COSRX Propolis Synergy Toner for acne-prone skin
Propolis Extract
Honey Extract
Glycerin
Sodium Hyaluronate
PanthenolAverage
- LowCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other toners fit it 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
- Offers excellent hydration for your combination skin due to the high concentrations of propolis extract and honey extract, which deeply moisturize and support acne-prone skin with glycerin and panthenol for soothing effects.
- While beneficial for general skincare, the formula lacks targeted ingredients to directly address your concerns with acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your hydrating toner in your AM and PM routine. Start 3x a week and work up to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply your hydrating toner after cleansing and before your moisturizer or SPF.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the hydrating toner into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the hydrating toner on slightly damp skin to help it absorb better.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid the eye area .
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 1.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this toner is highly praised for delivering deep hydration and a radiant glow, making it ideal for dry, dehydrated, or dull skin types. It effectively calms redness and soothes active acne without feeling heavy. Some users with sensitive skin appreciate its gentle formulation. A small number of users reported experiencing breakouts or a sticky finish.
Highlights
Deep hydration glow Mostly Mentioned
- “Glass skin finish”
- “plump and dewy”
- “instant healthy glow”
- “bouncy skin”
Pleasant texture Often Mentioned
- “Viscous but lightweight”
- “absorbs quickly”
- “glides on smoothly”
- “not greasy”
Soothing healing Often Mentioned
- “Calms redness instantly”
- “heals popped pimples”
- “soothes irritation”
- “reduces inflammation”
Gentle formulation Sometimes Noted
- “Fragrance-free”
- “no stinging”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “simple ingredient list”
Allergic reactions Rarely Noted
- “Itching and redness”
- “allergic to propolis”
- “heated sensation”
- “rash on cheeks”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Triggered fungal acne”
- “caused whiteheads”
- “tiny bumps appeared”
- “cystic acne flare-up”
Lack of results Rarely Noted
- “Did absolutely nothing”
- “just expensive water”
- “no brightening effect”
- “hydration didn't last”
Sticky finish Rarely Noted
- “Left a tacky residue”
- “feels sticky if layered”
- “too heavy for humidity”
- “didn't dry down”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, yesstyle.com, sokoglam.com, pickyskincare.com, skinsort.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does COSRX Propolis Toner work for acne-prone skin?
This toner works reasonably well for acne-prone skin by offering deep moisture and calming effects through propolis extract, honey, glycerin, and panthenol. However, it lacks targeted ingredients to directly address blemishes and breakouts. A product of this type needs specialized ingredients that specifically treat acne while maintaining skin balance and hydration without clogging pores.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Propolis extract, honey extract, glycerin, and panthenol make this toner a good fit by providing deep moisture and helping soothe the skin. To work best for acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs targeted ingredients that directly address breakouts and blemishes.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Clinical Pharmacology, 2018
What does Propolis Extract do for acne-prone skin?
Propolis Extract helps calm angry breakouts and clears up acne-prone skin by fighting the bacteria that cause pimples and reducing redness. It may also fade red marks left behind by past breakouts, though this type of skin often needs ingredients that gently unclog pores and balance oil to stay clear.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Pharmaceutical Development and Technology, 2022
What does Honey Extract do for acne-prone skin?
Honey extract helps calm acne-prone skin by fighting acne-causing bacteria and reducing irritation. It is unlikely to cause issues and may also help speed up the healing of blemishes.
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This hydrating toner goes right after cleansing in the morning, and can also be used as part of a weekly routine for acne-prone skin. It is unlikely to cause irritation since it avoids harsh ingredients, but this skin type also needs targeted ingredients to directly address breakouts.
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this toner with retinol by applying the toner first to keep your skin hydrated and calm while you use your treatment. This helps reduce dryness and irritation, though acne-prone skin also needs targeted ingredients to directly address blemishes and breakouts.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Clinical Pharmacology, 2018
How often should I use this toner?
You can use this hydrating toner daily in your morning routine as a gentle step to moisturize and soothe your acne-prone skin. It is safe and unlikely to cause irritation, but because it lacks targeted ingredients for breakouts, this skin type also needs products with active acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Clinical Pharmacology, 2018
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This toner is unlikely to cause irritation or breakouts on acne-prone skin, though a few reviewers have mentioned occasional breakouts. Because the formula lacks targeted ingredients to directly address blemishes, acne-prone skin needs products containing acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to keep pores clear.
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Topical propolis application significantly reduced postoperative pain, hemorrhage, and accelerated wound healing in patients undergoing tonsillectomy compared to a control group.
Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology, 2018Topical treatment with ethanol propolis extract resulted in complete mycological and clinical cure in 56.25% of patients with onychomycosis, demonstrating non-toxicity and effective antifungal activity against Trichophyton spp. both in vitro and in patients.
Frontiers in Microbiology, 2018Topical hydrogel formulations containing hydroalcoholic extract of red propolis exhibited stability, non-Newtonian and pseudoplastic behavior, in vivo skin compatibility, and no skin irritancy.
Heliyon, 2022Honey-based dressings reduced mean healing duration, length of hospital stay, and VAS pain scores compared with povidone iodine-based dressings in 1236 participants.
Journal of Wound Care, 2021Topical honey application improved the mean duration of attacks and pain, occurrence of crusting, and healing time compared to acyclovir cream in 16 adult patients with recurrent labial and genital herpes lesions.
Medical Science Monitor, 2004A 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, 2001Topical 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, 2019Moisturizer 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, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 2020
Why other toners fit acne-prone skin better
Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023
Ingredients
Propolis Extract, Honey Extract, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Betaine, Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
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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