Sulwhasoo Essential Balancing Water for dry sensitive skin
Average
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry sensitive skin; other toners fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 moderate suitability for your dry skin as glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide humectant action, but it lacks sufficient emollient ingredients for optimal hydration.
- While it offers general hydration benefits, these are mostly supportive and not directly addressing your dry or flaky skin due to the lack of specialized ingredients in concentrations that would directly target dryness.
- The product is safe for your dry and sensitive skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- You can use this hydrating toner AM and PM every day to keep your skin soft. Always remember to pair it with SPF in the morning.
- Apply this hydrating toner right after your cleanser and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the hydrating toner into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- For best results, apply the hydrating toner on slightly damp skin to help lock in moisture.
- Be careful to avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 1.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this toner is highly praised for its deep hydration and luxurious, non-sticky texture, effectively creating a plump and dewy complexion. It is particularly beneficial for dry and dehydrated skin, offering a soothing effect and a pleasant herbal scent that many enjoy. Some users find the fragrance to be strong, and the price point is considered high, though its effectiveness is frequently noted.
Highlights
Deep hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “saved my moisture barrier”
- “plump and hydrated”
- “drinks it up”
- “sinks in quickly”
Luxurious texture Mostly Mentioned
- “gel-like consistency”
- “not sticky”
- “absorbs immediately”
- “silky feel”
Soothing effect Often Mentioned
- “calms redness”
- “soothing and relaxing”
- “relieves tightness”
- “comforts irritated skin”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “very expensive”
- “investment piece”
- “pricy for a toner”
- “wait for sales”
Herbal scent Sometimes Noted
- “spa-like smell”
- “relaxing hanbang scent”
- “smells expensive”
- “therapeutic aroma”
Radiant finish Sometimes Noted
- “glass skin effect”
- “healthy glow”
- “dewy complexion”
- “brightens dullness”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “smell is overpowering”
- “strong herbal scent”
- “too perfumed”
- “smells like ginseng”
Heavy packaging Rarely Noted
- “heavy glass bottle”
- “hard to travel with”
- “fear of dropping”
- “difficult to dispense”
Potential irritants Rarely Noted
- “contains alcohol”
- “caused breakouts”
- “stung sensitive skin”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, influenster.com, beautylish.com, yesstyle.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Sulwhasoo Essential Balancing Water work for dry sensitive skin?
This toner works moderately well for dry sensitive skin, as its sodium hyaluronate and glycerin bring helpful moisture, though it is missing enough rich softening ingredients for ideal hydration. A toner of this type needs rich moisturizing and soothing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, peptides, and calming plant extracts to keep dry skin soft and smooth.
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Sodium hyaluronate and glycerin make this toner a moderate fit for your dry sensitive skin by pulling in moisture, though it is unlikely to fully treat flaky areas because it lacks rich softening ingredients. A hydrating toner for this skin needs plenty of softening ingredients and moisture-locking agents like niacinamide, peptides, and centella asiatica extract.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for dry sensitive skin?
Hyaluronic acid is a great fit for dry, sensitive skin because it brings a large boost in hydration, making the skin feel soft and smooth while improving barrier function. It helps calm tightness and dryness, and is unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Dermatology and Therapy, 2021
What does Honey do for dry sensitive skin?
Honey helps keep dry sensitive skin soft and smooth by holding onto moisture while soothing irritation. It is unlikely to cause issues and may help calm dry patches.
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This hydrating toner goes right after cleansing in both your morning and evening skincare routines. While it offers moderate hydration for dry skin, this skin type needs extra softening and smoothing ingredients to truly tackle dryness.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
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 it with your retinol treatment. This toner is unlikely to irritate your sensitive skin, but because it lacks rich softening ingredients, dry skin needs a richer cream afterwards to lock in moisture and prevent flaking.
How often should I use this toner?
You can use this toner twice a day in both your morning and evening routines. It is safe for sensitive skin, but since it works only moderately well for dryness, your routine also needs rich moisturizing creams with oils and butters to deeply soften dry skin.
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This toner is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin because it is free of harsh or heavy ingredients that commonly block pores. It is safe for your skin type, though dry skin generally needs richer creams with ingredients that lock in moisture and smooth flakes.
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum, limonene, and linalool) and drying alcohol (alcohol).
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019Honey-based dressings reduced mean healing duration, length of hospital stay, and VAS pain scores compared with povidone iodine-based dressings in 1236 participants.
Journal of Wound Care, 2021Topical honey application improved the mean duration of attacks and pain, occurrence of crusting, and healing time compared to acyclovir cream in 16 adult patients with recurrent labial and genital herpes lesions.
Medical Science Monitor, 2004Combining 755 nm alexandrite laser with topical licorice gel significantly reduces terminal hair counts compared to alexandrite laser with placebo in women with idiopathic hirsutism.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015Licochalcone A activated Nrf2 signaling, elevated cytoprotective enzymes, increased the reduced-to-oxidized glutathione ratio, and decreased reactive oxygen species in human fibroblasts and neutrophils, while a LicA-rich licorice extract lowered UVA-induced oxidative processes in vivo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2015Bioactive glycyrrhizic acid and oxymatrine ionic liquid self-assembled nanomicelles significantly promoted the transdermal permeation, subcutaneous retention, and anti-photoaging efficacy of palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 in cellular and animal models compared to unformulated peptide.
Advanced Science, 2025A combination of five-colored plants (mung bean, white truffle, black truffle, chrysanthemum, and Lycium barbarum) at 0.5% concentration improved fibroblast wound healing by 59.89%, reduced cellular senescence markers by 76.32%, and increased epidermal thickness and collagen levels in an ex vivo skin model compared to a negative control.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2025Topical administration of phenolic-containing Lycium barbarum extract decreased ROS levels and matrix metalloproteinase expression while increasing antioxidant defenses, skin collagen content, and barrier proteins, leading to an improvement of UV-induced skin erythema, thickness, and wrinkles in mice.
Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2022Lycium barbarum polysaccharide pretreatment effectively protects HaCaT cells and mouse skin from blue-light-induced oxidative damage, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction by reducing elevated cellular autophagy and mitophagy levels.
Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2024Topical green tea and green tea plus lotus multiple emulsions reduced casual sebum secretions compared to placebo in healthy adults, with the combined treatment producing significantly greater reductions than green tea alone over a 60-day period.
Hippokratia, 2013Combined topical application of lotus and green tea improved facial skin surface parameters including roughness, scaliness, smoothness, and wrinkling in healthy Asian men compared to single treatments and placebo.
Rejuvenation Research, 2013Cosmetics containing lotus-derived callus extract showed a significant skin-whitening effect in 21 volunteers.
Plants, 2023
Why other toners fit dry sensitive skin better
Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Sodium trehalose sulfate decreased transepidermal water loss and increased stratum corneum water content in participants with low stratum corneum water content when applied for 4 weeks compared to placebo.
Skin Research and Technology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Alcohol, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Glycerin, Peg Ppg-17 6 Copolymer, Glycereth-26, Phenoxyethanol, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Honey, Miel, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Cross-Polymer, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Polygonatum Officinale Root Extract Rhizome, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Parfum, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium Edta, Limonene, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Natto Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Linalool, Propanediol, Bht, Acetic Acid, Tocopherol, Beta-Glucan
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
-

Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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