'The point is to sweep away dead cells that exacerbate fine dry lines and blocked pores, leaving skin brighter and smoother'

Iam on record as saying toners – those perfumed waters peddled as the "essential" step two in a skincare regime – are pretty pointless. I stand by it. Proper cleansing with a facecloth leaves no dirt, make-up or cleanser, and leaves skin ready for serum and moisture. I don't buy that classic toners close pores or do anything much except feel and smell nice – and if you enjoy using them, please continue (I'm the last to argue that all cosmetics must be useful to be desirable). But throwing a spanner in the works are liquid exfoliants, which look like toners but bring a great deal more to the party. They're applied in the same way – on a cotton wool disc, swept across the face – but contain exfoliating ingredients such as AHAs (glycolic and lactic acids; for most skins except very sensitive) and BHAs (such as salicylic acid; better on spotty, oily and sensitive types).

The point of a liquid exfoliant is to sweep away dead cells that exacerbate fine dry lines and blocked pores, leaving skin brighter and smoother, but it's important not to overdo it. If you use a washcloth daily, use the exfoliant once or twice a week max. And don't leave home without proper sun protection as your skin will be more susceptible to sun damage. These are the best.

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner (main image), £25, clarins.co.uk

Feels soft and comfortable, and causes not so much as a tingle on my dry, dehydrated skin.

Ren Clarifying Toning Lotion, £18, renskincare.com

Works on oily, spotty skin without reddeninng or stinging.

Burt's Bees Anti-Blemish Solutions Clarifying Toner, £9.99, burtsbees.co.uk

Acts like a more expensive exfoliant on spotty, mildly tricky skin.

Suki Concentrated Balancing Toner, £29.75, naturisimo.com

A very effective but gentle liquid exfoliant for spotty and oily skins, or those with eczema and rosacea.

Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Toning Lotion/Refiner, £22, esteelauder.co.uk

A new liquid exfoliant to suit all. Leaves skin flake-free but moist.

Aveda Botanical Kinetics Exfoliant, £17, aveda.co.uk

An oldie but a goodie, this leaves my skin visibly brighter and perkier. Great before a night out.