Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner for dry sensitive skin
Green Plum Extract
Glycolic Acid Aha
Salicylic Acid Bha
Glycerin
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Caution
- LowDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A poor match for dry sensitive skin; the toners alongside fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2021
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, 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 for your dry and sensitive skin due to the presence of glycolic acid and salicylic acid, which can cause dryness and irritation, even with glycerin included for humectant action.
- While the toner provides general skincare benefits like cleansing and soothing, its primary exfoliating ingredients are not ideal for addressing dryness or flakiness.
- The formula is safe for your dry and sensitive skin as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliating toner only in your PM routine, starting 1×/week since your skin is sensitive. Carefully build up frequency only if your skin feels comfortable.
- Apply the exfoliating toner after using your cleanser and before your final moisturizer. This ensures it works effectively on clean skin.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliating toner into your skin using your hands. Avoid rubbing to prevent any irritation.
- Apply the exfoliating toner on completely dry skin to ensure better tolerance for your sensitive type. Let it absorb fully before moving to the next step.
- Do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area. Keep this product separate from other strong acids or retinoids to protect your skin barrier.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers with oily and combination skin highly praise this toner for its gentle exfoliating properties and effective sebum control, leading to smoother texture and a radiant glow. While it absorbs quickly and hydrates without stripping, some users with very dry or sensitive skin have reported occasional irritation or initial breakouts.
Highlights
Lightweight & fast Mostly Mentioned
- “absorbs instantly into skin”
- “no sticky residue left”
- “feels like refreshing water”
Gentle exfoliation Often Mentioned
- “gentle enough for daily use”
- “skin feels softer immediately”
- “great introduction to acids”
Non-stripping hydration Often Mentioned
- “doesn't dry me out”
- “hydrating despite the acids”
- “leaves a nice glow”
Controls oil/sebum Sometimes Noted
- “less oily by midday”
- “pores appear smaller”
- “cleared up my blackheads”
Initial breakouts Sometimes Noted
- “caused small whiteheads initially”
- “purging lasted two weeks”
- “broke me out at first”
Scent dislike Rarely Noted
- “smells a bit weird”
- “has a fermented scent”
- “scent is off-putting”
Sensitivity reactions Rarely Noted
- “stung my sensitive skin”
- “caused redness around nose”
- “irritated my dry patches”
Too gentle for some Rarely Noted
- “didn't see drastic changes”
- “too weak for stubborn acne”
- “prefer stronger glycolic toners”
Sources: lovi.care, stylekorean.com, yesstyle.com, beautyofjoseon.com, hikoco.co.nz, skinsider.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise caution with Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner for dry sensitive skin?
Lovi advises caution because this toner contains exfoliating acids that may cause dryness and irritation on dry and sensitive skin. A product of this type needs effective hydrating and exfoliating ingredients that boost moisture levels and smooth the skin without any risk of irritation.
Which ingredients make this toner a poor fit for dry sensitive skin?
The glycolic acid and salicylic acid in this exfoliating toner make it a poor fit for dry and sensitive skin because they can cause dryness and irritation. A product of this type needs effective hydrating and exfoliating ingredients that enhance moisture levels without posing any risk of irritation, along with gentle exfoliants and skin barrier support.
What does Green Plum Extract do for dry sensitive skin?
Green Plum Extract helps hydrate dry skin and calms sensitive areas to keep your face feeling soft and smooth. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may improve moisture levels when used regularly.
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
What does Glycolic Acid do for dry sensitive skin?
Glycolic acid can be too harsh for dry sensitive skin because it speeds up skin shedding and may increase water loss. Skin of this type needs gentle hydrating ingredients and soothing agents to keep it smooth and calm without irritation.
Acta Dermato-venereologica, 1995The British Journal of Dermatology, 1997
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This toner requires caution on dry sensitive skin because its acids can cause dryness and irritation, so a product of this type needs soothing and hydrating ingredients like glycerin to keep skin calm and comfortable. When used, exfoliating toners go early in the routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, starting just once a week to see how your skin reacts.
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You should use caution when combining this exfoliating toner with retinol on dry and sensitive skin, as it may cause dryness and irritation. To reduce the risk of discomfort, apply the soothing toner first, let it absorb completely, and follow with your retinol treatment on separate nights or spaced well apart.
How often should I use this toner?
You should use this exfoliating toner just once a week on your dry sensitive skin. Because it contains acids that can cause dryness and irritation, this skin type needs a gentle hydrating toner that soothes and deeply moisturizes instead.
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This toner may cause initial breakouts or purging for dry and sensitive skin because it contains glycolic acid and salicylic acid. Reviewers note moderate initial breakouts, and this type of skin needs gentle hydrating ingredients like glycerin and soothing plant extracts instead of strong exfoliants.
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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, 2017Prunus mume ripened seed extract protects against ultraviolet-induced skin aging in mice and human HaCaT cells by increasing SIRT1 and collagen levels while decreasing MMP-1, MMP-13, and ROS generation compared to untreated ultraviolet-exposed controls.
Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2021The novel compound FA-1 isolated from Prunus mume protects human bronchial epithelial cells and keratinocytes from cigarette smoke extract-induced DNA damage and apoptosis by reducing oxidative stress and augmenting ALDH isozymes and DNA repair proteins.
Scientific Reports, 2018Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017Cryotherapy 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, 2010A 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, 2020Treatment 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, 2024The 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, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Enzyme-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, 2020
Ingredients
Water, Prunus Mume Fruit Water, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tromethamine, Glycolic Acid, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Rice Bran Water, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Fructose, Tocopherol, Glucose, Sodium Pca, Triethylhexanoin, Diphenyl Dimethicone, C12-14 Pareth-12, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Tetrasodium Edta
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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