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La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion for dry skin

Average

  • AverageDry Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

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 suitability for your dry skin, as glycerin and glycoproteins provide excellent hydration, while Borago Officinalis Seed Oil offers emollient benefits to combat dryness and flakiness.
  • The inclusion of Bisabolol further supports soothing effects, making it generally beneficial for your skin's hydration needs.
  • The product is safe for your dry skin, containing no harsh ingredients and featuring soothing components like Bisabolol.

How to apply

  • Use your hydrating toner AM and PM every day to keep skin soft. Always finish your morning routine with sunscreen.
  • Apply the hydrating toner after cleansing and before putting on your moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the hydrating toner into your skin and let it absorb. Avoid rubbing your face too hard.
  • Put the hydrating toner on slightly damp skin to help your face absorb the moisture better.
  • Be careful to avoid the eye area when applying the product.

People Say

★4.6Overall rating based on 100+ reviews

Based on limited data, users consistently praise this toner for its ability to deliver deep hydration and noticeable softening, often describing it as a luxury experience that preps the skin effectively for subsequent products. While the vast majority report a soothing, glow-giving effect suitable for dry and aging skin, a minority of users find the signature floral fragrance overpowering and the price point difficult to justify.

Highlights

  • Deep hydration Mostly Mentioned
    • “gentle yet effective moisturizing”
    • “keeps skin moisturized throughout the day”
    • “hydrates and gives amazing glow”
  • Exceptional softening Mostly Mentioned
    • “softens skin noticeably”
    • “makes your skin smooth”
    • “improves suppleness”
  • Exorbitant price Often Mentioned
    • “so expensive”
    • “expensive luxury”
    • “hard to stomach the price”
  • Product longevity Sometimes Noted
    • “lasts forever”
    • “only need a small amount”
    • “worth every penny”
  • Soothing and calming Sometimes Noted
    • “calm the complexion”
    • “soothes sensitive skin”
    • “reduces irritation”
  • Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
    • “heavily scented”
    • “smell on my face all day”
    • “could not deal with the smell”
  • Packaging issues Rarely Noted
    • “leak everywhere in the box”
    • “bottle arrived damaged”
  • Product pilling Rarely Noted
    • “caused pilling”
    • “forms a barrier”
    • “caused my other skincare to pill”

Sources: lovi.care, nordstrom.com, neimanmarcus.com, bloomingdales.com, spacenk.com, walmart.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does La Prairie Softening and Balancing Lotion work for dry skin?

This hydrating toner works okay for dry skin, though other products fit it better. It helps keep skin soft with ingredients like glycerin and borage seed oil, but a dry skin routine needs richer moisturizing and soothing ingredients that calm irritation and deeply nourish the skin barrier without any risk of irritation.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

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

Glycerin, glycoproteins, and borage seed oil help make this toner a good fit for dry skin by providing essential moisture and soothing dryness. To fit dry skin even better, this type of product needs a richer blend of deeply nourishing hydrators, calming agents, and soothing ingredients that protect the skin barrier without causing irritation.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

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

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

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

This hydrating toner goes after your cleanser and before your moisturizer in your morning routine. A dry skin routine of this type needs hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin along with nourishing oils to keep skin soft and smooth.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

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

You can use this hydrating toner with niacinamide by applying the toner first to damp skin and following with your niacinamide product once it absorbs. This helps lock in hydration while keeping your dry skin soft and calm.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

How often should I use this toner?

You can use this hydrating toner daily in your morning routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, as it helps provide moisture and soothe dry skin. To properly care for dry skin, a product of this type needs rich moisturizing ingredients like glycerin and nourishing plant oils to effectively combat dryness and flakiness.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022

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, as it has a safe formula with soothing ingredients like bisabolol and no harsh components. To care for dry skin, this type of product also needs rich oils or heavy butters to lock in moisture and deeply soften dry patches.

Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It contains fragrance (parfum, limonene, geraniol, and citronellol) and drying alcohol (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, 2017
  • Enzyme-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, 2015
  • A 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, 2022
  • A 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
  • A 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, 2018
  • Hamamelis 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, 2001
  • Witch 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, 2025
  • Over-the-counter retinol products provided only weak evidence for a mild ameliorating effect on fine facial skin wrinkle lines in randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials, and major methodological flaws call the validity of positive results into question.

    The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2021
  • A cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate regimen significantly improved periorbital wrinkle appearance relative to a 0.02% tretinoin regimen at 8 weeks with comparable benefits at 24 weeks, while demonstrating significantly better tolerability in 196 women.

    The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010
  • A novel triple-active cosmetic formulation containing 4-hexylresorcinol, retinyl propionate, and niacinamide improved the visual appearance of photoageing similarly to 0.02% tretinoin and reversed a consensus gene signature associated with ageing in female adults while causing less skin irritation.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024
  • Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
  • Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.

    Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022
  • Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.

    BMC Oral Health, 2019

Ingredients

Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Peg Ppg Polybutylene Glycol-8 5 3 Glycerin, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Glycoproteins, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Propylene Glycol, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Witch Hazel Leaf Extract, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Lactobacillus Ferment, Bisabolol, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Yeast Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Tocopherol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Lecithin, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Citronellol, Phenoxyethanol, Red 33 Ci 17200

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.

How does it fit your skin?

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How does it fit your skin?

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