Stripped Down: Review of the Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner

I was originally planning on posting my review for this product to Instagram, but then I realized I had too much to say about it. What else is new? 😂

I recently got the chance to try the highly anticipated, new unscented version of the very popular Klairs Supple Preparation Toner. The original Klairs Supple Preparation Toner, which I have tried and reviewed here in comparison to another Hyaluronic Acid-based toner, contains various essential oils such as Lavender, Eucalyptus, and Citrus Peel Oils. Although these oils can provide a calming, herbal scent to add to the user experience, they can also be irritating for those with very sensitive skin, myself included. On the surface, the unscented toner from Klairs appears to be very similar to the original toner in terms of formula and effect, but let’s break it down in more detail.

Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner

Ingredient Breakdown

Full Ingredients:  Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethyl Sulfone, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Natto Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Chlorphenesin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Panthenol, Arginine, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Beta-Glucan, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Portulaca, Oleracea Extract, Lysine HCL, Proline, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Methionine, Theanine, Copper Tripeptide-1

CosDNA Ingredients Analysis 

Notable Ingredients:

This toner has a simple water base and contains Butylene Glycol, which is a great humectant (draws water to the skin). Sodium Hyaluronate, the salt form of Hyaluronic Acid and another stellar humectant, comes in as the seventh ingredient. It also contains Beta-Glucan, an oat-derived skin-soother; Centella Asiatica, which is anti-inflammatory and wound-healing; and Licorice Root Extract, a natural brightening agent. They also highlight an ingredient called “Lipidure” on the packaging, which appears to be the trademark name for the ingredient polyquaternium-51, a type of humectant upon which I can’t seem to find much information.

Potential Irritants:

Since they removed the essential oils in this version of the toner, there appear to be no major irritation triggers to watch out for. Yay! Good job, Klairs! But of course, always patch test new products if you have particularly sensitive skin and pay attention to your individual sensitivities.

Packaging

The packaging is simple but effective. It comes in a 180 ml or 6.7 fluid oz bottle with a small opening to dispense product. I like how they made the bottle transparent so you can monitor how much of the product you have left, as opposed to the original version where the bottle is tinted dark brown. The label is a pretty shade of dark lavender, which adds a nice soft touch to compliment the simple formulation.

Texture

I would describe the texture of the toner as being quite lightweight and fast absorbing. But it’s thicker than water and has some viscosity to it. Due to the exclusion of essential oils, I believe it’s slightly thinner than the original toner. In addition, it’s not sticky at all and feels very refreshing to apply. It’s quite runny as well, as you can see from the demonstration video clip below (please excuse the shaky hands).

Scent

As the name would suggest, this toner has no discernable scent. Other reviewers have commented on a slight chemical smell, but it’s honestly very, very subtle and basically undetectable unless you really concentrate on it, haha. You can’t expect anything except water to have no scent at all!

Claims

The toner’s main function is to provide basic hydration and prep cleansed skin for future skincare steps. It claims to balance your skin’s pH-level to be in the slightly acidic range (~5.5) and provide a calming effect without irritation. Like most of Klairs’s products, it has a simple formulation that is meant to be no-frills and suitable for sensitive skin.

Photo Credit: Dear, Klairs

Performance

While this isn’t the most hydrating toner I’ve tried, it does adequately hydrate my skin. Especially now that the weather is warming up, I find the lightweight formula to be perfect for layering without feeling too heavy. However, I think I would reach for something that packs a bigger punch of moisture during the colder seasons.  I can confidently say that this toner is safe for the most sensitive skin. I think it’s a great option for those with acne, rosacea, or any other inflammatory skin condition since it’s so safe to use. Since its main function is delivering hydration and it’s free of denatured alcohol, it’s a perfect toner to use for the 3, 5 or 7-skin method. Personally, I find that 3 layers of this toner get the job done on most days.

Overall, I wouldn’t call this my holy grail hydrating toner and it certainly doesn’t knock the Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Toner out of first place.  Basically, it didn’t wow me but it didn’t disappoint me either. Still, I’m really glad myself and many others can now enjoy this toner free of essential oils!

Final Thoughts

I think the Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner is a great example of a brand genuinely taking into account consumer feedback. Klairs markets themselves as a brand tailored to sensitive skin, so it was eyebrow-raising that their products feature essential oils so heavily. Rather than becoming defensive or ignoring this feedback, they put effort into creating a product that met people’s needs and desires. I think that sets a great example of how a brand should accept constructive criticism and harness it to create even better products. I think Klairs made a really good business decision by offering a fragrance and essential oil free version of their toner and executed the release perfectly.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me by 0.8liter at a discounted price in exchange for my honest review.

Where to Buy

Here are the links where you can purchase the Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner (non-affiliate):

6 thoughts on “Stripped Down: Review of the Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner

  1. What would you suggest for sensitive skin that’s a good heavier replacement for the Klairs in winter/dryer weather?

    1. I would recommend the Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Toner as a heavier alternative. I would also suggest you look into Korean “essence toners” as a more moisturizing option. These products are halfway between toner and essences, as the name suggests. My personal favorite for winter is the SkinWatchers Ceramizing Essence Toner – products containing ceramides are amazing for dry skin! 🙂 <3 thanks for stopping by, love.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *