Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner for oily skin
Niacinamide
Panthenol
Allantoin
Glycerin
Witch Hazel ExtractAverage
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
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
- Offers moderate soothing and hydration for your oily skin, as allantoin and panthenol help calm irritation and moisturize without exacerbating oiliness. Niacinamide and witch hazel leaf water further support seboregulation and anti-inflammatory action, making it suitable for oily skin.
- While it provides general soothing and hydrating benefits, the formula lacks targeted ingredients to specifically address excessive oily shine.
- The product has a good safety profile, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using your soothing toner 3 times a week and work up to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply your soothing toner after cleansing and before your moisturizer or SPF.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the soothing toner into your skin with your hands. Let it absorb for a minute before moving on ⏱ to the next step.
- For the best results , apply your soothing toner to slightly damp skin to help it sink in better.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a quick patch test before using the soothing toner for the very first time.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 700+ reviewsUsers with sensitive and acne-prone skin widely praise this toner for its gentle, alcohol-free formula that removes residual cleanser and makeup without stinging. While most find it hydrating and soothing, a minority of users with very dry or reactive skin report that it can leave their face feeling tight, sticky, or unexpectedly irritated.
Highlights
Affordable Mostly Mentioned
- “great value for money”
- “can't beat the price”
- “cheap but effective”
- “budget-friendly staple”
Gentle and soothing Mostly Mentioned
- “doesn't sting my eyes”
- “calms my redness”
- “feels like water but better”
- “no burning sensation”
Alcohol-free Often Mentioned
- “love that it's alcohol-free”
- “no harsh chemical smell”
- “doesn't smell like vodka”
- “great ingredient list”
Removes residue Often Mentioned
- “removes last traces of makeup”
- “cotton pad comes off dirty”
- “cleans what cleanser missed”
- “great final cleanse step”
Non-drying Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels plump”
- “doesn't strip natural oils”
- “leaves face soft”
- “hydrating for a toner”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “broke me out in tiny bumps”
- “caused redness around nose”
- “irritated my sensitive skin”
- “gave me a rash”
Drying or tightness Rarely Noted
- “made my skin feel tight”
- “dried out my cheeks”
- “felt stripped after use”
- “not hydrating enough”
Ineffective Rarely Noted
- “did absolutely nothing”
- “just feels like tap water”
- “saw no difference”
- “boring product”
Sticky residue Rarely Noted
- “leaves a tacky film”
- “feels sticky on skin”
- “residue sits on top”
- “takes a while to absorb”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, superdrug.com, simple.co.uk, influenster.com, skinsort.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner work for oily skin?
This toner works moderately well for oily skin by offering soothing hydration and helping calm irritation without adding extra oil. However, it lacks targeted ingredients to specifically manage excessive oily shine. Oily skin needs products that provide excellent soothing properties while actively controlling excess oil and shine.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for oily skin?
Allantoin and panthenol help calm irritation and moisturize without adding excess oil, while niacinamide and witch hazel support oil control and reduce inflammation. To be an even better fit for oily skin, a product of this type needs targeted ingredients to specifically address excessive oily shine while keeping the skin balanced and hydrated.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
What does Niacinamide do for oily skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily skin by significantly reducing excess oil production and shine. It is well tolerated and may improve skin texture without clogging pores.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Antioxidants, 2021
What does Panthenol do for oily skin?
Panthenol helps balance oily skin by regulating sebum while keeping it hydrated and calm. It also improves skin comfort and reduces redness with excellent suitability for sensitive skin types.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This toner goes after cleansing in the morning routine and as a cleansing toner in the evening routine. It helps calm irritation and moisturize your oily skin without adding extra oiliness.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this toner with retinol by applying the toner first to hydrate your skin and then following with retinol. This toner is unlikely to cause irritation because it lacks harsh ingredients and contains soothing components, making it gentle enough to pair with active treatments.
How often should I use it?
You can use this toner twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. It offers gentle soothing and hydration without causing irritation, though oily skin often needs extra ingredients specifically chosen to target excess shine.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This toner is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as it has a very low risk of breakouts and a safe formula without harsh ingredients. Reviewers rarely mention breakouts, and the soothing ingredients help calm irritation without adding heavy oils.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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 panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025A 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 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, 2020Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Moisturizer 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, 2016An 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, 2018Prophylactic application of a topical scar gel containing Allium cepae extract, allantoin, and heparin significantly improves patient-assessed scar color, stiffness, and irregularity compared to no treatment in women following a cesarean section.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2014A 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, 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, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Hydrogenated Hydrolysate Starch, Sodium Pca, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta, Propylene Glycol, Cetylpyridinium Chloride, Niacinamide, Witch Hazel Leaf Water, Panthenol, Decyl Glucoside, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Methylparaben, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, Potassium Sorbate
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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