Milky toners have officially entered mainstream beauty. Soft and silky, your skin will drink up their benefits, while giving your complexion that just-had-a-facial luminosity. The latest is naturally derived and made here in New Zealand. Editor Trudi Brewer shares Dew Drop, a milky toner that suggests what’s happening underneath that glow is far more compelling.
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Traditional toners have had something of an identity crisis - I haven't used one in decades. Once synonymous with that tight, squeaky-clean feeling — and often alcohol-heavy formulas — the new generation has moved in a very different direction. Think less strip-and-refresh, more hydrate-and-support. New Dew Drop is part of this shift: a lightweight, fast-absorbing milky toner designed to calm, hydrate and support your skin barrier, while preparing it for anything else you layer on top. Read on to find out whether this new-generation toner might change my mind.
Tailor DEW DROP, $39.50
What’s in it
Its dreamy, milky texture comes from barrier-loving ingredients.
At its heart are skin-identical lipids in a trio of ceramides: NP, AP, and EOP. If you think of your skin barrier as a brick wall: skin cells are the bricks, and ceramides help form the mortar that holds them in place; hence the barrier support. Ectoin is a protective hydrating molecule derived from microorganisms that survive in extreme environments. In Dew Drop, it acts as a water-binding molecule that further supports hydration and skin resilience against environmental stressors.
The brand has tapped into K-beauty hero ingredients, including centella asiatica (cica) and PDRN. Centella is the soothing star, loved by cosmetic chemists for its ability to help calm the appearance of redness and strengthen the skin barrier. Then there’s plant-based PDRN, the latest buzz ingredient in skincare and cosmetic medicine, which supports the skin’s natural renewal processes and helps improve the appearance of firmness, smoothness and hydration. Niacinamide, or vitamin B3, helps improve the appearance of uneven tone, refine the look of open pores and calm visible redness, alongside glycerin and panthenol — two classic hydration-supporting ingredients. Lightly scented, it has a familiar creamy, marzipan aroma similar to our favourite night cream, Tailor Restore Melatonin Night Balm, $70.
Why do we like it?
This milky toner will be addictive for anyone whose skin has moved beyond its twenties. We don’t need to remind you: as skin ages, it changes, both in looks and how it functions. And while our environment contributes, our skin barrier function is often to blame for dry, tight, reactive skin that has lost its glow. Also, the best skincare routine isn't necessarily about piling on more potent actives - sometimes it's about doing less, simply applying just what it needs to function well. This is where Dew Drop makes sense. It's not trying to replace your serum, moisturiser or retinoids. It's a prep step that gives skin a hydrated, comfortable foundation before the rest of your routine. So how much do you need? The brand recommends four pumps on cleansed skin, morning and night, followed by a serum, moisturiser and SPF for day. Dew Drop was also created as a multitasker (a philosophy that runs through the brand). Mix it with foundation for a sheer, more luminous finish, and you've effectively created your own skin tint. In a beauty landscape obsessed with adding the next best active or investing in a skin-rejuvenating cream, Dew Drop is taking a quieter approach. Hydrate, soothe, strengthen and support. The skin glow is simply a brilliant side effect.
Created for every skin type.