Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner for acne-prone skin

Green Plum Extract
Glycolic Acid Aha
Salicylic Acid Bha
Glycerin
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
High
- SuperiorCombination Skin Fit
- SuperiorEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few toners fit it even better.
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
- Excellent for your combination skin and acne concerns, as glycolic acid and salicylic acid effectively exfoliate and clear pores, while Prunus Mume Fruit Water and Panax Ginseng Root Extract offer soothing benefits.
- The formula's high concentration of exfoliating acids provides superb keratolytic action and seboregulation, addressing blemishes and breakouts directly.
- The product is safe for your acne-prone skin, containing no harsh ingredients and including beneficial soothing components.
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
★4.8Overall 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
What makes the Green Plum Refreshing Toner a great fit for acne-prone skin?
This toner is a great fit for your acne-prone skin because glycolic acid and salicylic acid effectively clear out pores and manage blemishes, while soothing ingredients like Prunus Mume Fruit Water and Panax Ginseng Root Extract keep skin calm. Its combination of exfoliating acids helps control oil and prevent breakouts safely without any harsh irritants.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Glycolic Acid Aha and Salicylic Acid Bha make this toner a great fit for acne-prone skin because they effectively exfoliate and clear pores while helping to reduce blemishes and breakouts. Additionally, Green Plum Extract and Panax Ginseng Root Extract provide soothing benefits to keep skin calm.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023BioMed Research International, 2020
What does Green Plum Extract do for acne-prone skin?
Green Plum Extract helps calm acne-prone skin by slowing down the processes that lead to dark spots and breakouts. It is unlikely to cause irritation and works safely to keep skin clear and smooth.
What does Glycolic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Glycolic acid helps clear acne-prone skin by reducing blemishes and breakouts, while also improving dark spots left behind after acne clears. It works by gently removing dead surface skin cells to keep pores clean. Products of this type for acne-prone skin need soothing ingredients and gentle exfoliating acids to help control oil and breakouts without irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Dermatologic Surgery, 2014
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This exfoliating toner fits into an acne-prone routine in the evening after cleansing and before your treatment or moisturizer. Lovi routines start exfoliating steps once a week, and you can carefully use them more often if your skin tolerates them well and shows good results.
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this exfoliating toner with retinol, but to keep your skin calm, use them on alternating nights rather than at the same time. Combining too many strong active ingredients at once may dry out or irritate acne-prone skin.
How often should I use this toner?
Start using this toner once a week, and if your skin handles it well and you see good results, you may carefully use it more often. The glycolic acid and salicylic acid inside help clear pores and address blemishes directly, while soothing components keep your skin calm.
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This toner is a great fit for acne-prone skin because glycolic acid and salicylic acid effectively exfoliate and clear pores while soothing plant extracts keep skin calm. Some reviewers report initial breakouts as the acids clear out congestion, but it is unlikely to cause routine clogs or severe reactions.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
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, 2020Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene showed no hindrance compared to adapalene monotherapy and provided benefits in reducing complications in 25 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Twice 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, 2023Microneedling combined with topical exosome therapy improved PIH severity scores from grade 2 to grade 1 and enhanced skin tone in two acne patients without causing adverse effects.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Global Open, 2025Prunus 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, 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, 2010A 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, 2001Enzyme-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
-

Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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