La Prairie Cellular Refining Lotion for dry skin

Average
- HighDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for dry skin; other toners 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 exfoliation and hydration for your dry skin, with citric acid and urea promoting skin renewal while glycerin and urea draw moisture into the skin.
- The algae extract and chamomile flower extract provide general soothing benefits that support dry or flaky skin.
- The formula is safe for your dry skin, containing soothing ingredients like algae extract and chamomile flower extract, and avoiding harsh or prohibited substances.
How to apply
- Use your exfoliating toner as part of your PM routine once a week to start. If your skin is happy, you can slowly use it more often.
- Apply this exfoliating toner right after your cleanser and before your moisturizer. This keeps your skin care steps in the right order.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliating toner into your skin with your hands. Let it soak in for a minute before the next step.
- Put the exfoliating toner on clean and dry skin to help it work best. Avoid rubbing so your face stays calm and happy.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid the sensitive eye area.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 700+ reviewsUsers consistently praise this toner for its ability to deeply hydrate and soften the skin while effectively removing residual impurities. It is frequently noted for refining skin texture and minimizing the appearance of pores, leaving the complexion feeling calm, balanced, and prepped for subsequent skincare steps. The high price is a significant drawback for many, though some find the strong fragrance and bottle design to be minor issues.
Highlights
Deeply hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “skin has never felt so hydrated”
- “instantly turns skin soft”
- “removes tightness immediately”
Exorbitant price Mostly Mentioned
- “hard to stomach the price”
- “very expensive for a toner”
- “luxury splurge”
Refines pores Often Mentioned
- “flushes out pores”
- “pores look smaller”
- “refines skin texture”
Luxurious experience Sometimes Noted
- “smells like heaven”
- “refreshing ritual”
- “feels like a treat”
Soothing & calming Sometimes Noted
- “calms my redness”
- “soothes sensitive areas”
- “very gentle and refreshing”
Poor bottle design Rarely Noted
- “pours out too fast”
- “hard to control amount”
- “wasted product due to bottle”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “caused breakouts”
- “stung my sensitive skin”
- “redness after application”
Strong fragrance Rarely Noted
- “could not deal with the smell”
- “too perfumey”
- “scent lingers too long”
Sources: lovi.care, nordstrom.com, bloomingdales.com, spacenk.com, johnlewis.com, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Cellular Refining Lotion work for dry skin?
La Prairie Cellular Refining Lotion offers moderate exfoliation and hydration for your dry skin, using citric acid and urea to encourage skin renewal while glycerin and urea draw in moisture. While it is safe and provides gentle soothing benefits from algae and chamomile extracts, an exfoliating toner for dry skin needs rich moisturizing ingredients like honey, propolis, aloe, and sodium hyaluronate to keep the skin deeply nourished and smooth.
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for dry skin?
Glycerin and urea help this toner fit your dry skin by drawing in moisture, while algae and chamomile extracts provide soothing benefits. To care for dry skin best, an exfoliating toner of this type needs rich moisturizing ingredients like honey extracts and soothing plant extracts to keep skin soft and comfortable.
What do Glycoproteins do for dry skin?
Glycoproteins help keep dry skin hydrated by supporting moisture retention and protecting skin cells from dehydration. This type of ingredient works well for dry skin when it includes soothing agents and barrier-repairing components that restore a smooth, comfortable feel.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2003Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2021
What does Ginseng Root Extract do for dry skin?
Ginseng root extract helps dry skin by keeping it soft and improving moisture levels. It helps reduce roughness and supports the skin barrier so it loses less water.
Journal of Ginseng Research, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This exfoliating toner fits into your routine once a week as a start, and those who tolerate it well may use it more often. To properly care for dry skin, this type of product needs gentle exfoliating acids paired with moisturizing ingredients like glycerin and urea to keep the skin soft and smooth.
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this toner with retinol, but apply the toner first and let it absorb completely before using your retinol treatment. Because this toner provides moderate exfoliation, combining it with retinol may cause irritation, so you should monitor how your skin feels and space them out if sensitivity occurs.
How often should I use this toner?
Start using this toner once a week because it exfoliates your skin, and if you tolerate it well and see good results you can carefully use it more often. A dry skin routine needs gentle hydrating and soothing ingredients like glycerin, urea, and chamomile flower extract, along with richer moisturizers.
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This toner is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin, and it does not contain ingredients that typically trigger purging. Its formula offers gentle hydration with glycerin and urea while avoiding heavy or pore-blocking oils, keeping the skin feeling soft and calm.
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum, citronellol, and geraniol).
What the research says
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, 2017Topical application of 1% Fucus vesiculosus extract gel twice daily for five weeks significantly decreased skin thickness and improved elasticity in human cheek skin compared with controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2002Treatment with lipid algae extract reduced the level of oxidized proteins in human keratinocytes and stratum corneum skin cells.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004Enzyme-modified ginseng extract cream significantly reduced the global photo-damage score and various roughness measures including total roughness, smoothness depth, and arithmetic roughness average compared to placebo in 23 human subjects.
Rejuvenation Research, 2015A red ginseng hydrogel formulation with 1,2-hexanediol promoted selective growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis and decreased Cutibacterium acnes in 20 female subjects.
Journal of Ginseng Research, 2022A 1% fermented black ginseng cream significantly reduced eye wrinkles and brightened skin color in twenty-three human subjects compared to control cream and baseline.
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part A, 2020Topical application of 3% Equisetum arvense ointment significantly promoted wound healing and reduced pain intensity after episiotomy in nulliparous mothers compared to a placebo group.
Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, 2015Creams incorporating methanolic extracts of olive, burdock, mallow, and marsh horsetail exerted significantly higher moisturizing and skin tearing force effects compared to control cream in rats and mice, with marsh horsetail showing the maximum effect, while licorice extract did not show a significant increase.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Transgenic cucumber expressing poly-γ-glutamic acid synthesis genes increased water content by 6-14%, reduced water loss by 11-12%, decreased facial wrinkles and roughness by 19.58% and 24.97%, decreased skin melanin by 5.27%, and improved facial elasticity in human skin and zebrafish compared to controls.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024Copper Oxide nanoparticles synthesized using cucumber extract exhibited antibacterial, antifungal, UV protection, and reactive-oxygen species inhibition properties with low cellular toxicity and skin-rejuvenating effects when incorporated into skin cream.
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders Drug Targets, 2021Topical treatment with Holothuria parva extract gel showed significant wound contraction compared to the negative control in full-thickness wounded rats.
The International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds, 2024Topical 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, 2018
Ingredients
Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Oleth-20, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Algae Extract, Glycoproteins, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract Chamomile Flower Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Urea, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Magnesium Aspartate, Glycine, Butylene Glycol, Benzophenone-4, Alanine, Creatine, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Yeast Extract, Tetrasodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Ext, Violet 2, Blue 1 Ci 42090
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
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