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SkinCeuticals Equalizing Toner for dry skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

SkinCeuticals Equalizing Toner

Average

  • AverageDry Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for dry skin; other products fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, 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 hydration for your dry skin due to the presence of glycerin and aloe barbadensis extract, which provide general skincare benefits. Vaccinium myrtillus extract and saccharum officinarum extract offer mild chemical exfoliation to help with flakiness.
  • The formula is generally safe for your dry skin as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
  • While glycerin offers humectant action, the product lacks sufficient emollient and occlusive ingredients for optimal hydration for your dry skin.

How to apply

  • Use this toner AM and PM every day to help with dry or flaky skin. Always pair with SPF in the morning.
  • Apply this toner after cleansing and before your moisturizer to keep your skin soft.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the toner into your skin and let it absorb. Avoid rubbing.
  • Apply the toner on slightly damp skin to help with moisture absorption.
  • Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.

People Say

★4.2Overall rating based on 400+ reviews

Users with combination, oily, and sensitive skin frequently praise this toner for its ability to gently exfoliate and remove residual impurities without stripping natural moisture. While many report a smoother texture and reduced redness, a subset of users finds the formula leaves a sticky residue or causes irritation on highly reactive skin.

Highlights

  • Gentle, non-drying Often Mentioned
    • “Very gentle exfoliate dead cells... without drying too much.”
    • “Does not strip my skin.”
    • “Leaves skin soft and moisturized and not dry at all.”
  • Effective cleansing Sometimes Noted
    • “Quickly wipe away any residue of dirt or makeup.”
    • “Gets any last traces of make up left behind by cleansers.”
    • “Helps get all the extra dirt off post wash.”
  • Refreshes and balances Sometimes Noted
    • “Makes my skin feel clean... refreshing and cool.”
    • “Helps to balance out your skins PH levels.”
    • “Immediately delivers a cooling and refreshing feel.”
  • Sticky residue Sometimes Noted
    • “Leaves a sticky feeling on my skin.”
    • “Strange feeling on my skin, almost like a tackiness.”
    • “Texture... leaves a sticky feeling.”
  • Improves texture Rarely Noted
    • “Instantly saw the change... smooth, polished, healthier.”
    • “My pores feel and are left unclogged.”
    • “Complexion looks much more even and less inflamed.”
  • Packaging issues Rarely Noted
    • “Packaging is not good at all... have to remove the lid.”
    • “Just don't travel with it! ... bottles don't test my patience.”
    • “Leaking bottles.”
  • Skin irritation Rarely Noted
    • “Skin too sensitive... think it was all the fruit extracts.”
    • “Caused breakouts.”
    • “Burning sensation.”
  • Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
    • “Smelly, not cleansing.”
    • “Bad smell.”
    • “Strong smell to it.”

Sources: lovi.care, lovelyskin.com, dermstore.com, bluemercury.com, cocooncenter.co.uk, skinmiles.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does SkinCeuticals Equalizing Toner work for dry skin?

SkinCeuticals Equalizing Toner works moderately well for dry skin, offering some hydration and mild chemical exfoliation for flakiness while remaining generally safe from harsh irritants. However, because it lacks sufficient softeners and sealing ingredients, a product for this skin type needs rich humectants, soothing agents, and protective barriers to lock in moisture and nourish the skin properly.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for dry skin?

Glycerin and aloe barbadensis extract help provide moderate hydration for dry skin, while vaccinium myrtillus extract and saccharum officinarum extract offer mild exfoliation to help with flakiness. A toner for dry skin needs rich moisturizing and soothing ingredients along with softening and sealing ingredients to keep the skin comfortable and well hydrated.

What does Aloe Vera Extract do for dry skin?

Aloe vera extract helps boost skin moisture and keeps dry skin feeling soft and smooth. Studies show it increases water content in the outer skin layer and improves overall hydration.

Skin Research and Technology, 2006Dermatology Reports, 2026

What does Bilberry Fruit Extract do for dry skin?

Bilberry fruit extract helps hydrate dry skin while improving its smoothness and overall texture. It also provides antioxidant protection that supports a healthy complexion and keeps skin feeling soft.

Nutrients, 2024Antioxidants, 2021

Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for dry skin?

This toner goes in the morning step right after your cleanser and before your moisturizer. While it provides moderate hydration and mild exfoliation, dry skin needs rich creams and oils to lock in moisture and keep the skin soft.

Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this toner in the morning or at night before your moisturizer, keeping it away from your retinol step to lower the chance of irritation. Because this toner lacks rich barrier-softening ingredients, dry skin needs an extra layer of heavy cream or oil afterward to lock in moisture.

How often should I use this toner?

You can use this toner once a week to start, and if your dry skin handles it well without irritation, you may carefully use it more often. While it provides gentle hydration and mild exfoliation, dry skin needs rich, creamy moisturizers with heavy oils and butters to lock in moisture and keep it soft and smooth.

Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?

This toner is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin because it is generally safe and lacks harsh ingredients that typically cause irritation. However, dry skin needs rich, softening ingredients and protective creams to lock in moisture and keep the skin smooth.

Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying 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, 2017

  • A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.

    Clinical Pharmacology, 2018

  • Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.

    Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018

  • Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.

    Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010

  • Fermented bilberry extract improved wrinkle depth, skin smoothness, roughness, firmness, elasticity, antioxidant capacity, and complexion evenness compared to a placebo in 66 subjects over 84 days.

    Nutrients, 2024

  • Topical application of oil-in-water creams containing wild bilberry leaves extract and seeds oil produced significant beneficial effects on the skin of healthy human volunteers.

    Antioxidants, 2021

  • Bilberry fruit extract incorporated into chitosan-based hydrogels demonstrated antioxidant, anti-hyaluronidase, and anti-tyrosinase activities, supporting their potential use in topical anti-aging preparations.

    Antioxidants, 2024

  • A Hamamelis virginiana leaf extract increased LOXL1 expression twofold, decreased elafin synthesis, restored functional elastic fibers, reduced nonfunctional elastin aggregates, decreased wrinkles, and improved skin firmness.

    Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018

  • Hamamelis bark proanthocyanidins strongly increased the proliferation of cultured human keratinocytes and reduced transepidermal water loss and erythema formation in SLS-irritated skin, whereas the polysaccharide fraction had no effect.

    Phytochemistry, 2001

  • Witch hazel bark extract and hamamelitannin showed pronounced anti-inflammatory activity, supported keratinocyte migration in a wound healing assay, and inhibited Staphylococcus aureus growth, whereas their skin microbiota metabolite ellagic acid stimulated inflammatory mediator release.

    Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2025

  • A phenolic-enriched maple syrup extract at 50 μg/mL protected human keratinocytes against hydrogen peroxide and methylglyoxal-induced cytotoxicity by increasing cell viability, reducing reactive oxygen species production, and decreasing DNA damage compared to stressed untreated cells.

    Dermatologic Therapy, 2020

Why other products fit dry skin better

Ingredients

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Extract, Witch Hazel Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Isoceteth-20, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Pvp, Chlorphenesin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Extract, Fruit Extract, Lemon Peel Extract, Glycerin, Benzoic Acid, Acer Saccharinum Extract, Sugar Maple Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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How does it fit your skin?

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QR code: get the Lovi app
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