Toner is like a final rinse for your skin.Think of it as washing your clothes in a washing machine...you would never put them in the dryer with out first rinsing them.A cleanser does clean your face,but there will be some dirt and makeup and cleanser left behind.Toner takes care of that and it also closes up your pores,which open when you cleanse.It is the most important and most skipped step in skin care.