How The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner refreshes dry skin with gentle ingredients

Interested in an alcohol-free toner? Today, I’ll review The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner, a product formulated for those with sensitive skin.

Although I don’t have sensitive skin, I thought my drier skin these days could benefit from a gentle toner. Let’s take a look and see how well this Aloe Calming Toner performs against my age-induced dry skin. :)

 

---

What is The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner? 

The Body Shop is a brand from the UK and has been around since 1976. It’s literally a brand I grew up with. In fact, I was surprised when I realized that this is my first review of a Body Shop product after 5 years of “operation”. Better be late than never? 

Back to talking about toners, The Body Shop carries a good range – 8 at the moment – to suit every skin type and preference. The toner we are reviewing today – Aloe Calming Toner – is targeted at those with sensitive skin.

> RELATED: PURITO Centella Buffet Serum works like a charm to protect and nourish your skin

Containing zero fragrance, color, alcohol and preservatives, this Aloe Calming Toner is said to gently tone, prime and refresh the skin. The power of Aloe Vera also helps it sooth and calm sensitive skin. 

Sensitive vs Dry Skin: Sensitive skin is one that is easily irritated and more reactive than normal skin. Symptoms may include redness, rash, scaling, swelling, stinging, itching and burning.

It’s different from dry skin which is described as one that produces less sebum and hence is less able to retain moisture. Dry skin may experience tightness, dull-looking skin and low skin elasticity (source). 

New Packaging, but same ingredient

Due to the long time I took to empty this Aloe Vera toner, the packaging has since been refreshed. Quantity-wise, it has gone up from 200ml to 250ml. However, the ingredient remains the same. That’s why I decided to spend time in putting up this review.

So, why did I take so long to empty this toner? Was it because the product was not good? 

Contrary to some online reviews, I actually enjoy using The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner. I took two years to deplete it because I was alternating between a few toners. Plus I tend to skip toners occasionally as I think they aren’t as essential as compared to a moisturizer.

Now, let me share why I enjoy using this calming toner. 

 

---

What’s Good about The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner? 

1. Feels Refreshing 

The Aloe Calming Toner is watery and refreshing, and has the type of consistency that I love for a toner. I was glad that I didn’t have to deal with thick and slippery liquid that is typically associated with a “moisturizing” toner.

For the purpose of this review, I gave the toner extra time to dry completely and did feel slight stickiness which I wasn’t aware of previously. I’ve never felt it during normal usage as I would have followed up with a moisturizer before the toner had the chance to turn sticky. 

How to apply The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner?

Based on official instruction, apply the toner with a cotton pad after cleansing. I’ve also tried using the pat-on method and like it that the right amount of product would get dispensed when I give the bottle a gentle shake.

Comparing the two methods, I prefer using cotton pad as it works better in wiping off impurities (e.g. my decolletage in the morning). 

2. Free of Undesirable Ingredients

The Aloe Calming Toner has no added fragrance, color or preservatives. It is also alcohol-free and hence, didn’t irritate my recurring dry and flaky skin.

However, I’ve read from online reviews that some have experienced adverse reactions to the toner. If you have sensitive skin, you may want to visit the store and give the toner a test-drive before purchasing the bottle. 

To those who are interested, here’s the full ingredient list taken from the official website:

Ingredients of Aloe Calming Toner: Aqua, Pentylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide.

3. Forms a Good First Layer of Protection 

A noticeable film is left on the skin giving the skin its first layer of moisture barrier. On occasions when there’s a need to skip the moisturizer (e.g. before a jog), I believe layering this on just after cleansing would sooth the skin and make it less tight. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to try this out as I have a dedicated pre-jog serum that I love. 

4. Safe on my Pimple-Prone Skin

Being prone to breakouts, I’m happy to share that I’ve not had any pimples when using The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner. However, you  may want to note that some online reviewers have mentioned otherwise.

5. Reasonably-Priced

For a toner formulated for sensitive skin, I thought the pricing is reasonable at S$21 (view latest price HERE). It’s cheaper than brands such as Eucerin, La Roche-Posay and Curel that are also known for offering gentle toners. 

 

---

What’s Not Great about Aloe Calming Toner? 

1. Slight Stickiness only if you wait

We’ve shared that the toner dries down to a slight stickiness. However, the effect won’t be obvious unless you deliberately wait for it to dry completely and go without a moisturizer thereafter.

2. Some experienced sensitivity

I was surprised to read from a certain review portal that many have developed rash, pimples and allergic reaction from using The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner. My experience differs and leans closer to the positive ratings reflected on other review portals (4-star).

 

 

---

Recommendation

I enjoy using The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner because it’s refreshing and yet contains no alcohol. Now that I spot a drier complexion than in my younger days, I am leaning towards alcohol-free products and wouldn’t mind repurchasing this toner.

If you have dry skin profile, you may want to give this a try. Those with sensitive skin may want to test it out at the retail store before committing to a purchase. Rating: 4/5

 

To find out the latest price on Amazon, click HERE

 

Pin This!