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Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Cleansing Toner for oily skin

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

Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Cleansing Toner

Average

  • HighOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for oily skin; other cleansing toners fit it 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

  • Offers moderate exfoliation and pore cleansing for your oily skin due to salicylic acid and alcohol denat, which help to decongest pores and provide astringent properties.
  • While effective for general cleansing, the formula does not specifically target the elimination of oily shine.
  • The product is safe for your oily skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and prohibited substances that could cause irritation.

How to apply

  • Could be used as part of AM and PM routines. Start using your cleansing toner 3 times a week and increase to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply your cleansing toner after cleansing and before applying your moisturizer or SPF. This fits right into the middle of your daily skincare steps.
  • Gently press 2 to 3 drops of the cleansing toner directly onto your skin. Avoid rubbing it in and let it absorb for a minute.
  • Apply the cleansing toner to completely dry skin for the best control of oily shine. Clean skin helps the product work more effectively.
  • Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a simple patch test before your very first use to check for comfort.

People Say

★4.4Overall rating based on 800+ reviews

Users with oily and acne-prone skin frequently praise this toner for its ability to deep clean pores and visibly reduce blackheads over time. A moderate number of users also note its effectiveness in controlling oil and providing a refreshing sensation. However, a high number of users with sensitive or dry skin report that the high alcohol content causes stinging, redness, and excessive dryness.

Highlights

  • Deep cleaning Often Mentioned
    • “removes all traces of impurities”
    • “cotton pad with some leftover dirt”
    • “leaves your skin squeaky clean”
    • “brings out all the dirt”
  • Effective on blackheads Often Mentioned
    • “managed to remove some large black heads around her nose”
    • “pores are less visible”
    • “my blackheads seemed less prominent”
    • “works well to unclog pores”
  • Stings or burns Often Mentioned
    • “sort of burns for a little bit”
    • “it stings... very irritating”
    • “slight stinging, which is pretty normal”
    • “really harsh on the skin”
  • Controls oil/shine Sometimes Noted
    • “skin looks clearer... and less oily”
    • “effectively controls oil secretion on my T-zone”
    • “makes one's skin oil free”
    • “good for oily skin”
  • Refreshing sensation Sometimes Noted
    • “cooling/tingling sensation”
    • “leaves the skin feeling clean, refreshed”
    • “sweeps across the skin with a cooling effect”
    • “refreshing and doesn't leave any sticky residue”
  • Drying and stripping Sometimes Noted
    • “excessively drying... skin is begging for hydration”
    • “dry skinned girls may find this product drying”
    • “destroying my skin barrier”
    • “left my skin tight”
  • Strong chemical smell Sometimes Noted
    • “strong, chemical/alcohol smell”
    • “smell makes me dizzy”
    • “strong medicinal smell”
    • “has a strong smell, so be warned”
  • Causes irritation/redness Rarely Noted
    • “negative effects on redness”
    • “severely irritating”
    • “allergic reaction”
    • “made me break out around my chin”

Sources: lovi.care, neutrogena.co.uk, lookfantastic.com, ocado.com, reddit.com, youtube.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Toner work for oily skin?

This toner works reasonably well for your oily skin by helping to clear out pores, but it does not specifically target oily shine. To truly manage shine and improve texture for this skin, a cleansing toner needs effective exfoliating acids and niacinamide.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

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

Salicylic acid and alcohol denat make this toner a fit for your oily skin by clearing pores and giving an astringent feel. However, because it does not control oily shine, oily skin needs a product with exfoliating acids and niacinamide to manage shine and improve texture.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

What does Salicylic Acid do for oily skin?

Salicylic acid helps oily skin by reducing excess oil and keeping pores clear. It may also improve overall skin hydration while managing breakouts.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019

What does Glycerin do for oily skin?

Glycerin helps keep oily skin hydrated without feeling heavy and supports the skin barrier. Because this product is a weak fit for your skin, an ideal product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that balance oil while protecting the skin.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019

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

This cleansing toner goes in your evening routine after cleansing and before your treatment. It helps clear out pores for your oily skin, but to really keep shine under control, an oily skin routine needs ingredients that balance oil production and mattify.

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

You can use this toner in your evening routine before applying your retinol treatment, but use it with caution to prevent dryness. A product of this type needs soothing and hydrating ingredients like glycerin or ceramides to keep your skin calm and comfortable alongside strong treatments.

How often should I use this toner?

Start by using this toner once a week in your evening routine, and if your oily skin tolerates it well and shows good results, you can carefully use it more often. The salicylic acid and alcohol denat help to decongest pores and provide astringent properties.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

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

This toner helps decongest pores for oily skin, so it is unlikely to clog pores, though it may cause drying or stinging. Oily skin works best with products that also control shine and include gentle exfoliants and soothing hydrators without heavy alcohol.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It contains fragrance (parfum) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).

What the research says

  • Twice 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, 2024

  • The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010

  • 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

  • The 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, 2020

  • Ten 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

  • 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

  • Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021

  • Topical 20% citric acid lotion increases viable epidermal thickness and dermal glycosaminoglycan content in sun-damaged skin compared to vehicle alone.

    Dermatologic Surgery, 1997

Why other cleansing toners fit oily skin better

Ingredients

Water, Alcohol Denat, Ppg-5-Ceteth-20, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Salicylic Acid, Menthyl Lactate, Sodium Citrate, Parfum

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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