The INKEY List PHA Toner for oily skin
Pha Polyhydroxy Acid
Niacinamide
Gluconolactone
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Glycerin
High
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for oily skin; a few toners fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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
- Highly suitable for your oily skin due to gluconolactone and niacinamide, which offer keratolytic action and seboregulation respectively to address oily shine.
- The presence of Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice provides soothing benefits, complementing the mild pore-refining and oil-controlling effects.
- The formula is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliating toner once a week at first, then increase frequency only if your skin feels fine.
- Apply the exfoliating toner after cleansing and before your moisturizer or SPF.
- Gently press a few drops of the exfoliating toner into your skin and let it dry.
- Apply the exfoliating toner on clean and dry skin for the best results.
- Avoid the eye area and always use sunscreen during the day.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 1.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with sensitive and dry skin frequently praise this toner for its ability to gently smooth texture and reduce redness without causing irritation. A moderate number of users note a sticky finish, while a low number find the formula too mild for visible results.
Highlights
Gentle exfoliation Mostly Mentioned
- “Great for sensitive skin”
- “No sting or burning”
- “Gentle enough for daily use”
- “Perfect for reactive skin”
Smoother texture Often Mentioned
- “Skin feels softer”
- “Helped with texture”
- “Smoothed out bumps”
- “Face feels baby soft”
Helps acne Sometimes Noted
- “Cleared up mask acne”
- “Helped with blackheads”
- “Reduced breakouts”
- “Pores look smaller”
Hydrating Sometimes Noted
- “Leaves skin hydrated”
- “Doesn't dry me out”
- “Feels moisturizing”
- “Good for dry patches”
Sticky finish Sometimes Noted
- “Feels tacky on skin”
- “Leaves a sticky residue”
- “Takes a while to absorb”
- “Sticky under moisturizer”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Caused cystic acne”
- “Broke me out”
- “Skin felt irritated”
- “Caused redness”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Bottle leaks”
- “Cap is messy”
- “Dispenses too much”
- “Leaked in transit”
Too mild Rarely Noted
- “Did nothing for me”
- “Too weak”
- “No visible difference”
- “Prefer stronger acids”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, theinkeylist.com, cultbeauty.com, lookfantastic.com, boots.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes The INKEY List PHA Toner a great fit for oily skin?
This toner is a great fit for oily skin because gluconolactone helps clear pores and niacinamide controls oil to reduce shine. Aloe vera adds a soothing touch, and the gentle formula is unlikely to cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for oily skin?
This toner is a great fit for oily skin because gluconolactone helps manage excess oil and niacinamide helps control shine. Aloe vera juice also soothes the skin while keeping the formula gentle and safe from irritation.
Skin Research and Technology, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010
What does Polyhydroxy Acid do for oily skin?
Polyhydroxy Acid helps oily skin by balancing oil production and lowering skin pH while remaining very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation. This type of ingredient works best when it also includes calming and purifying ingredients to keep pores clear and skin smooth.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
What does Niacinamide do for oily skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily skin by significantly reducing excess oil production and shine. It is well tolerated and may improve skin texture without clogging pores.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Antioxidants, 2021
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This exfoliating toner is a great fit for your oily skin and goes in your evening routine as a cleansing toner after your cleanser. It helps clear away oily shine and refines pores without irritation thanks to its soothing ingredients.
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this exfoliating toner with retinol by using them on alternate nights or separating them into different routines to avoid irritation. This gentle formula helps manage oily shine and keeps skin calm, making it a safe addition when balanced carefully with stronger treatments.
How often should I use this toner?
Start by using this toner once a week, and if your skin feels comfortable and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. This gentle approach helps your skin adjust safely without irritation.
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This toner is a great fit for oily skin and is unlikely to cause breakouts, as reviewers rarely report them and the formula includes soothing aloe vera to help keep skin calm. Its gentle ingredients clear away dead skin without harshness, making it very safe for daily use.
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Combining 10% gluconolactone chemical peeling with oxybrasion or microneedle mesotherapy increased skin hydration and decreased sebum, pH, and TEWL in twenty-one Caucasian women, with no significant differences between the two methods.
Skin Research and Technology, 2023Gluconolactone 14% solution significantly improved mild to moderate acne by reducing inflamed and non-inflamed lesions similarly to 5% benzoyl peroxide, but with fewer side-effects in 150 patients.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Lactobionic acid produced better skin performance with a lack of skin irritation and barrier impairment compared to glycolic acid in 77 healthy volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010A polyhydroxy acid skin care regimen provided antiaging benefits comparable to an alpha-hydroxyacid regimen while demonstrating enhanced mildness and better tolerance in subjects.
Cutis, 2004Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene showed no hindrance compared to adapalene monotherapy and provided benefits in reducing complications in 25 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Gluconolactone and tartaric acid significantly lower transepidermal water loss and erythema after sodium lauryl sulphate challenge compared to vehicle, untreated control, and glycolic acid in healthy subjects.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1997Gluconolactone treatment significantly increased facial skin hydration in 16 healthy women, with no significant differences between 10% and 30% solutions.
Skin Research and Technology, 2021A 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, 2018Topical 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, 2018Topical 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, 2010A 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, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001
Ingredients
Water, Propanediol, Gluconolactone, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
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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PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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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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