Not Your Mother’s Toner

What Rachel Cook Northway's launch says about where beauty brands are headed next.

Every time I interview a new beauty brand founder, I'm always curious about the first product.

Like, why that one?

Why launch with a moisturizer instead of a cleanser? A lip oil instead of a lipstick? A toner instead of...well, literally anything else.

Because let’s be real - back in 2025 (and now too), no one needs another toner.

Which is one of the reasons why Rachel Cook Northway's launch caught our attention.

Before creating her first, and still sole, product, The Northway Edit’s Ginger Toner, Rachel spent more than a decade working in clean beauty (we know that term is loaded) at brands like Tenoverten, CAP Beauty, and Follain before launching her own clean beauty consulting business. 

Her days weren't spent brainstorming hero products. She was mainly just talking to people about their beauty routines. What they loved, what confused them ingredient-wise, and where they felt stuck when it came to “cleaner” swaps. 

Then something interesting happened for Rachel: 

"Attendees were asking for other ways to engage with The Northway Edit outside of the consultation, events, or social media. Speaking with people face-to-face and listening to how they wanted to interact with the brand led me to create this toner,” Rachel shared. 

That answer feels representative of something much bigger happening across the beauty industry.

The next generation of founders is building trust first.

For years, the primary focus in beauty was centered around a product’s launch. Building the brand community came secondary. But social media (and consumer fatigue, in my opinion) has flipped that order.

Founders are building communities first. And they may not be even doing so with a future product launch in mind! So, if an idea does come to mind down the road, it feels authentic (because it is), and by launch time, the founder has already spent years hearing the same questions over and over again! 

The product isn't always the business.

One thing I found super refreshing about Rachel's approach is that she doesn't position selling Ginger Toner as the business end goal.

It's pretty much the opposite.

"This toner is designed to get people thinking about their current ritual and encourage them to book a The Northway Edit session," she says.

That's a fascinating business strategy.

The toner isn't replacing her service…it's introducing more people to it.

I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing more founders take this approach.

But why a toner?!

When I asked Rachel why she launched with a toner, her answer wasn't about market white space or trend forecasting.

It was much simpler.

"Toner is a great way to introduce people to a skincare ritual. It's simple and an overlooked step," she said.

That simplicity carries through to the formula itself. Rosewater, ginger, chamomile, aloe, rice extract, and witch hazel. No complicated positioning. Keep it simple, stupid vibes. 

When Rachel introduced Ginger, she even encouraged people to use it alongside toners they already love, not instead of them.

How often do you see a founder say that?

Ginger > rose water 

Ginger isn’t a buzzy ingredient I see often in the skincare space, and when it comes to toners, the hero has definitely been rose water, so I had to question Rachel on why she chose it. 

"I've battled a health journey, and ginger has been a personal hero in my healing journey," she told me. "I love the cleansing quality of ginger and do not see it often in skincare, so this inspired me to showcase ginger as a hero ingredient."

It's a reminder that the products people connect with most often have a real story behind them. 

The Ginger Tone is $44 and is sold on thenorthwayedit.com