Neogen Dermalogy A-Clear Toner for dry sensitive skin
Salicylic Acid
Oil Tree Leaf
Glycolic Acid
Centella Asiatica Extract
Licorice Root ExtractWarning
- WarningDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- RiskySafety
A poor match for dry sensitive skin; the toners alongside fit it better.
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 excellent exfoliation for acne-prone skin due to salicylic acid and glycolic acid, which decongest pores and smooth texture, but is highly unsuitable for your dry skin as these ingredients can be overly drying and strip natural oils.
- While the formula is safe for your dry and sensitive skin with no harsh ingredients, the strong exfoliating action may exacerbate dryness and 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
★4.0Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited user data, this toner is described as a lightweight, non-sticky liquid that effectively balances sebum and hydrates without irritation. It is primarily recommended for sensitive and acne-prone skin, with users noting its ability to soothe redness and prep the skin, though opinions on its scent are mixed.
Highlights
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “absorbs smoothly”
- “non-sticky”
- “light tonic water texture”
- “cairan bening seperti air”
Soothing and calming Often Mentioned
- “excellent for soothing sensitive skin”
- “calm irritated skin”
- “no stinging or itching”
- “leaves skin plumped”
Availability issues Often Mentioned
- “hard to find”
- “out of stock”
- “possibly discontinued”
Sebum control Sometimes Noted
- “regulate sebum production”
- “lift remaining dirt”
- “balances skin's sebum”
Medicinal scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like tonic”
- “hesitant because of the smell”
- “herbal scent”
Mild effectiveness Rarely Noted
- “didn't feel benefits besides hydration”
- “doesn't recommend”
Sources: lovi.care, ipsy.com, reviews.femaledaily.com, neogenlab.us, yesstyle.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise against Neogen A-Clear Toner for dry sensitive skin?
Lovi advises against this toner because its strong exfoliating ingredients like salicylic acid and glycolic acid can be overly drying and strip natural oils from dry sensitive skin. A product of this type needs effective hydrating and exfoliating ingredients that enhance moisture levels and support the skin barrier without posing any risk of irritation.
Which ingredients make this toner a poor fit for dry sensitive skin?
Salicylic acid and glycolic acid make this toner a poor fit because they can be overly drying and strip natural oils from dry sensitive skin. An exfoliating toner for this skin type needs gentle exfoliants combined with rich hydrating agents and soothing ingredients to enhance moisture and avoid irritation.
What does Salicylic Acid do for dry sensitive skin?
Salicylic acid is generally a poor fit for dry, sensitive skin because it is designed to clear out pores by removing excess oil, which can easily leave dry skin irritated. A product of this type needs gentle exfoliating helpers paired with rich, soothing moisturizers and barrier-repairing ingredients to keep dry skin calm and comfortable.
What does Tea Tree Leaf Oil do for dry sensitive skin?
Tea tree leaf oil is generally too strong for dry sensitive skin and may cause skin irritation or allergic reactions if not heavily diluted. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients and gentle hydrators to protect dry and easily irritated skin without causing redness.
Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2006Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2023
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This exfoliating toner is a poor match for your dry and sensitive skin because its strong acids can strip natural oils and cause irritation. If you choose to use a product of this type, your skin needs gentle hydrating ingredients, soothing plant extracts, and barrier-supporting moisturizers to prevent dryness.
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
It is best to avoid using this exfoliating toner on your dry and sensitive skin, as its strong ingredients may strip away natural oils and cause irritation. Skin of this type needs gentle, hydrating formulas with soothing ingredients and barrier-repairing elements instead.
How often should I use this toner?
This exfoliating toner is a poor match for your dry sensitive skin because its acids can strip natural oils and cause irritation. If you still choose to use a product of this type, it needs gentle hydrating and soothing ingredients to help calm the skin and restore moisture.
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This toner is unlikely to clog pores because it contains salicylic acid and glycolic acid to clear out pores, but its strong exfoliating action may worsen dryness and cause irritation on your dry sensitive skin. A product for this skin needs gentle hydrating ingredients and soothing plant extracts like centella asiatica to keep skin soft and calm without stripping natural oils.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023A 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, 2020Cryotherapy 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, 2010Treatment 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, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010Topical herbal treatments including lemon balm, olive leaf extract, propolis, and sage-rhubarb cream reduce pain, swelling, lesion size, and healing time in patients with herpes labialis compared with placebo or acyclovir.
Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 2025Topical oleuropein formulations reduced erythema, transepidermal water loss, and blood flow by approximately 22%, 35%, and 30% in healthy volunteers with UVB-induced erythema.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2008An oil-in-serum formulation containing olive extract standardized in hydroxytyrosol improved skin barrier function and significantly reduced hyperpigmentation in participants with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after 45 days of application.
AAPS PharmSciTech, 2026Repeated 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, 2017Topical application of 0.05% w/w ECa 233 gel reduced erythema index by 0.03 U and improved early crusting and general wound appearance compared to placebo in thirty individuals undergoing facial laser resurfacing.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020A 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, 2017Moisturizer 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, 2019Combining 755 nm alexandrite laser with topical licorice gel significantly reduces terminal hair counts compared to alexandrite laser with placebo in women with idiopathic hirsutism.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015Licochalcone A activated Nrf2 signaling, elevated cytoprotective enzymes, increased the reduced-to-oxidized glutathione ratio, and decreased reactive oxygen species in human fibroblasts and neutrophils, while a LicA-rich licorice extract lowered UVA-induced oxidative processes in vivo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2015Bioactive glycyrrhizic acid and oxymatrine ionic liquid self-assembled nanomicelles significantly promoted the transdermal permeation, subcutaneous retention, and anti-photoaging efficacy of palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 in cellular and animal models compared to unformulated peptide.
Advanced Science, 2025
Ingredients
Water, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Chloride, Acrylates Copolymer, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Potassium Cocoate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium Edta, Citric Acid, Guaiazulene, Gluconolactone, Calamine, Panthenol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassoside, Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Leaf Extract
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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