Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizing Toner for oily acne-prone skin
Dmae
Salicylic Acid
Zinc Gluconate
Copper Complex
Tetrapeptide-21
High
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best products for oily acne-prone skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers excellent pore minimizing and oil control for your oily skin, as salicylic acid exfoliates and unclogs pores while zinc gluconate helps regulate sebum production.
- Tetrapeptide-21 and dimethyl mea contribute to skin firming and tightening, further enhancing the product's functionality for your concerns.
- The formula is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing agents like magnesium aspartate.
How to apply
- You can use this toner in your PM routine. Start by using it once a week, and gradually increase to daily use if your skin feels good.
- Apply the toner right after cleansing your face and before putting on your moisturizer.
- Gently pat 2-3 drops of the toner onto your skin and let it dry for a minute before the next step.
- For the best results, apply the toner to clean, dry skin to help target your breakouts effectively.
- Remember to avoid the eye area and do a patch test before using the product for the first time.
People Say
★4.3Overall rating based on 1.3k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with oily and combination skin frequently report that this toner effectively mattifies the complexion and visibly tightens enlarged pores, leaving skin feeling "squeaky clean" and smoother. While many praise its ability to control excess oil and refine texture, a notable subset of users finds the scent overpowering and the formula potentially drying or irritating for sensitive skin types.
Highlights
Controls oil Mostly Mentioned
- “absorbs and controls visible excess oil”
- “leaves skin looking matte, refreshed and radiant”
- “skin is less oily”
- “keeps skin matte and fresh all day”
Shrinks pores Often Mentioned
- “pores are barely visible even in my magnifying mirror”
- “definitely makes my pores look smaller”
- “large pores on the bulb are barely visible”
- “helped to kind of shrink the pore size a little bit”
Strong scent Often Mentioned
- “smell reminds me of a summer camp bathroom”
- “strong, powdery, and just off”
- “didn't give it 5 stars because it has a strong smell”
- “slight odor that's not that great”
Deep cleanses Sometimes Noted
- “pulls make up and/or dirt... out of my skin”
- “gets your face squeaky clean”
- “rids skin of residue, excess oil and build-up”
- “gets all the gunk out of my pores”
Smoothes texture Sometimes Noted
- “left my skin with a slightly smoother texture”
- “made the texture of my skin a lot smoother”
- “skin feels radiant and revitalised”
- “smoother, more refined visage”
Drying or irritating Sometimes Noted
- “too drying for my skin”
- “began to get red dry patches”
- “skin broke out and reacted poorly”
- “dries out my skin”
High price Rarely Noted
- “pricey for a toner don't think it's worth it”
- “not worth the price”
- “expensive so I kept at it”
No results Rarely Noted
- “pores remained the same”
- “haven't seen a difference in my pores”
- “didn't feel clean-no benefits”
Sources: lovi.care, perriconemd.com, macys.com, lookfantastic.com, lovelyskin.com, skincareessentials.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizing Toner a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This toner is a great fit because salicylic acid exfoliates and unclogs pores while zinc gluconate helps control oil, keeping your skin clear and balanced. It also includes soothing ingredients like magnesium aspartate to keep your skin calm and safe from irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid and zinc gluconate make this toner a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin because they help clear out clogged pores and keep extra oil under control. The formula is very safe for your skin, as it includes soothing ingredients like magnesium aspartate that keep irritation unlikely.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
What does DMAE do for oily acne-prone skin?
DMAE is not formulated to treat oily or acne-prone skin, as it is primarily studied for smoothing lines and increasing firmness in aging skin. An average fit for oily and acne-prone skin needs lightweight ingredients that help clear pores and control excess oil without clogging.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2005Skin Research and Technology, 2002
What does Salicylic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid helps clear breakouts and keeps oily skin balanced by reducing oil levels and calming inflammation. It is well suited for oily, acne-prone skin because it targets pimples while helping keep the skin hydrated and protected.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This toner fits into your evening routine as a cleansing toner after your cleanser, and you should start using it just once a week to see how your skin adjusts. Salicylic acid and zinc gluconate help unclog pores and control oil, while soothing agents make irritation unlikely.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this toner with retinol by applying the toner first to clean skin and following with your retinol product once it absorbs. Salicylic acid and retinol together may cause dryness, so start slowly to see how your skin reacts.
How often should I use this toner?
This toner is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin because salicylic acid clears pores while zinc gluconate helps control oil. Start using it once a week as part of your cleansing routine, and you may carefully use it more often if your skin handles it well.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This toner is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin because salicylic acid clears out pores while zinc gluconate helps control oil, making it unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts. However, since it contains alcohol denat and a strong scent, it may feel drying or irritating for some users.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum, limonene, and linalool) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
Daily use of a deep cleansing gel containing salicylic acid 2%, zinc gluconate 0.2% and lipohydroxy acid 0.05% significantly reduced total lesion count by 56.3% after 84 days in 35 subjects with mild to moderate truncal acne.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023A dermocosmetic cream containing Punica granatum Pericarp extract, Salicylic acid, Niacinamide, Zinc gluconate, and Aqua Posae Filiformis significantly decreased inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesion counts in subjects with mild to moderate acne compared to untreated hemi-faces after 15 days.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Daily application of 3% DMAE facial gel for 16 weeks safely and efficaciously mitigates forehead lines and periorbital fine wrinkles, improves lip shape and fullness and overall aging skin appearance, and increases skin firmness compared to placebo.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2005A gel containing 3% 2-dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) increased skin firmness, demonstrated by increased shear wave velocity in 30 volunteers compared to a formulation without DMAE.
Skin Research and Technology, 2002A DMAE-based formulation increased dermal and collagen fiber thickness in hairless mice and enhanced stratum corneum water content in human forearm skin compared to control formulations, without significantly modifying mechanical properties.
Die Pharmazie, 2009A multi-active topical serum containing DMAE and retinol applied nightly over 12 weeks significantly improved submental contour in 13 Indian women with mild-to-moderate submental fullness.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Different strains of Propionibacterium acnes modulate cutaneous innate immunity with varying pro-inflammatory potentials, with P. acnes type III showing the highest and P. avidum the weakest, and zinc gluconate down-regulates the expression of most induced immune markers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2013Zinc gluconate induced alpha2, alpha3, alphaV, and alpha6 integrins, copper gluconate induced alpha2, alpha6, and beta1, and manganese gluconate induced most studied integrins in cultured keratinocytes.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1999The combination of Thermus thermophilus and Bacillus subtilis mixed-culture ferment extract and copper tripeptide-1 GHK-Cu reduced inflammatory cytokines, protected skin explants from UV-induced damage, and improved wrinkles and skin barrier conditions compared to individual components or controls.
Skin Research and Technology, 2026Copper-quercetin complex polycaprolactone nanoparticles exhibited sustained release, antioxidant activity, and a threefold increase in antibacterial efficacy without causing skin irritation in rats.
Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2023Topical tripeptide copper complex and high-dose helium-neon laser application accelerated wound healing time and granulation tissue filling compared to untreated control wounds in rabbits.
Veterinary Dermatology, 2008
Ingredients
Water, Alcohol Denat, Dimethyl Mea, Tetrapeptide-21, Zinc Gluconate, Magnesium Aspartate, Acetyl Tyrosine, Salicylic Acid, Copper Gluconate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium Edta, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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