Review: Holika Holika Less on Skin Toner

Volume: 180ml

Where to purchase: On Yesstyle HERE (discount CVQFZA)

OR – skinspace.co HERE

Price: £19.69

Made in: South Korea

What is it?: A toner said to control the production of sebum, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. ‘Reduces skin irritation and pore blockage.’ They also say that this product isn’t sticky and I agree with this.

Good for: All skin types as it doesn’t contain alcohol or essential oils – I do think most skins would enjoy this – but I would say you wont like it if you don’t like the texture of the dear Klairs supple preparation toner.

Directions: Apply a small amount of toner to the cotton pad and gently wipe the skin.

How I use it: I use a pump bottle (my leftover Pixi Vitamin C cleansing water bottle) to pump up product into my cotton pad. It doesn’t work as well as regular liquid because this is quite thick and gloopy. But at least I get some product onto my pad without it spilling over. I did try it with the pump from the bottle but my issue is, the product doesn’t absorb into the pad if pumped onto instead of pressed into, so i have to waste time manipulating the pad and massaging product into the pad before I can wipe my face.

The ideal way to use this then I would guess, would be to directly pump this into your hands and then pat it into your face, which would be especially good for those with inflamed, sensitive skin where it hurts to swipe your face with a cotton pad. But because I like to swipe my face with a cotton pad to remove excess dirt, it’s a bit tricky!

Texture: Gloopy. It is very similar to the dear Klairs toner. Does not ball up like the Klairs toner does for me – so that makes me happy! But the thickness of it can be problematic in terms of application (see above).

Packaging: A plastic bottle with a pump – sometimes the product can just shoot out and make a mess.

Key Ingredients: Sodium Hyaluronate – hydrating. Glycerin and Butylene Glycol – hydrating too.

• The ‘Bio-saccharides’ in this product create a moisturising protective film over the skin, protecting it from external aggressors. I agree with this statement, that a sort of layer is produced BUT it’s not thick enough to prevent my serums and skincare on top to penetrate.

• Holika Holika also state that due to the cellulose ingredients of the product – it is good at controlling the sebaceous glands and therefore reduces oil production in the skin. I also agree with this statement because I do think that it does help with oil production.

Full Ingredients list: Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cellulose, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin

NOTE: Skincarisma have a full product ingredients list breakdown HERE

I like that it’s a short list.

Fragrance?: No fragrance – makes me really happy.

Good Under Makeup?: Yes! Seems fine, I don’t think this balls up.

What I like:

• It’s been formulated to be suitable for sensitive skins
• No fragrance
• No essential oils
• Big volume
• Does not ball up / pill up!
• This does hydrate my skin (if an adequate amount is put on) – I use 2 layers with a cotton pad as 1 layer isn’t enough.
• Did not sting, itch or burn.

What I don’t like:

• Quite thick / gloopy (similar to the dear klairs toner) – makes it difficult to use this in a pump format as it squirts/shoots out and drips – the thickness/gloopiness of this is a deterrent for me. I would have preferred this to be lighter BUT this does mean that this is probably more moisturising than a regular toner because it’s thicker.
• No extra skin-beneficial ingredients (i.e. no Niacinamide – BUT I’m just happy that this doesn’t seem to have skin-sensitising ingredients).

Overall Rating and Conclusion: 3.9/5 – It’s the gloopy texture of this that deducts a point for me. I don’t like the texture of the dear Klairs supple preparation toner, so this isn’t as pleasant either. I am happy that it doesn’t contain fragrance or essential oils either so it gets a higher score.

Would I purchase?: If it wasn’t for the gloopy texture, I would. I prefer personally, toners that are like water. It also makes it easier for the product to penetrate a pad and get soaked up. This is necessary for me because I like to use a cotton-soaked pad to swipe the dirt off my face.