Ole Henriksen Balancing Force Oil Control Toner for sensitive skin
Green Fusion Complex
Salicylic Acid
Neem Seed Oil
Glycolic Acid
Lactic Acid
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other toners fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 for your normal skin due to gluconolactone, glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid, which help decongest pores and smooth texture, but lacks sufficient emollient ingredients for optimal hydration.
- While the formula provides general skincare benefits like hydration and cleansing, these are mostly supportive and not directly targeted at your redness and irritation.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients, minimizing the risk of irritation.
How to apply
- Use your exfoliating toner as part of a PM routine once a week to start. Carefully increase frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this exfoliating toner after cleansing and before your moisturizer. It fits right into your usual step for toners.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliating toner into your skin. Avoid rubbing to keep redness down.
- Apply the exfoliating toner on completely dry skin to help improve your skin's tolerance. This helps protect your sensitive face.
- Do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area . Skip strong acids or retinoids on the same night.
People Say
★3.7Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited data, this toner was a favorite for very oily and acne-prone skin, effectively controlling oil and clearing pores. However, it was often too harsh, drying, and heavily fragranced for sensitive or combination skin types.
Highlights
Excellent oil control Mostly Mentioned
- “keeps oils at bay”
- “instantly mattifies”
- “controls shine all day”
Pore & acne clearing Often Mentioned
- “cleared all blackheads”
- “refines pores”
- “helps clear up acne”
Overpowering scent Often Mentioned
- “smells like insecticide”
- “strong eucalyptus scent”
- “smells like DEET”
Strong sensation Often Mentioned
- “stings a little”
- “burns upon application”
- “unbearably irritating”
Deep cleaning Sometimes Noted
- “removes residual dirt”
- “skin feels squeaky clean”
- “purifies skin”
Refreshing sensation Sometimes Noted
- “feels refreshing”
- “cooling effect”
- “invigorated skin”
Drying/Stripping Sometimes Noted
- “stripped my skin”
- “made me more oily”
- “tight dry feeling”
Sticky residue Rarely Noted
- “weird residue”
- “sticky finish”
- “tacky feeling”
Sources: lovi.care, skinsort.com, influenster.com, reddit.com, totalbeauty.com, walmart.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Ole Henriksen Balancing Force work for sensitive skin?
This toner works moderately well for sensitive skin, helping clear pores and smooth texture, but it is unlikely to help with redness and irritation because it lacks enough soothing ingredients. Products of this type need extra hydrating and calming ingredients to keep sensitive skin balanced and comfortable.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for sensitive skin?
This toner is a safe choice for your sensitive skin because it avoids harsh ingredients and minimizes the risk of irritation, though other products fit it better. To be a better fit for this skin type, a product of this type needs soothing ingredients to calm redness and extra moisturizing ingredients to keep the skin soft and comfortable.
What does Green Fusion Complex do for sensitive skin?
Green Fusion Complex helps calm sensitive skin by supporting skin comfort and reducing redness. This type of ingredient helps soothe irritation and is unlikely to cause trouble when used as directed.
What does Salicylic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Salicylic acid may cause irritation on sensitive skin, so it requires careful use and good sun protection to keep skin comfortable. A product for this skin type needs gentle, soothing ingredients and a mild formula that respects the skin barrier.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1999International Journal of Toxicology, 2003
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This exfoliating toner fits into a sensitive skin routine starting at once a week, as it offers moderate exfoliation with acids that help decongest pores and smooth texture. Because it lacks sufficient soothing ingredients and hydrating emollients, sensitive skin needs a product of this type that also includes extra calming agents and rich moisture.
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this exfoliating toner with retinol, but apply them on alternating nights to help prevent dry and irritated skin. Because this product clears pores and smooths texture while retinol renews skin, using them together may be too harsh for sensitive skin. Sensitive skin needs a gentle, hydrating routine with soothing ingredients and extra moisture instead.
How often should I use this toner?
Start using this exfoliating toner just once a week to see how your skin reacts, as acids can be strong. If your skin feels comfortable and tolerates it well, you may carefully use it more often. To work best for sensitive skin, a product of this type also needs soothing and moisturizing ingredients that keep the skin calm and hydrated.
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This toner is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts because it contains acids that help clear out pores and smooth texture. However, it may feel drying or stripping on sensitive skin, so an exfoliator for this skin needs plenty of hydrating and soothing ingredients to keep skin comfortable.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019BioMed Research International, 2020
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene).
What the research says
Glycolic 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, 2019A 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, 2020Gluconolactone 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, 1992Cryotherapy 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, 2010Treatment 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, 2024Topical 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, 2010Combined topical Neem oil and oral Haridra powder achieved 50% wound healing in 70% of patients with chronic non-healing wounds after 8 weeks, outperforming either monotherapy.
Ayu, 2014Neem oil loaded phospholipid vesicles modified with argan oil protected keratinocytes and fibroblasts from hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress and improved cell proliferation and migration to promote wound healing compared to untreated cells.
Antioxidants, 2021Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017Application 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, 2004Topical 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, 1992A 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
Why other toners fit sensitive skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Ingredients
Water, Polysorbate 20, Witch Hazel Water, Glycerin, Gluconolactone, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Oleth-20, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Menthyl Lactate, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil Leaf, Peppermint Oil, Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil, Linoleic Acid, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract Kelp Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Linolenic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Calcium Gluconate, Benzoic Acid, Tocopherol Vitamin E, Limonene
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
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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