I have been using and recommend is Glow Recipe's Cloudberry Brightening Toner.

What is a serum?

How it works

Serums are highly concentrated and help with targeted skin concerns. Like toners, essences can specialize in addressing a wide range of concerns (i.e. wrinkles, dull skin, hyperpigmentation, etc.) so you have a lot of different types of serums to choose from.

When to use

You should use different serums for the morning and the evening to help target different skin problems.

• Morning Serum: During the day, I like using a serum with vitamin C because it helps protect my skin against environmental stressors and free radicals caused by UV rays. For my morning routine, tend to alternate between a serum with Vitamin C and a serum that focuses on hydration (I have drier skin).

• Evening Serum: In the evening, I like using a serum that's focused on anti-aging and renewal.

Benefits of Using a Serum (different benefits for different serum types!)

• Hydration: Provides an extra layer of moisture, making your skin look plump and fresh.

• Brightening: Helps to fade pigmentation and smooth the skin’s surface.

• Anti-Aging: Combats fine lines by promoting collagen production. Helps in repairing the skin and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Promotes cell turnover for fresher-looking skin.

Serum Recommendations

• For extra hydration and glowiness, I'd highly recommend Glow Recipe's Niacinamide Dew Drops. It includes niacinamide, which helps brighten dull skin and reduces hyperpigmentation. It also helps hydrate through its essential ingredients of watermelon and hyaluronic acid. I also like GOODAL 's Green Tangerine Dark Spot Vitamin C Serum. It's worked well so far to brighten my (old) acne scars and other discoloration on my cheeks. For anti-aging and moisturizing, I turn to Tatcha's Dewy Serum.

What is an Ampoule?

How it works

Ok, we've saved the best for last and finally gotten to my personal favorite K-beauty innovation! Ampoules are the powerhouse of skincare - they are highly concentrated skin treatments that focus on a particular issue --- dryness, acne, loss of elasticity and bounciness, dark spots, etc.

When to use

It depends on the texture! If you use an ampoule, use it either before your essence if it has a lighter texture than your essence, or after your essence if the texture is heavier. An ampoule generally isn't used daily, but more on an as-needed basis depending on what your skin needs.

Benefits of Using an Ampoule

• Targeted Treatment: Ampoules are like supercharged serums for very specific skin concerns. They come in various forms, from one-shot bottles to face masks to toner pads.

• Versatility: They can be used in conjunction with other skincare products and at any given time. Ampoules are like the heavy artillery of skincare – small but incredibly effective.

Ampoule Recommendations

• My favorite are collagen ampoule toner pads from Mediheal. I use these collagen pads to moisturize and firm my skin (while also toning it before I add in my essence!) If you're looking to boost your skin's elasticity and hydration levels, I would recommend MIZON's Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule. Key ingredients include hyaluronic acid and snail mucin.

Final Thoughts

Understanding the specific roles of toner, essence, serum, and ampoule can be a game changer and easy way to enhance your skincare routine. Incorporate the products above in the order that I suggested and you'll start to see a noticeable difference in your skin in as little as a few weeks!

Remember, skincare is a personal journey, so tailor these steps to fit your individual needs. And, if you want to see my content in more visual (and short) form, please follow me on instagram @cleanbeautybytina.