I’ve always used toners for their oil-taming potential. The first time I tried one — a witch-hazel-heavy concoction — it felt like my face was on fire. But I didn’t mind the redness on my cheeks or the splotchiness on my forehead; this was back in the era of orange-juice-colored Clean & Clear and apricot-emblazoned St.Ives, when stinging was supposed to mean a product was really working.
I’m not such a skin-care neophyte anymore. But I’ve spent a small fortune over the years trying to find a toner that will help me look less shiny without being too harsh. I’ve tried Darphin’s chamomile-charged Intral, Caudalie’s grape-logoed Vinoclean, and a very pretty rose-petal option from Fresh, to name a few — and I didn’t love any of them. It’s hard to find a formula that’s helps with oiliness but isn’t ridiculously drying. Some left my face feeling sticky, while others were too tightening.
So when I recently finished another bottle of toner that I wouldn’t repurchase, I decided to try Farmacy’s well-reviewed Deep Sweep, partly for its intriguing name.
Deep Sweep comes in a pistachio-hued glass bottle in line with the beauty company’s botanical branding. Its scent is best described as fresh and clean, and the moment I tried the toner after cleansing — swiping it onto my skin with a cotton pad — I liked how invigorating it felt, like splashing cool water on your face on an especially hot day. There was no stinging sensation at all. It just took a few seconds for my skin to devour the Deep Sweep. It didn’t leave any tackiness, like how your face feels after you pull off a sheet mask. I was also impressed with how it prepared my skin for the products I used afterward. I rotate through a number of “lotions and potions” in my nighttime routine, and everything from First Aid Beauty’s acne-treatment pads to Sunday Riley’s CEO cream to Fresh’s floral overnight mask soaked right in, rather than taking forever to dry down. That’s been a problem I’ve had with other toners (including Chanel’s blue-tinted $52 Le Tonique). And Deep Sweep worked just as well with my morning skin care.
I’ve been using Deep Sweep daily for more than a month now, and its combination-and-oily-skin-specific formula has helped me with my greatest skin-care concerns: greasiness (I’ve been known to compare myself to a melting Goober candle), blackheads, and very visible pores. The toner contains acne-fighting BHA along with moringa-seed extract and papaya enzymes, which have turned out to be a near magical trio for my skin. Since I was unfamiliar with the latter two ingredients, I turned to dermatologist Debra Jaliman, who explained that moringa hydrates while antioxidant-rich papaya unclogs pores and smoothes skin texture — together, they help ease the exfoliating salicylic acid in the bottle.
That’s the science behind what’s happening, but what I’ve seen for myself is a big difference in oiliness. It’s almost as though the toner is blotting my skin for me. Then there’s what I can’t see: blackheads on the sides of my nose that have bothered me forever. Even as I glare into the mirror — prodding at my nostrils to double check — they no longer polka-dot my skin. The most annoying pores look much smaller, too.
It’s as if I’ve finally found the missing piece to my personal skin-care puzzle, where all the other toners I’ve tried never truly fit.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
