Every summer, my skin gets annoying in a very specific way. It looks shiny, but it doesn’t feel properly hydrated. In Korea, people call this dehydrated-oily skin 수부지, and yes, it is as irritating as it sounds.
So I did something slightly funny: I explained my skin type to ChatGPT and asked what toner might make sense. It suggested the SOME BY MI Miracle Toner. I know. Full circle. But I bought it anyway and used it for about a week, so this is my SOME BY MI Miracle Toner review from someone whose T-zone starts acting up the second Seoul gets humid.
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Finding It at Olive Young
I remember seeing this toner around more often in Korea a few years ago. These days, it feels like it has a bigger audience overseas than locally, so I don’t always see it in regular Olive Young branches.
I found mine at the Olive Young Yeongdeungpo Station branch, which usually feels a little more tourist-friendly to me. I bought it during the Olive Young sale for 12,840 won.
If your nearby Olive Young doesn’t have it in stock, I would just order it online instead of hunting around multiple branches. Save your legs.
AHA, BHA, PHA: Why This Toner Is Different
The part that made sense for my skin was the AHA, BHA, and PHA combo. It sounds intense, but the way Korean exfoliating toners usually work is more about steady, gentle maintenance than one dramatic peel.
AHA helps smooth the dead skin sitting on the surface. BHA is the one people usually look for when they care about pores, sebum, and blackheads. PHA is the gentler cousin in the group, often used when brands want exfoliation without making the skin feel stripped.
For dehydrated-oily skin, that combination makes sense. My problem is not only oil. It’s oil plus rough texture plus that weird tight-but-shiny feeling, which is honestly rude.
The bottle also lists Tea Tree Leaf Water 10,000 ppm and Niacinamide 2%. Tea tree is the calming, trouble-care part of the formula, while niacinamide is the one I look for when I want a little help with sebum and tone.
I wouldn’t call this a mild hydrating toner. It is still an exfoliating toner. But for oily-combination or blackhead-prone skin, the ingredient direction makes sense.
The Olive Young Set
The set I bought came with the 150 ml full-size bottle and a 30 ml mini. I love a useful mini. Not a random sample I forget about, but an actual travel size that can go into a pouch without taking up half the space.
The mini is also a nice way to keep using the same toner when I’m away from home, which matters more with exfoliating products. I don’t always want to change active products mid-trip and then wonder why my skin is confused.
Bottle Opening, Scent, and Watery Texture
The opening lets the toner come out drop by drop, so it is easy to control the amount. No dramatic spill moment. Thank you, bottle.
The texture is completely watery, and the scent is that cool tea tree smell. It is not perfume-like to me, but it is definitely scented. Right after cleansing, it gives that clean, fresh feeling that works especially well in summer.
If you hate tea tree scents, you may not love this part. I personally liked it because it made the toner feel more refreshing, but fragrance-sensitive skin should still patch test first.
Hand Test: Fast, Clean Absorption
I tested a few drops on the back of my hand first. The moment it touched my skin, there was a slight cooling feeling. I couldn’t tell if that was from the tea tree scent, the formula, or both, but it felt fresh rather than stingy.
It absorbed quickly even without much rubbing or patting. Very low effort. My favorite kind of toner behavior.
After it absorbed, there was no stickiness at all. Some watery toners disappear fast but leave my skin feeling a little tight afterward, which defeats the whole point. This one finished clean without that dry pull.
That is the part I liked most from the texture test. It feels light enough for summer, but not like I just splashed my face with nothing.
Using It as a Wipe Toner
The product description recommends using it with a cotton pad, so I tried it as a wipe toner. In Korea, people call this 닦토: soaking a cotton pad with toner and gently wiping after cleansing.
Because the texture is so watery, it soaks into the cotton pad fast and glides across the skin easily. No dragging. I still used a light hand because this has exfoliating acids, and my skin does not need me scrubbing it like a kitchen counter.
This was right after morning cleansing, and the cotton pad still picked up more than I expected. I usually use toner pads, so I forget how obvious this kind of wipe test can be. It made the wipe-toner effect feel very real.
After about a week of using it daily, I did notice less oil coming up during the day. My skin looked less shiny, and the blackheads around my usual problem areas looked a little softer. Not erased. Let’s stay honest. But softer.
My Honest Take
After using it for a week, I get the appeal. It is light, fresh, easy to use, and it makes sense for people dealing with sebum, texture, pores, and blackheads at the same time.
The caution is sensitivity. This is a low-pH exfoliating toner with AHA, BHA, and PHA, so even if it feels refreshing, I wouldn’t tell everyone to use it twice a day or force daily use right away. If your skin is sensitive, start a few times a week and see how your skin reacts.
For my dehydrated-oily summer skin, though, it worked better than I expected. I went in curious because an AI recommendation sent me there, which still makes me laugh a little. But the toner itself? Actually useful.
The Basics
| Brand | SOME BY MI |
| Product | AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner |
| Volume | 150 ml / 5.07 fl oz, plus 30 ml mini in the Olive Young set I bought |
| Type | Watery exfoliating toner |
| Main ingredients | AHA, BHA, PHA, Tea Tree Leaf Water 10,000 ppm, Niacinamide 2% |
| Scent | Cool tea tree scent, noticeable but not perfume-like to me |
| Price in Korea | 12,840 won during the Olive Young sale when I bought it |
| Best for | Oily-combination skin, dehydrated-oily skin, sebum, blackheads, rough texture |
| Be careful if | Your skin is sensitive, over-exfoliated, or already irritated. Start slowly. |
Where to buy
- Olive Young (Korea) — I bought mine at the Yeongdeungpo Station branch for 12,840 won during the sale.
- Online K-beauty retailers — easier than checking multiple physical Olive Young branches if local stock is limited.
- Amazon US — the same toner is available on Amazon US: Buy on Amazon →
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Last verified: June 15, 2026. Prices and availability can change.
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