🇸🇦Saudi Arabia

Paula's Choice Pore-Reducing Toner for dry skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

Paula's Choice Pore-Reducing Toner

Warning

  • LowDry Skin Fit
  • SuperiorEffectiveness
  • ConcerningSafety

A poor match for dry skin; the products alongside 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

  • Extremely low suitability for your dry skin due to the presence of salicylic acid, which has keratolytic action and may be too drying, and a lack of deeply hydrating or emollient ingredients to fully address dryness.
  • While niacinamide and salicylic acid offer excellent pore-reducing effects by decongesting pores and smoothing texture, the formula lacks sufficient hydrating ingredients to fully address your dry or flaky skin concerns.

How to apply

  • Use this toner AM and PM every day to help with dry or flaky skin. Always pair with SPF in the morning.
  • Apply this toner after cleansing and before your moisturizer to keep your skin soft.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the toner into your skin and let it absorb. Avoid rubbing.
  • Apply the toner on slightly damp skin to help with moisture absorption.
  • Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.

People Say

★4.4Overall rating based on 10.8k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this toner is highly recommended by users with oily and combination skin for its ability to control excess oil and provide lightweight hydration without a heavy feel. Many users report improvements in skin texture and a visible reduction in pore size. Some users found it did not significantly minimize pores, and a small number experienced breakouts or felt the product was overpriced.

Highlights

  • Lightweight hydration Mostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly”
    • “feels weightless”
    • “adds light moisture”
    • “non-sticky finish”
  • Balances oil Often Mentioned
    • “controls excess oil”
    • “face is less shiny”
    • “helps manage grease”
    • “balances my T-zone”
  • Minimizes pores Often Mentioned
    • “pores look smaller”
    • “refined skin texture”
    • “pores are less visible”
    • “helped with congestion”
  • Soothing and calming Sometimes Noted
    • “reduces redness”
    • “calms my skin”
    • “soothing after cleansing”
    • “gentle formula”
  • Ineffective for pores Sometimes Noted
    • “no change in pores”
    • “didn't minimize anything”
    • “pores look the same”
    • “limited impact”
  • Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
    • “caused cystic acne”
    • “broke me out”
    • “tiny bumps appeared”
    • “skin flared up”
  • Packaging issues Rarely Noted
    • “leaked in box”
    • “spilled inside packaging”
    • “cap was loose”
    • “bottle arrived empty”
  • Price vs. value Rarely Noted
    • “overpriced for a toner”
    • “not worth the money”
    • “too expensive”
    • “pricey for the size”

Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, paulaschoice.com, paulaschoice-eu.com, sephora.sg, dermstore.com, and more

Questions and answers

Why does Lovi advise against the Pore-Reducing Toner for dry skin?

This toner is a poor match for dry skin because salicylic acid may be too drying, and the formula lacks deeply hydrating or softening ingredients. A toner of this type needs rich hydrating and barrier-repairing ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and Centella Asiatica to keep dry skin comfortable and healthy.

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

Salicylic acid makes this toner a poor fit for dry skin because it may be too drying, and the formula lacks deeply hydrating or softening ingredients and skin-repairing components like ceramides.

What does Niacinamide do for dry skin?

Niacinamide helps dry skin by strengthening the skin barrier, increasing hydration, and reducing water loss. It supports ceramide production and helps keep the surface smooth and calm. This ingredient tends to be very well tolerated and is unlikely to irritate dry skin.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026

What does Witch Hazel do for dry skin?

Witch hazel helps calm dry and irritated skin while reducing water loss to keep it comfortable. It also supports skin recovery and helps soothe redness.

Phytochemistry, 2001

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

This toner is a poor match for dry skin because it contains salicylic acid, which may dry you out further. A product of this type for dry skin needs plenty of hydrating and softening ingredients to keep your skin smooth and comfortable.

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

It is best to avoid using this toner on dry skin because salicylic acid may be too drying, and the formula lacks deeply hydrating ingredients to fully address dryness. Dry skin needs a toner with rich hydrating ingredients and soothing plant extracts to keep it soft and comfortable.

How often should I use this toner?

This toner is a poor match for dry skin because salicylic acid may be too drying, and the formula lacks deeply hydrating or softening ingredients. Dry skin needs a hydrating toner with water-attracting and softening ingredients to keep skin smooth and comfortable.

Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?

This toner is unlikely to clog pores since it contains salicylic acid to clear out buildup, but it may leave dry skin feeling too dry rather than causing typical breakouts. To work well for dry skin, a product of this type needs deeply hydrating ingredients and smoothing emollients.

Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

What the research says

  • Topical 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, 2021

  • Topical 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, 2008

  • Topical 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, 2005

  • 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

  • Cryotherapy 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, 2010

  • A 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, 2020

  • Treatment 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, 2024

  • Topical green tea extract significantly improved clinical symptoms, tear breakup times, and meibomian gland health compared to standard treatment in patients with dry eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.

    Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2017

  • Topical low-dose green tea extract reduces UVB-induced p53 expression and apoptosis in human skin keratinocytes compared to placebo.

    Experimental Dermatology, 2009

  • An anti-acne hydrogel containing Aloe barbadensis, Garcinia mangostana, and Camellia sinensis extracts showed superior antiacne and antiblotch activities compared to 1% clindamycin gel in sixty subjects with mild-moderate acne.

    Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019

Ingredients

Water, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Witch Hazel Water, Glycereth-26, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Salicylic Acid, Epigallocatechin Gallate Camellia Sinensis, Bisabolol, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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Prices checked 6 Nov 2026

The Lovi Fit is the same in every country; only the stores and prices differ, and the ones here are for Saudi Arabia.

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

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