Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Toning Lotion/Refiner for acne-prone skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Lactobionic Acid
Witch Hazel
Glycerin
Bambusa Vulgaris ExtractHigh
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few toners fit it even better.
- Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2019
- The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 and pore-refining benefits for your acne and blemishes, as lactobionic acid and phytic acid gently refine texture and manage breakouts. Witch hazel and zinc pca further support seboregulation, making it highly suitable for your combination skin.
- Alcohol denat provides effective pore refinement and breakout management, while biosaccharide gum 1 and sodium hyaluronate offer essential hydration to maintain skin balance.
- The formulation is safe for your acne-prone skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- You can use this exfoliating toner in your PM routine. Start by using it 1 time per week and increase slowly if your skin is happy.
- Apply your exfoliating toner right after cleansing and before your moisturizing steps. This helps your skin stay clean and clear.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliating toner into your skin with your hands. Avoid rubbing to keep your face calm.
- Apply the exfoliating toner on clean and dry skin for the best comfort. Let it dry for a minute ⏱ before moving on.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid putting the product too close to your eyes.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsUsers generally praise this product as a refreshing, dual-action toner that gently exfoliates and balances the skin without stripping moisture, leaving the complexion smooth and radiant. While effective for most skin types, including dry and combination skin, some users with sensitive skin caution that the alcohol content and fragrance may cause stinging or irritation.
Highlights
Refreshing feel Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves skin glowing fresh”
- “very refreshing after cleansing”
- “removes any remaining impurities”
- “feels light and refreshing”
Gentle exfoliation Often Mentioned
- “gently exfoliates the skin”
- “leaves skin smooth”
- “removes dull skin cells”
- “softens skin texture”
Non-drying formula Sometimes Noted
- “works without drying”
- “doesn't strip my skin”
- “hydrating and comfortable”
- “no tightness after use”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “gentle smell”
- “fresh scent”
- “smell is very pleasant”
- “mild and isn't overwhelming”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “a bit expensive”
- “pricey for a toner”
- “wish it was cheaper”
- “luxury price tag”
Alcohol content Rarely Noted
- “contains alcohol denat”
- “smells like alcohol”
- “can be drying due to alcohol”
- “avoid if avoiding alcohol”
Skin irritation Rarely Noted
- “caused stinging”
- “burning sensation”
- “redness after application”
- “irritated my sensitive skin”
Strong fragrance Rarely Noted
- “scent is too strong”
- “overwhelming fragrance”
- “perfume is too much”
- “prefer fragrance-free”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, myer.com.au, lookfantastic.com, escentual.com, perfumesclub.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Toning Lotion a great fit for acne-prone skin?
This toner is a great fit because lactobionic acid and phytic acid gently refine texture and manage breakouts, while witch hazel and zinc PCA help control oil. It also features alcohol denat for pore refinement along with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate to keep your skin balanced and hydrated without irritation.
Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2019The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This toner is a great fit for acne-prone skin because lactobionic acid and phytic acid gently smooth texture and help manage breakouts. Witch hazel and zinc PCA also help balance oil, while alcohol denat aids in refining pores without irritation.
Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2019The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps acne-prone skin by soothing irritation, calming redness, and keeping the skin balanced without clogging pores. When combined with targeted ingredients like zinc oxide, it may also help reduce breakouts.
What does Lactobionic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Lactobionic acid helps acne-prone skin by gently clearing pores while keeping your skin calm and moisturized. Because it is very gentle, it is unlikely to cause irritation or damage your skin barrier while working to make your skin smooth.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This exfoliating toner fits into an evening routine after your makeup remover and cleanser, and before your treatment and moisturizer. Lovi routines start exfoliating toners once a week, and you can carefully use them more often if your skin tolerates them well and sees good results.
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this toner in the same routine as retinol by applying the toner first, letting it dry, and then following with your retinol treatment. This approach helps refine your pores and manage breakouts while keeping your skin balanced, though using both at once may increase the likelihood of dryness or irritation.
American Family Physician, 2012Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
How often should I use this toner?
Start by using this toner once a week, and if your skin tolerates it well and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. The gentle acids and witch hazel help manage breakouts and keep your pores refined without causing irritation.
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This toner is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for acne-prone skin, as lactobionic acid and phytic acid help gently refine texture while witch hazel and zinc pca manage oil. The formula is safe for your skin with no high risks of irritation, though the alcohol denat content may feel drying for some.
Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2019The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
Chemical peels using 35% glycolic acid, 20% salicylic-10% mandelic acid, and phytic acid reduce acne scores by 70.55%, 74.14%, and 69.7% respectively, and significantly decline the postacne hyperpigmentation index in Asian patients with mild to moderate acne.
Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2019Topical nicotinamide plus an antibacterial adhesive agent and zinc-pyrrolidone carboxylic acid combined with adapalene significantly reduced noninflammatory acne lesions by the second week of therapy compared to placebo with adapalene in patients with moderate acne vulgaris.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Topical hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Lactobionic acid produced better skin performance with a lack of skin irritation and barrier impairment compared to glycolic acid in 77 healthy volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010Topical 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, 2011Topical 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, 2022Treatment 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, 2019Combining a 20% lactobionic acid peel with aluminum oxide crystal microdermabrasion increases skin hydration, improves elasticity, and decreases transepidermal water loss in 20 Caucasian females compared to lactobionic acid peel alone.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019An emulsion containing 10% lactobionic acid significantly reduces human skin surface pH without causing skin irritation or barrier impairment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Carboxytherapy alone and combined with lactobionic acid, ferulic acid, and ascorbic acid significantly reduced vascular dark circles and combined pigmentation in the tear trough and lower eyelid of 39 Caucasian participants.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2024A 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, 2018Hamamelis 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, 2001Witch 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, 2025A 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, 2001Ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions of Bambusa vulgaris leaves accelerate cutaneous wound healing and inhibit carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats.
Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 2016
Ingredients
Water, Alcohol Denat, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hypnea Musciformis Extract Algae Extract, Gellidiela Acerosa Extract Algae Extract, Witch Hazel, Silybum Marianum Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Pisum Sativum Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Algae Extract, Rice Bran Extract, Yeast Extract, Sucrose, Trehalose, Lactobionic Acid, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sorbitol, Caffeine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Biosaccharide 1 Gum, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Sodium Hyaluronate, Zinc Pca, Pentylene Glycol, Ppg-5-Ceteth-20, Sodium Hydroxide, Glucosamine Hcl, Parfum, Phytic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol
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
How does it fit your skin?
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