Korea’s Hottest New Toning Trends
There has been an explosion in the popularity of Korean toners over the last few years. By now, you've probably heard of the 7 skins method but did you know that there are two other popular toning methods in Korea that don't get as much air time in English?
Toning In Korea
Toning your skin properly has been all the rage in Korea for the last 5 years, with a range of different methods for different skin types, as well as new categories of products for them.
Toner is known by various names in Korea, including “Skin”, “Toner”, “Softener” and even “Booster”.
The hottest toning trends are:
1. The 7 Skins Method;
2. The DDak To Method;
3. The Chap To Method
Method 1: The 7 Skins Method
Probably the most well-known of the three, having been in vogue in Korea since 2018, the 7 Skins method is still popular in 2024.
We've previously covered the best Korean toners to use for the 7 skins method. In 2020, the 7 Skins Method had even more minor twists in it:
- People were doing it with either an essence or toner; and
- 7 Skins was slowly replacing sheet masking = a skincare hack known as a ‘Mini Pack’ ("팩" "pack" means "mask" in Korean).
Mini Pack (미니 팩)
A mini pack involves applying your toner to ultra-thin and absorbent cotton pads, which you place over your face for 10 minutes. This is done to replace your sheet mask.
The cotton pads used for the Mini Pack are super thin – not the ones you use to remove makeup in other countries (i.e. cotton rounds). Instead, these are special pads designed specifically for the 7 skins method. The popularity of the 7 Skins Method has also resulted in the boom in ‘mist’ type products in K-Beauty.
Mist Toners (미스트 터너)
Mist Toners are now very common in Korea, and that’s largely thanks to everyone doing the 7 skins method. Misting makes it even easier to apply several layers of toner, and mist toners are perfect for people with sensitive skin because they use less friction on the skin being "hands free". 
Method 2: The Ddak To Method (딱터)
This method began gaining popularity around 2020 because perfect for people with lacklustre skin in need of gentle exfoliation. As a quick guide to which skin types are best suited to the Ddak To:
Oily Skin = Great
Dry Skin = Okay
Sensitive Skin = Bad
How it’s Different to 7 Skins:
The Ddak To method is about exfoliation and removing grime, which is different from the 7 Skins Method, which focuses solely on hydration.
Ddak Da (딱다) means “to wipe” in Korean, which is where this method gets its name from – you are wiping the toner over your face, hence Ddak (wiping) To (as in Toner - 토너).
The Ddak To Method involves using your toner as another step in cleansing, to remove debris and gently exfoliate the skin. To try it, after cleansing your face leave your face wet and don’t wipe the water off it.
Soak a cotton pad with a gentle, pH balanced toner and really gently massage this all over your face, following the natural grain of your skin. This method has a double function of cleansing and hydrating the skin at the same time.
What Toners To Use:
Water-type toners need to be used for the Ddak To method.Try:
Jelly Ko Dewy Glaze Toner - This incredibly hydrating moisturiser will leave you with that dewy, glassy, perfect skin you've been dreaming of. Containing Birch Sap and 3 types of Hyaluronic Acid, as well as Chinaberry plant extract. Oh, and it's also Vegan and Cruelty Free. Divine.
iUNIK Tea Tree Relief Toner – a dual-function toner that’s perfect for sensitive skin, containing star calming ingredients tea tree (67%), centella asiatica (20%) and portulaca extract to moisturise and nourish while keeping skin clean and clear.
Method 3: "The Chap To Method"
The third, less well known Korean toning style is the Chap To Method (찹터). This involves applying a really thick toner in your hand and then gently patting and pressing it into the skin to help absorption.
The name “Chap To” comes from the sound you make as you pat the toner into your skin – “Chap Chap”. “To” (터) stands for “Toner” = Put them together and you’ve got “Chap To”! To try it, after cleansing pour your toner into your hand.
Gently pat it into your skin using a light ‘tap, tap’ (or “Chap Chap”) motion. At the last step, press your palms into your face softly until the last of the toner is absorbed. Once you’re done, you can move onto your next steps of skincare, including essence, serum and moisturiser.
What Toners To Use:
You’ll need a thick-type toner for this one.
Try products containing ceramides, creams and beta glucan in them.
We love Laneige’s Cream Skin Refiner for this method.
Which of Korea’s hottest new toning trends are you excited to try out? Let us know in the comments.
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