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Kiehl's Daily Refining Milk-Peel Toner for combination skin

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

Kiehl's Daily Refining Milk-Peel Toner

High

  • SuperiorCombination Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • ExcellentSafety

A great choice for combination skin; a few toners fit it even better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 exfoliation for your combination skin due to high concentrations of Lipo-Hydroxy Acid and Lactic Acid, which smooth skin texture and support barrier function with emollients.
  • The inclusion of Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Milk and Anthemis Nobilis Oil Flower provides soothing benefits, complementing the hydration and general skincare support for oily shine.
  • The product is safe for your combination skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and contains soothing components.

How to apply

  • Use your exfoliating toner during your PM routine. Start once a week and slowly build up if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply your exfoliating toner right after cleansing and before your favorite moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliating toner into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
  • Apply the exfoliating toner on clean and completely dry skin to get the best results for your combination skin.
  • Always avoid the sensitive eye area and wear daily SPF to protect your skin.

People Say

★4.7Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this toner is highly praised for delivering a radiant "glass skin" appearance and refining skin texture through gentle daily exfoliation. Its hydrating, milky formula is frequently recommended for dry and sensitive skin types, leaving it feeling soft and moisturized. Some users with oily or acne-prone skin have noted a sticky or heavy residue, and a small number experienced breakouts. The product is also considered expensive by many, with occasional reports of packaging issues.

Highlights

  • Instant glow Mostly Mentioned
    • “Instantly glowing, smooth and hydrated skin”
    • “Leaves my skin gleaming”
    • “Instant satisfaction and radiance”
  • Gentle exfoliation Often Mentioned
    • “Gentle enough for daily use”
    • “No redness or patches”
    • “Weak as gnat's wee but effective”
  • Hydrating formula Often Mentioned
    • “Major hit of hydration”
    • “Never felt dry or sensitive”
    • “Leaves skin soothed and comforted”
  • Smoothes texture Sometimes Noted
    • “Refines and smoothes”
    • “Bumpy feeling around nose is gone”
    • “Skin feels silky smooth”
  • Expensive product Sometimes Noted
    • “Gawked at the price”
    • “It's pricey”
    • “Expensive but lasts a long time”
  • Sticky residue Sometimes Noted
    • “Finish feels slightly oily”
    • “Super sticky after application”
    • “Can't get past the milky texture”
  • Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
    • “Got one of the biggest breakouts”
    • “Small blemishes the day after”
    • “Might be too aggressive for some”
  • Packaging issues Rarely Noted
    • “Product has evaporated”
    • “Closed bottle no breakage but empty”
    • “Leaked in transit”

Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, kiehls.com, sephora.com, ulta.com, spacenk.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes Kiehl's Daily Refining Milk-Peel Toner a great fit for combination skin?

This toner is a great fit because it offers excellent exfoliation for your combination skin with Lipo-Hydroxy Acid and Lactic Acid, which smooth your skin texture and support your skin barrier. It also includes almond milk and flower oil to provide soothing benefits while helping to manage oily shine safely.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013

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

This toner is a great fit for your combination skin because it uses Lipo-Hydroxy Acid and Lactic Acid to smooth texture, while almond milk and chamomile oil soothe and help manage oily shine. Emollients and squalane support your skin barrier so it stays comfortable and soft.

What does Capryloyl Salicylic Acid do for combination skin?

Capryloyl Salicylic Acid helps clear blemishes and smooth out rough areas on combination skin by gently exfoliating the surface. It also helps control excess oil in shiny zones while keeping drier areas comfortable.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013

What does Lactic Acid do for combination skin?

Lactic acid helps balance combination skin by gently removing dead surface cells and managing oil while keeping moisture locked in. It is unlikely to cause irritation when used properly, and instead supports a smooth, clear, and well-hydrated complexion across both oily and dry areas. This type of skin needs ingredients that gently clear pores without stripping natural moisture, such as balanced hydrators and mild exfoliants.

Frontiers in Physiology, 2026Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2024

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

This exfoliating toner starts in your evening routine as a cleansing toner after your makeup remover and cleanser, or once a week as part of your weekly routine. Lovi routines start exfoliating toners once a week so you can see how your skin tolerates them before using them more often.

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

This exfoliating toner is a great fit for your combination skin, offering gentle exfoliation and smoothing texture with lipo-hydroxy acid and lactic acid. Because it contains strong exfoliating acids, you should use it on different nights than your retinol to avoid irritation.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013

How often should I use this toner?

Start by using this toner once a week, and if your skin tolerates it well and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. It smooths your texture and calms oily shine safely without harsh ingredients.

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

This toner is unlikely to cause breakouts for combination skin, as complaints about breakouts are low and it is safe for your skin type. It helps smooth skin texture while keeping oily shine under control.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013

Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene and benzyl alcohol).

What the research says

  • Combining a salicylic acid and lipohydroxy acid facial serum and mask improved closed comedones and acne severity significantly more than serum alone in adults with acne over 8 weeks, with no adverse reactions reported.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023

  • A novel composition containing salicylic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, HEPES, glycolic acid, citric acid, and dioic acid showed similar tolerance and efficacy compared with clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in subjects with acne vulgaris.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013

  • Capryloyl salicylic acid peel reduced fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation comparably to glycolic acid peel in 44 female volunteers, with no statistically significant differences between the two treatments.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008

  • Parity was demonstrated between an OTC BPO 5.5% formulation with lipohydroxy acid and tretinoin cream 0.025% versus prescription clindamycin 1%-BPO 5% gel and tretinoin cream 0.025% in participants with mild to moderate acne vulgaris at 12 weeks.

    Cutis, 2012

  • 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, 2023

  • Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.

    Cutis, 2004

  • Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992

  • A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.

    The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020

  • Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.

    Molecules, 2025

  • Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.

    Antioxidants, 2025

  • Cryotherapy 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, 2010

  • A 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, 2020

  • Treatment 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, 2024

Ingredients

Lipo-Hydroxy Acid Lha, Emollients, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Milk, Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Cartamus Tinctorius Safflower Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Peg-6 Caprylic Capric Glycerides, Peg-40 Glyceryl Cocoate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Coceth Sulfate, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Nobilis Mandarin Orange Peel Oil, Adenosine, Limonene, Caprylyl Glycol, Anthemis Nobilis Oil Flower, Cupressus Sempervirens Oil Nut Leaf Stem, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Sweet Almond Seed Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Silybum Marianum Extract, Tocopherol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Lactic Acid

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

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How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play