YUNJAC Toners
YUNJAC builds its toners around Korean herbal decoctions rather than around a single hero active, so the choice here is mostly a choice of botanical. The range runs from the Whole Herb Essential Toner and the Outpost Essential Toner, both plain daily prep steps at 150ml, through the Zamoksuk Anti-aging Toner for people who want the toner step to carry some firming work, to the Baekyeoncho and Ujildu Moisture Soothing Toner, which pairs prickly pear with ujildu for reactive skin. The Carming and Compounding Toner comes in the same 150ml bottle and also as 45 and 50 piece soaked pads if you would rather sweep than press. The Skin Perfecting Glow Up Prep Water is the outlier: a 50ml prep step meant to go under makeup rather than to sit in a nightly routine.
By Skinsli editorial Updated
Buying guide
Choosing between YUNJAC's toners
YUNJAC sells its toners as separate herbal formulas rather than as strengths of one product, so picking between them is a question of which botanical you want doing the work. This guide walks the range bottle by bottle, covers the pad format, and explains where the 50ml prep water fits.
What the range covers
There are five 150ml toners here: Whole Herb Essential, Outpost Essential, Zamoksuk Anti-aging, Carming and Compounding, and the Baekyeoncho and Ujildu Moisture Soothing Toner. The Carming and Compounding formula is also sold as soaked pads in 45 and 50 piece tubs. Separately, the Skin Perfecting Glow Up Prep Water is a 50ml bottle that behaves more like a primer step than a toner.
Nothing in the range is a duplicate at a different size. Each 150ml bottle is a different formula, which is unusual and makes the choice worth a minute of thought.
Whole Herb Essential and Outpost Essential
These two are the plainest options and the easiest place to start. Both are 150ml daily prep toners meant to go straight on after cleansing, with no strong claim attached beyond getting skin ready for whatever comes next.
Outpost Essential belongs to YUNJAC's Outpost line, so if you already use other Outpost pieces this is the toner that matches them. Whole Herb Essential is the standalone version. If you are buying one YUNJAC toner and have no other reason to choose, either of these is the low risk pick.
When to pick the Zamoksuk Anti-aging Toner
This is the only toner in the range that asks the step to do more than prep. If your routine already has a serum handling firmness and you want the toner to add to that rather than sit neutral underneath it, this is the one.
It is still a 150ml watery toner, not a treatment essence, so expect it to layer normally. People who prefer to keep actives in one product and leave the toner plain are better served by the Essential bottles.
Baekyeoncho and Ujildu for reactive skin
Baekyeoncho is the Korean name for prickly pear, and you will see this toner listed both ways, sometimes as Prickly Pear and Ujildu Moisturizing Soothing Toner. It is the same 150ml bottle either way, so do not buy both thinking they are different products.
This is the formula to reach for if your skin runs hot, tight or easily irritated. Prickly pear brings the moisture side and ujildu the calming side, which makes it the gentlest starting point in the range.
Bottle or pad for the Carming and Compounding formula
Only one YUNJAC formula is offered both ways. You can buy Carming and Compounding as a 150ml bottle or as pre soaked pads in tubs of 45 or 50.
The liquid goes further per won and lets you press it in with your hands, which wastes less. The pads are faster, portable, and give a light physical sweep that some people prefer on oilier mornings. The 45 and 50 piece tubs are the same pads at different counts, so pick on price per pad rather than expecting a formula difference.
Where the Glow Up Prep Water fits
Skin Perfecting Glow Up Prep Water is 50ml rather than 150ml, and that size is the clue. It is aimed at the moment before makeup, smoothing and adding a little surface light so foundation sits better.
It is not a replacement for a daily toner. If you want one product for both jobs, buy an Essential toner and treat the prep water as an occasional extra rather than the other way round.
How to layer a YUNJAC toner
Apply to skin that is still slightly damp from cleansing. Press it in with your palms instead of wiping, which keeps more product on your face and less on a cotton pad. If you want a heavier hydrating layer, a second pass beats reaching for a thicker product.
Everything after that goes on as normal: essence, serum, then moisturiser. If you are using the pads, one sweep is enough before the rest of the routine.
Storage and shelf life
Keep the bottles upright, capped and out of direct sun. A bathroom shelf is fine; a windowsill is not, since herbal extracts discolour faster with light and heat.
The pad tubs matter more. Close the lid firmly every time, and use clean fingers or the tweezers if a pair is included, because the top pads dry out quickly once the seal is broken.
If you are only buying one
For sensitive or easily reddened skin, take the Baekyeoncho and Ujildu Moisture Soothing Toner. For a plain everyday step, take Whole Herb Essential or Outpost Essential. For firming, take Zamoksuk Anti-aging. For speed, take the Carming and Compounding pads.
If you already own YUNJAC pieces from the Outpost or Carming lines, matching the toner to that line keeps the botanicals consistent across your routine.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many different YUNJAC toners are there, and are any of them the same product?
There are five distinct 150ml toners: Whole Herb Essential, Outpost Essential, Zamoksuk Anti-aging, Carming and Compounding, and Baekyeoncho and Ujildu Moisture Soothing. One pair does repeat: the Baekyeoncho toner is also listed as Prickly Pear and Ujildu Moisturizing Soothing Toner, because Baekyeoncho is Korean for prickly pear. Those two names are the same bottle.
Should I buy the Carming and Compounding Toner as the 150ml bottle or as the pads?
The formula is the same, so choose on habit. The 150ml bottle lets you press the toner in by hand and lasts longer per purchase. The pads, sold in 45 and 50 piece tubs, are quicker and travel better, and give a light sweep that suits oilier days. The two tub sizes differ only in count.
What does the Zamoksuk Anti-aging Toner do that Whole Herb Essential does not?
Zamoksuk is the only toner in this range aimed at firmness rather than plain preparation. Whole Herb Essential and Outpost Essential are neutral daily steps that get skin ready for the products after them. Pick Zamoksuk if you want the toner step itself to contribute to a firming routine, and an Essential bottle if you would rather keep your actives in one serum.
Which YUNJAC toner suits skin that reacts easily?
The Baekyeoncho and Ujildu Moisture Soothing Toner. Prickly pear handles the hydration and ujildu the calming, which makes it the mildest formula in the range. If you also want the toner as a pad, note that the pads only exist in the Carming and Compounding formula, so on sensitive skin the bottle is the safer route.
Is the Skin Perfecting Glow Up Prep Water a toner?
Not really. It comes in 50ml rather than the 150ml the toners use, and it is built for the step just before makeup, smoothing the surface so foundation sits evenly. Use it alongside a daily toner rather than instead of one.
How do I stop the YUNJAC toner pads from drying out?
Press the lid fully shut after every use and keep the tub away from a sunny windowsill. The top pads in a 45 or 50 piece tub dry fastest once air gets in. If a pair of tweezers came with the tub, use it, since fingers introduce moisture and bacteria into the liquid the pads sit in.