Paula’s Choice Calm Soothing Toner: review

There’re certain buzzwords in skincare that are to me like the bell for Pawlow’s dog. I start to drool (figuratively). Soothing is one. Calming is another. Throw in a ‘targets redness’, and I’m there. So it’s not really surprising that here’s my Paula’s Choice Calm Toner review, as the official description hit all my feels.

Remember when I wailed about the discontinuation of cosrx’s Galactomyces Toner? (Btw, I must’ve now asked a dozen times on their IG if they actually will discontinue it, and they’ve so far ignored me completely. It starts to annoy me. Mind asking them too and tag me if they answer?)

After that, I set out to discover a toner I would like as much as that one. Alas, the Calm Soothing Toner for normal to oily skin is not it.

Paula’s Choice Calm Toner review

What it is

My ears perked up when I read the descripton on the bottle: ‘replenishes and soothes extra sensitive skin’. While I don’t know if my skin is ‘extra’ sensitive, it’s definitely sensitive and prone to redness. It’s also becoming drier by the minute this summer.

You might wonder why I chose a toner for normal to oily skin, especially if there’s a similar toner formulated for dry to normal skin? Well, the dry to normal texture isn’t exactly toner-like: it’s thicker and what I’d call an essence.

118ml/4 oz. are $21/24€.

A quick note on toners

“(A) toner is my first step of bringing back hydration into my skin after cleansing. It calms and hydrates, and prepares skin for the next steps in your skincare routine. Think of your skin like a dry sponge – it can’t absorb moisture as easily as a damp one. So, give it moisture after cleansing and your serum will be able to penetrate much more easily.” (Quoting myself here: Pampering winter skin with cosrx)

Also these days, I’m very much into the seven skin method, meaning you layer your watery toner a few times (it definitely doesn’t have to be seven times!) for maximum hydration.

Paula’s Choice’s description:

(It) is formulated with our own complex blend of soothing, refining, and skin-replenishing plant extracts, including green tea and colloidal oatmeal to revitalize dull, dehydrated skin and ease redness.

Paula’s Choice

Ingredients

Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol (hydration), Polysorbate 20 (texture-enhancing), Glycerin (hydration/skin replenishing), Colloidal Oatmeal (skin-soothing), Beta-Glucan (skin-soothing/antioxidant), Sea Whip Extract (skin-soothing), Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract (skin-soothing), Panthenol (skin replenishing), Epigallocatechin Gallate (antioxidant), Gellan Gum (texture-enhancing), Phytic Acid (stabilizer), Disodium EDTA (stabilizer), Ethylhexylglycerin (preservative), Potassium Sorbate (preservative).

Formula

Let’s have a look at some of the hero ingredients. Colloidal oatmeal is touted to be great for its soothing properties: There’re actual studies supporting that it’s helpful if your skin is itchy, dry, irritated and eczema-prone. The FDA allows it to be listed as an active ingredient. So, it all points towards a ‘this could be actually helpful’.

Beta-Glucan is a polysaccharide that’s been thrown around in skincare a lot for the last few years. It has skin-soothing, wound-healing and moisturising properties, plus it’s an antioxidant, thus protecting your skin from free radicals.

I heart Panthenol (vitamin B5) with all my being. It’s an ingredient that’s often overlooked in buzzy skincare, but! It’s so good. Panthenol is a humectant with awesome moisturising properties and has kept my lips unchapped for many a year. Plus, it has anti-inflammatory abilities.

Epigallocatechin Gallate: That’s a mouthful. But it’s easy, really: EGCG is the thing in green tea that makes it super healthy: it’s an antioxidant, it’s anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic. Studies support that it’s helpful in skincare, too.

Sea Whip extract: A sea whip is a type of soft coral from the Caribbean, which makes the whole product definitely NOT vegan. I don’t know how I feel about crushed corals in my skincare, although sources say it’s a renewable resource and environmentally friendly. It’s in the toner for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract comes from, in fact, a plant called ‘Red Spiderling’ – but it’s definitely a plant. (No spiders in my skincare!). I couldn’t find a lot about it, but it’s also supposed to have skin-protecting abilities.

Application/Texture

Hoo boy. If you’re up to this point in the review and thought ‘this sounds actually great, where’s the catch?’ – here it is. The toner is watery, tinged brown, and I splash a bit from the bottle (please, companies, use spray bottle with toner, kthxbai) into my hands and pat it all over my face. AND THEN. This reeks. For me, it’s a whiff of rotting algae with a healthy dose of underwear worn too long.

After the first few tries, I resorted to not applying it around my nose, letting it dry down and absorb completely, and then move on with my routine – and then I can bear it, but barely. Sure, PC is all about the fragrance-free life: but in this instance, it’s deeply regrettable. The stink diminishes after a while, although I can smell it on my hands for a good long time after applying. My advice? Test before you commit.

Effect?

It’s actually rather difficult to be really, really excited about a toner – but here’s the deal: I didn’t change a bit of my skincare routine since I run out of the cosrx Galactomyces toner. And I didn’t see my skin change for the worse. I ALSO didn’t exactly see it change for the better – at least not in amounts that I would notice right away. My skin is behaving right now, although being a bit drier than usual.

I tested my skin’s hydration levels with my trusty skin analyser in the morning before cleansing: My median levels were around 37% (hydration) and 25% (oil), which isn’t too bad. I then applied the toner and waited for about 20 minutes until I measured again: my hydration levels were through the roof, with a median level of 53% and 17% of oil. Wow!

Worth it?

Well, if you can stand a strong ‘natural’ smell in your skincare, I’d think that the pros outweigh the cons here. The formulation is good: a nice mix of calming ingredients plus some nice antioxidants. I’m prone to redness, and I believe this toner works in calming that down. But jeez, the smell.

Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.