This Tonic Is the Key to Evening Out Your Complexion and Hiding Acne Scars

One consistent skin-care concern I’ve grappled with is textured skin. Whether I’m stressed, tired, exposed to the harsh elements, or maybe went a little overboard with retinol products, my skin is the first to let me know. Dried out, blotchy, and sometimes even too sensitive to handle my regular skin-care regimen, my face usually needs a total reset before I see improvement. Chemical exfoliants can often do the trick, but you also have to be careful that you’re using products that are gentle enough not to worsen the situation. Enter Tatcha’s The Texture Tonic, an exfoliating toner that helps (gently!) prime and smooth skin that’s prone to blemishes and unevenness.

Touting A-list ingredients like fruit AHAs (to exfoliate and gently resurface dull skin), niacinamide and Japanese mugwort (for redness and inflammation, along with uneven skin tone), and wild rose (to minimize extra sebum production), The Texture Tonic will be your go-to for a brighter complexion and a lit-from-within glow.

Tatcha, The Texture Tonic — $62.00

Pros:

• Evens skin tone and texture
• Minimizes the appearance of pores
• Formulated with chemical exfoliants like niacinimide and AHAs

Cons:

• While gentle, the exfoliating formula may be too strong for dry skin types
• A bit pricey

I started testing The Texture Tonic a few weeks ago to give it ample time to work its magic on my complexion. I’d been experiencing some hormonal acne, blotchiness, and dullness for the last month, so I had high hopes. Applying in the morning and evening before moving on to the rest of my skin-care routine, I noticed right away that the formula left my skin feeling softer and more supple. And after applying serum and moisturizer, my face also felt more deeply hydrated (versus that tight, stinging sensation when skin is parched). It took about a week, but my skin became brighter and healthier-looking.

The Texture Tonic also helped with makeup application. Since it exfoliates the skin and minimizes the appearance of pores, I didn’t experience any weird foundation settling on my nose (where my pores are the largest), and my foundation, concealer, and cream blush went on much more smoothly. There was no cakey-ness at all, which is a dream.

Board-certified dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD, tells Well+Good that The Texture Tonic’s formula is ideal for those trying to re-texturize their complexion and create a smoother canvas. “The AHAs are a gentle way to exfoliate skin and encourage healthy, new, glowy skin—that is, to even out your complexion,” she says. She also points out that another one of the formula’s superstar ingredients, niacinamide, is “great for addressing pigmentary issues, and also useful to calm sensitive skin.”

“Overall, it’s a good product for hiding evidence of old acne and improving overall complexion,” says Nazarian.