Obagi Nu-Derm Toner for oily skin
Witch Hazel Water
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Panthenol
Allantoin
GlycerinAverage
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other 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
- Excellent suitability for your oily skin is provided by witch hazel water and potassium alum, which offer astringent and seboregulation properties to manage oily shine. Glycerin and panthenol offer moderate hydration, supporting overall skin comfort.
- Aloe barbadensis leaf juice and allantoin contribute to soothing effects, further benefiting your oily skin by calming any potential irritation.
- The product is safe for your skin, as it contains no harsh ingredients and includes soothing components.
How to apply
- Use your hydrating toner in your AM and PM routine every day to keep skin fresh.
- Apply this product after cleansing and before your moisturizer or SPF.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the hydrating toner into your skin and let it absorb.
- Apply the hydrating toner on slightly damp skin to help it absorb better.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your very first use.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 1.8k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with aging, sensitive, and hyperpigmentation-prone skin highly recommend this alcohol-free toner for its ability to remove lingering impurities without stripping moisture. It is frequently praised for balancing the skin's pH and preparing the face for subsequent treatments, leaving the complexion feeling fresh and soothed.
Highlights
Non-drying hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “does not dry skin”
- “leaves face soft”
- “alcohol-free formula”
- “feels hydrated”
Deep cleansing Often Mentioned
- “removes last traces of makeup”
- “skin feels squeaky clean”
- “removes excess oil”
- “gets all dirt off”
Prepares skin Sometimes Noted
- “preps for serum”
- “helps products absorb”
- “essential step”
- “balances pH”
Soothing calming Sometimes Noted
- “soothes redness”
- “calms sensitive skin”
- “feels cool”
- “refreshing sensation”
Pore refinement Rarely Noted
- “tightens pores”
- “pores look smaller”
- “smooths texture”
- “refines skin surface”
Availability Rarely Noted
- “often out of stock”
- “hard to find”
- “shipping delays”
- “backordered”
Fragrance Rarely Noted
- “scent is too strong”
- “contains fragrance”
- “smells like perfume”
- “prefer unscented”
Packaging design Rarely Noted
- “hard to dispense”
- “bottle leaks”
- “hole is too small”
- “wish it had a pump”
Price Rarely Noted
- “expensive for a toner”
- “pricey”
- “costly”
- “wait for sale”
Sensory feel Rarely Noted
- “feels sticky initially”
- “leaves a film”
- “tingles slightly”
- “watery consistency”
Sources: lovi.care, lovelyskin.com, dermstore.com, obagi.com, eskinstore.com, skinstation.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Obagi Nu-Derm Toner work for oily skin?
Obagi Obagi Nu-Derm Toner works well enough for oily skin, helping manage shine and keeping skin calm, though other toners fit this skin better. An ideal product of this type for oily skin needs oil-controlling ingredients, light and non-heavy components, and a proper balance to target shine without irritation.
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for oily skin?
Witch hazel water and potassium alum make this toner a good fit for oily skin by helping to manage oily shine. Glycerin, panthenol, aloe vera, and allantoin also support skin comfort and help calm potential irritation.
What does Witch Hazel do for oily skin?
Witch Hazel helps calm irritated skin and may reduce redness and swelling. It is unlikely to cause irritation and is generally well tolerated by sensitive skin types.
What does Aloe Vera Leaf Juice do for oily skin?
Aloe vera leaf juice helps hydrate oily skin by increasing water content in the outer skin layer without adding heavy oils or modifying water loss. It is also often combined with treatments to help calm redness and reduce acne breakouts.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Skin Research and Technology, 2006
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This hydrating toner goes after cleansing in your morning routine, and after your cleansing mask in your weekly routine. To better manage oily shine and keep this skin type comfortable, an oily skin routine needs ingredients like witch hazel water and potassium alum alongside moderate hydrators.
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this toner with retinol by applying it after cleansing and before your retinol treatment. Oily skin often needs a lightweight hydrator like glycerin and panthenol alongside soothing ingredients like aloe and allantoin to keep the skin calm and comfortable while using strong treatments.
How often should I use this toner?
You can use this toner in the morning as part of your routine. This type of product needs astringent ingredients like witch hazel water and potassium alum to manage oily shine, along with soothing components like aloe barbadensis leaf juice and allantoin to keep oily skin calm.
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This toner is unlikely to clog pores, cause breakouts, or lead to purging on oily skin. It features soothing and refreshing ingredients that help manage oily shine while keeping your skin comfortable.
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).
What the research says
Topical 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, 2002A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Hamamelis bark proanthocyanidins strongly increased the proliferation of cultured human keratinocytes and reduced transepidermal water loss and erythema formation in SLS-irritated skin, whereas the polysaccharide fraction had no effect.
Phytochemistry, 2001A Hamamelis virginiana leaf extract increased LOXL1 expression twofold, decreased elafin synthesis, restored functional elastic fibers, reduced nonfunctional elastin aggregates, decreased wrinkles, and improved skin firmness.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018Witch hazel bark extract and hamamelitannin showed pronounced anti-inflammatory activity, supported keratinocyte migration in a wound healing assay, and inhibited Staphylococcus aureus growth, whereas their skin microbiota metabolite ellagic acid stimulated inflammatory mediator release.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2025Hamamelis virginiana bark extract inhibited Cutibacterium acnes-induced IL-6 release and TNF-α-induced IL-8 release in human keratinocytes without showing antibacterial or antibiofilm activities.
Antioxidants, 2022A 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, 2018Topical 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, 2010Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 2020Topical gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018A 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, 2017The 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, 2020Ten 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
Ingredients
Water, Witch Hazel Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Potassium Alum, Sodium Pca, Panthenol, Dmdm Hydantoin, Polysorbate 80, Allantoin, Glycerin, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Borago Officinalis Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Saponins, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Parfum, Fd, C Blue No
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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