Biossance Squalane + BHA Pore-Minimizing Toner for acne-prone skin
Squalane
Bha Beta Hydroxy Acid
Willow Bark Extract
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Water
GlycerinHigh
- 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 suitability for your combination skin and acne concerns is provided by betaine salicylate and microcitrus australasica fruit extract, which effectively exfoliate and minimize pores. Willow bark extract and lavender flower water further soothe your skin, reducing inflammation and preventing irritation.
- Squalane and sodium hyaluronate offer hydration, supporting skin barrier function without clogging pores.
- The product is safe for your acne-prone skin, as it contains no harsh ingredients and includes 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
★4.6Overall rating based on 1.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this toner is highly regarded for its gentle exfoliation and pore-minimizing effects, with many users appreciating its hydrating formula that avoids the dryness often associated with BHA products. Most users with oily and combination skin report smoother texture and clearer pores. A small number of users experienced breakouts or found the fragrance irritating, and some noted issues with the packaging or a sticky residue.
Highlights
Gentle exfoliation Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves skin feeling clean but not stripped”
- “most hydrating BHA I've used”
- “gentle enough for daily use”
- “doesn't damage moisture barrier”
Hydrating formula Often Mentioned
- “sinks in nice and hydrates”
- “leaves skin bouncy”
- “moisturizing toner”
- “restores radiance”
Improves texture Often Mentioned
- “face feels so smooth”
- “texture was significantly different and softer”
- “got rid of rough patches”
- “skin looks flawless”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like a spa”
- “delicious cucumber scent”
- “light and refreshing smell”
- “botanical scent”
Refines pores Sometimes Noted
- “clogged pores disappeared”
- “pores look really clean”
- “helps reduce pore appearance”
- “cleared up sebaceous filaments”
Expensive price Sometimes Noted
- “pricey for a toner”
- “expensive but worth it”
- “wish it was cheaper”
- “good but pricey”
Packaging issues Sometimes Noted
- “comes out too fast”
- “needs a different stopper”
- “runny product spills easily”
- “shards of glass in bottle (rare)”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “covered in blemishes overnight”
- “caused deep throbbing acne”
- “got breakout after use”
- “messed my whole face up”
Fragrance irritation Rarely Noted
- “fragrance caused redness”
- “irritating for sensitive skin”
- “don't like the lavender oil”
- “strong scent”
Sticky residue Rarely Noted
- “leaves an oily film”
- “feels a bit sticky”
- “shinier look to the face”
- “takes time to absorb”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.sg, biossance.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, influenster.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Biossance Squalane + BHA Pore-Minimizing Toner a great fit for acne-prone skin?
Biossance Squalane + BHA Pore-Minimizing Toner is a great fit because it uses betaine salicylate and fruit extract to exfoliate pores, while willow bark extract and lavender water calm redness and prevent irritation. Squalane and sodium hyaluronate also provide light hydration that keeps your skin smooth and soft without clogging pores.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Betaine salicylate and microcitrus australasica fruit extract make this toner a great fit by clearing pores, while willow bark extract and lavender flower water calm your skin. Squalane and sodium hyaluronate add lightweight moisture without clogging pores.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
What does Squalane do for acne-prone skin?
Squalane may help keep acne-prone skin soft and smooth, but peroxidated forms can trigger inflammation in skin cells. For a better fit on acne-prone skin, products need non-clogging, soothing ingredients that balance oil without causing irritation.
What does Bha do for acne-prone skin?
BHA helps clear acne-prone skin by clearing out pores to reduce both inflammatory and non-inflammatory breakouts. It also helps calm redness and lower oil production, and is unlikely to cause harsh side effects when used regularly.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This toner fits into an acne-prone routine once a week to start, with the option to carefully use it more often if your skin tolerates it well and shows good results. It helps gently clear pores and soothe your skin without clogging it.
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this toner alongside retinol, but apply them at different times or on alternating nights to keep your skin calm and prevent irritation. Since this toner gently exfoliates and smooths your skin while adding hydration, using it on nights when you skip retinol helps keep your routine safe and comfortable.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024American Family Physician, 2012
How often should I use this toner?
Start by using this exfoliating toner once a week, and if your skin tolerates it well and you see good results, you may carefully use it more often. It helps clear pores and smooth your skin while keeping irritation low.
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This toner is unlikely to clog pores because it contains lightweight hydrators like squalane that support your skin barrier without feeling heavy. It helps clear pores with beta hydroxy acid and willow bark extract, though a few shoppers have reported minor breakouts as their skin adjusts.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (citronellol).
What the research says
A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025A 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, 2020Twice 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, 2023Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025Cryotherapy 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, 2010Bioactive lipid nanocarriers co-loaded with willow bark or ivy leaf extracts and UV-filters provided pronounced UVA photoprotection up to an SPF-equivalent value of 13 and a maximum in vivo skin hydration effect of 97% when prepared with pomegranate oil.
Nanomaterials, 2022A topical serum containing 0.5% salicin applied twice daily reduced visible signs of skin aging, including wrinkles and tactile roughness, in 30 female subjects over 12 weeks compared to baseline.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010A novel emulsion containing niacinamide, lens esculenta seed extract, and white willow bark extract effectively improved acne, blackheads, and conspicuous facial pores in 30 subjects with oily skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Transgenic cucumber expressing poly-γ-glutamic acid synthesis genes increased water content by 6-14%, reduced water loss by 11-12%, decreased facial wrinkles and roughness by 19.58% and 24.97%, decreased skin melanin by 5.27%, and improved facial elasticity in human skin and zebrafish compared to controls.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024Copper Oxide nanoparticles synthesized using cucumber extract exhibited antibacterial, antifungal, UV protection, and reactive-oxygen species inhibition properties with low cellular toxicity and skin-rejuvenating effects when incorporated into skin cream.
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders Drug Targets, 2021Topical treatment with Holothuria parva extract gel showed significant wound contraction compared to the negative control in full-thickness wounded rats.
The International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds, 2024A 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, 2001
Ingredients
Water, Willow Bark Extract, Glycerin, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Water, Squalane, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Betaine Salicylate, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Water Rosemary Leaf Water, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water Lavender Flower Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis Oil Leaf, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Leaf Extract Flower, Amber Powder, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Citronellol
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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