Medik8 Press & Glow for sensitive skin
Pha Polyhydroxy Acid
Gluconolactone
Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit ExtractAverage
- AverageNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- Low RiskSafety
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, which gently smooths texture, while Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract provide some soothing benefits for redness and irritation.
- The formula contains Gluconolactone, which offers mild exfoliation suitable for normal skin, but it lacks sufficient emollient ingredients to fully address your hydration needs.
- The product is generally safe for your normal skin, with a low risk of irritation from Gluconolactone.
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
★4.8Overall rating based on 4.0k+ reviewsUsers frequently report that it hydrates well, creates a perfect base for makeup, and pairs effectively with Vitamin A (retinol) routines. Based on a very large amount of data, this should be definitely taken into account. A small minority experienced dryness or a lack of visible results.
Highlights
Gentle & non-irritating Mostly Mentioned
- “Gentle enough for twice-daily use”
- “No stinging or redness like other acids”
- “Does not strip the skin barrier”
Improves glow Often Mentioned
- “Leaves skin looking glass-like and radiant”
- “Noticeable everyday glow”
- “Smoothed out my texture significantly”
- “Skin feels baby soft immediately”
Hydrating formula Sometimes Noted
- “Feels hydrating rather than drying”
- “Leaves skin feeling fresh and plump”
- “Acts like a moisture magnet”
- “Doesn't leave face feeling tight”
Packaging & usability Sometimes Noted
- “Love the press pump dispenser”
- “Easy to use and refillable”
- “Controls the amount of product perfectly”
- “Sustainable refill option is a bonus”
Caused dryness Rarely Noted
- “Made my face very dry and tight”
- “Left my skin feeling parched”
- “Too drying for my winter skin”
- “Highlighted dry patches”
No results Rarely Noted
- “Didn't notice any difference”
- “Just felt like water”
- “Not bad, but not amazing”
- “Saw no change in hyperpigmentation”
Price point Rarely Noted
- “Expensive for a toner”
- “Price is ridiculous for the amount”
- “Refills are still quite pricey”
- “Not worth the money compared to others”
Skin irritation Rarely Noted
- “Caused stinging and redness”
- “Broke me out in tiny bumps”
- “Too harsh for my barrier”
- “Experienced irritation after a few days”
Sources: lovi.care, medik8.com, spacenk.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, lookfantastic.com, sephora.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Medik8 Press & Glow work for sensitive skin?
Medik8 Press & Glow offers an average fit for sensitive skin, gently smoothing texture with gluconolactone while aloe leaf juice and flower extract provide soothing benefits. Although it is generally safe with a low risk of irritation, it lacks sufficient soft, moisturizing ingredients to fully address your hydration needs. An exfoliating toner for sensitive skin needs extra hydrating ingredients and gentle smoothing components to keep skin calm and smooth.
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for sensitive skin?
Gluconolactone provides gentle exfoliation that helps smooth texture, while aloe leaf juice and prickly pear flower extract help calm redness and irritation. An exfoliating toner for sensitive skin needs ingredients like these alongside richer moisturizing ingredients to fully support hydration.
What does Polyhydroxy Acid do for sensitive skin?
Polyhydroxy Acid helps smooth and soften sensitive skin while keeping irritation very low because it is extremely gentle and well tolerated. It provides anti-aging benefits similar to stronger acids while helping maintain your skin barrier without stinging.
What does Gluconolactone do for sensitive skin?
Gluconolactone helps smooth and care for sensitive skin while causing fewer side-effects than traditional blemish treatments. It provides gentle exfoliating and protective benefits without irritating easily upset skin.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This exfoliating toner goes in the evening routine after cleansing and a soothing toner, starting just once a week. Because it may lack enough softening ingredients for this skin, an exfoliating toner for sensitive skin needs extra hydrating and soothing ingredients.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this exfoliating toner with retinol by applying the toner first, waiting for it to absorb, and then applying your retinol product. Because this combination can cause dryness on sensitive skin, you should start slowly and use extra hydrating and soothing ingredients to keep your skin comfortable.
How often should I use this toner?
Start by using this exfoliating toner once a week to see how your skin responds, and if you tolerate it well with good results, you can carefully use it more often. To work best for sensitive skin, an exfoliating product of this type needs extra soothing and hydrating ingredients to prevent dryness.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This toner is unlikely to clog pores, cause breakouts, or lead to purging on sensitive skin because its gentle exfoliating acid and soothing ingredients have a low risk of irritation. However, a product for sensitive skin needs extra hydrating ingredients to prevent dryness and fully support your skin barrier.
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Opuntia ficus-indica extract and its isorhamnetin-glucosyl-rhamnoside suppressed nitric oxide, COX-2, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 production in vitro and inhibited croton oil-induced ear edema in vivo.
BioMed Research International, 2015A 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, 2018A polyhydroxy acid skin care regimen provided antiaging benefits comparable to an alpha-hydroxyacid regimen while demonstrating enhanced mildness and better tolerance in subjects.
Cutis, 2004Glycolic 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 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, 1992Opuntia ficus-indica extract activated AHR-NRF2 signaling, inhibited reactive oxygen species generation, and upregulated filaggrin and loricrin expression in human keratinocytes.
Journal of Medicinal Food, 2015Pre-treating normal human keratinocytes with an Opuntia ficus-indica cladode water extract protected against UVA-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis by inhibiting free radicals, lipid peroxidation, and GSH depletion.
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2017Mucilaginous and methanol extracts of Opuntia ficus-indica flowers accelerated wound contraction and improved cutaneous repair compared to the control group in rats.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2015Topical 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, 2010Formulations containing 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract increased stratum corneum water content compared with the vehicle in 20 female subjects, while transepidermal water loss was not modified.
Skin Research and Technology, 2006An acai oil-based organogel containing hyaluronic acid showed no cytotoxicity and provided a high level of hydration, thermal protection, and hyaluronic acid release after 6 hours of application in in vitro and ex vivo tests.
Pharmaceutics, 2024Phenolic compounds from açai fruit, specifically malvidin and cyanidin derivatives, strongly protect immortalized fibroblasts against UV-A-induced oxidative stress by preventing ROS production, GSH depletion, lipid peroxidation, and stress-pathway protein phosphorylation compared to unprotected irradiated cells.
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology. B, Biology, 2017Nanotechnological hydrogels containing desonide nanocapsules and açai oil increased epidermal drug retention and reduced ear edema and inflammatory cell infiltration comparably to a commercial formulation with twice the drug concentration in an animal model of acute skin inflammation.
Pharmaceutical Development and Technology, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Gluconolactone, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
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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