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Augustinus Bader The Exfoliating Toner for sensitive skin

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

Augustinus Bader The Exfoliating Toner

High

  • HighNormal Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A great choice for sensitive skin; a few toners fit it even better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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

How to apply

  • Use your exfoliating toner as part of a PM routine once a week to start. Carefully increase frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply this exfoliating toner after cleansing and before your moisturizer. It fits right into your usual step for toners.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliating toner into your skin. Avoid rubbing to keep redness down.
  • Apply the exfoliating toner on completely dry skin to help improve your skin's tolerance. This helps protect your sensitive face.
  • Do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area . Skip strong acids or retinoids on the same night.

People Say

★4.2Overall rating based on 200+ reviews

This 3-in-1 toner is frequently described as a gentle yet effective treatment for achieving smoother, more radiant skin, often referred to as 'glass skin.' While many users with mature or dull complexions report a visible glow and refined pores, a portion of users with sensitive skin experienced irritation, and some found the results subtle for the high price.

Highlights

  • Smoother texture Mostly Mentioned
    • “Made my skin incredibly soft and supple”
    • “texture is noticeably smoother”
    • “sweeps away dead surface cells”
  • Expensive product Mostly Mentioned
    • “Not worth the price tag”
    • “nice but overpriced”
    • “can't justify the cost for a toner”
  • Boosts radiance Often Mentioned
    • “Noticeable glow in the morning”
    • “dull skin is left glowing”
    • “gives a healthy radiance”
  • Gentle exfoliation Sometimes Noted
    • “No issues with sensitivity”
    • “gentle enough for daily use”
    • “doesn't dry the skin out”
  • Refines pores Sometimes Noted
    • “Really refines your pores”
    • “clogged pores feel clarified”
    • “gets rid of blackheads”
  • Caused irritation Sometimes Noted
    • “Face turned very red and itchy”
    • “broke me out bad”
    • “caused severe reactions”
  • Subtle results Rarely Noted
    • “Noticed no difference”
    • “results were meh”
    • “didn't do much for my skin”

Sources: lovi.care, bloomingdales.com, bluemercury.com, spacenk.com, sephora.my, cultbeauty.co.uk, and more

Questions and answers

What makes Augustinus Bader The Exfoliating Toner a great fit for sensitive skin?

This toner is a great fit because gluconolactone and salicylic acid gently refine your sensitive skin while minimizing irritation. Soothing extracts and hydrating ingredients like sodium hyaluronate further calm redness and support your skin barrier.

Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2020Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for sensitive skin?

This toner is a good fit because gluconolactone and salicylic acid gently refine your skin while soothing extracts like peony root and green tea calm redness and irritation. Sodium hyaluronate and rice protein also help keep your skin hydrated and support its natural barrier with a very low risk of side effects.

Experimental Dermatology, 2009The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992

What does Tfc8 do for sensitive skin?

Tfc8 is unlikely to benefit sensitive skin unless it is paired with gentle, calming ingredients that soothe redness and strengthen the skin barrier. Because sensitive skin easily reacts to harsh compounds, this type of product needs nourishing oils and protective agents to keep the face feeling soft and calm.

What does Salicylic Acid do for sensitive skin?

Salicylic acid may cause irritation on sensitive skin, so it requires careful use and good sun protection to keep skin comfortable. A product for this skin type needs gentle, soothing ingredients and a mild formula that respects the skin barrier.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 1999International Journal of Toxicology, 2003

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

This exfoliating toner is a great fit for sensitive skin, starting at once a week to see how your skin responds. It combines gentle acids with soothing plant extracts to refine the skin safely without harsh irritation.

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

You can use this toner with retinol, but apply them on alternating nights to keep your skin calm and smooth. Using gentle exfoliants and retinoids separately helps prevent redness and irritation.

How often should I use this toner?

Start using this exfoliating toner just once a week, as routines for sensitive skin safely introduce acids gradually. If your skin tolerates it well and shows good results, you may carefully use it more often.

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

This toner is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on sensitive skin, as its gentle exfoliating acids and soothing extracts help keep pores clear without harshness. However, because it actively encourages skin renewal, some initial mild purging may occasionally happen.

The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2020

Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

What the research says

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

    Experimental Dermatology, 2009

  • Gluconolactone 14% solution significantly improved mild to moderate acne by reducing inflamed and non-inflamed lesions similarly to 5% benzoyl peroxide, but with fewer side-effects in 150 patients.

    The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992

  • Penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose and Paeonia lactiflora Pall. root extract enhanced the expression of skin barrier genes, including filaggrin, loricrin, and involucrin, in keratinocytes by upregulating the transcription factor EGR3.

    Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2020

  • Hyaluronic acid extracts are safe and efficacious products for skin repair when used in tissue regeneration alone or in combination with herbal or Western medicine.

    Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

  • 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

  • Glycolic 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, 2019

  • Gluconolactone and tartaric acid significantly lower transepidermal water loss and erythema after sodium lauryl sulphate challenge compared to vehicle, untreated control, and glycolic acid in healthy subjects.

    The British Journal of Dermatology, 1997

  • A polyhydroxy acid skin care regimen provided antiaging benefits comparable to an alpha-hydroxyacid regimen while demonstrating enhanced mildness and better tolerance in subjects.

    Cutis, 2004

  • Isosaponarin isolated from wasabi leaf increased type I collagen production in human fibroblasts by up-regulating TbetaR-II and P4H expression.

    Journal of Natural Medicines, 2010

  • Topical 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, 2011

  • Topical 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, 2022

  • Treatment 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, 2019

Ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Gluconolactone, Lactobacillus Wasabia Japonica Extract Root Ferment, Phytic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Salicylic Acid, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Papain, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Maltodextrin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Algin, Alanyl Glutamine, Arginine, Oligopeptide-177, Phenylalanine, Sisymbrium Irio Seed Oil, Sodium Chloride

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

How does it fit your skin?

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How does it fit your skin?

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

QR code: get the Lovi app
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