🇪🇸Spain

Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Cleansing Toner for dry skin

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

Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Cleansing Toner

Warning

  • WarningDry Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • RiskySafety

A poor match for dry skin; the cleansing toners alongside fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 cleansing and exfoliation for dry or flaky skin, as salicylic acid helps shed dead skin cells and decongest pores, but alcohol denat can strip moisture.
  • The presence of menthyl lactate may provide a cooling sensation, which could be uncomfortable for dry skin.

How to apply

  • Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using the cleansing toner 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply the cleansing toner after your cleanser, and before your moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the cleansing toner into your skin and let it absorb for a minute before layering.
  • Apply the cleansing toner on slightly damp skin to help with hydration and absorption.
  • Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before your first use.

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

Why does Lovi advise against Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Cleansing Toner for dry skin?

Lovi advises against this cleansing toner for dry skin because alcohol denat can strip moisture and menthyl lactate may cause an uncomfortable cooling sensation. A product for this skin needs gentle, effective hydrating ingredients and soothing extracts that maintain moisture and pH balance without any risk of irritation.

Which ingredients make this toner a poor fit for dry skin?

Alcohol denat and menthyl lactate make this toner a poor fit for dry skin because alcohol denat can strip moisture and menthyl lactate may cause an uncomfortable cooling sensation. A product of this type needs soothing extracts, aloe, sodium hyaluronate, and multiple hydrating agents to provide essential moisture, maintain comfort, and avoid irritation.

What does Salicylic Acid do for dry skin?

Salicylic acid is generally not a good fit for dry skin, as it is meant to clear out pores and remove dead skin rather than hydrate. Because dry skin needs soothing and moisture rather than exfoliation, a product for dry skin needs nourishing ingredients like urea to lock in moisture and keep the skin soft.

What does Glycerin do for dry skin?

Glycerin helps dry skin by drawing in moisture and keeping it locked in, which makes the skin feel much softer and smoother. It also supports your natural skin barrier to stop water from escaping easily. A product for dry skin needs extra ingredients like hyaluronic acid and soothing plant extracts to truly calm and hydrate dry patches.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008

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

This toner is not a good fit for dry skin because alcohol denat can strip moisture and menthyl lactate may feel uncomfortably cooling. Dry skin needs a gentle cleanser, a hydrating toner, a rich moisturizer, and a nourishing mask to lock in moisture.

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

You should not use this toner on dry skin, especially with retinol, because the high alcohol content strips away essential moisture and may cause irritation. Instead, dry skin needs a gentle, hydrating cleanser and a nourishing moisturizer with ingredients like ceramides or glycerin to protect the skin barrier.

How often should I use this toner?

This toner is a poor match for dry skin because alcohol denat may strip moisture and salicylic acid can be too harsh. A dry skin type needs a gentle cleanser, a hydrating toner, a rich moisturizer, and a nourishing mask to keep skin soft and smooth.

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

This toner is unlikely to clog pores because salicylic acid helps clear dead skin cells and congestion, but it may cause significant dryness and stinging on dry skin due to alcohol denat. To care for dry skin, products of this type need hydrating ingredients like glycerin and soothing elements that protect moisture instead of stripping it.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024BioMed Research International, 2020

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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

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

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product.

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

Buy online

Prices checked 6 Nov 2026

The Lovi Fit is the same in every country; only the stores and prices differ, and the ones here are for Spain.

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