Sunday Riley Saturn Sulfur Spot Treatment Mask for oily acne-prone skin

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Questions and answers

What the research says

• Topical nicotinamide plus an antibacterial adhesive agent and zinc-pyrrolidone carboxylic acid combined with adapalene significantly reduced noninflammatory acne lesions by the second week of therapy compared to placebo with adapalene in patients with moderate acne vulgaris.

  The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020

• Biomimetic hyaluronic acid-stabilized zinc oxide nanoparticles selectively inhibited C. acnes, outperformed erythromycin in preclinical acne models, and safely reduced acne lesions and redness in a clinical trial.

  Journal of Controlled Release, 2025

• Topical 5% tea tree oil gel significantly improved total acne lesions and acne severity index compared to placebo in 60 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris, showing 3.55 times and 5.75 times greater efficacy respectively.

  Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007

• A 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, 2018

• Lactobacillus-fermented Chamaecyparis obtusa reduced inflammatory acne lesions by 65.3% compared to 38.2% with tea tree oil in 34 patients over 8 weeks, demonstrating superior efficacy, faster onset, and safety.

  Dermatology, 2014

• Azelaic acid was probably less effective than benzoyl peroxide in acne treatment response, while showing little or no difference compared to tretinoin, and adverse events were mild and transient across evaluated topical treatments.

  Journal of Evidence-based Medicine, 2020

• Topical application of precipitated sulphur 2-8% petrolatum achieved a 95% clinical and ectoparasitological cure rate in 40 ambulatory scabies patients without relevant adverse effects.

  Revista de Investigacion Clinica; Organo Del Hospital de Enfermedades de la Nutricion, 2004

• Topical 10% benzoyl peroxide and 2%-5% sulfur cream achieved "good" to "excellent" results with no undesirable side effects in 113 consecutive patients with acne.

  Canadian Medical Association Journal, 1966

• Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.

  Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021

• Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.

  The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008

• Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.

  Dermatologic Surgery, 2005

• Topical zinc treatment enhanced MMP-1 expression beneath the neoepidermis and metallothionein expression under the neoepidermis and in the wound bed in human epidermal wounds compared to placebo and control treatments.

  European Journal of Cell Biology, 2021

• Topical preparations containing zinc(II) complexes with glycine and histidine effectively treat acne skin by providing high antibacterial activity against C. acnes and low cytotoxicity for skin cells, with no observed irritation or allergy in healthy volunteers.

  International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021

• Topical copper and zinc formulations promote skin healing by exerting antimicrobial effects, modulating macrophage polarization, acting as enzyme cofactors, stimulating angiogenesis, and supporting re-epithelialization.

  Dermatology and Therapy, 2026

• Topical lycopene-enriched virgin olive oil provides effective pain relief similar to a placebo in patients with burning mouth syndrome, showing a strong placebo effect.

  Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, 2014

• Vectorization of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid with clay enabled its penetration into deeper skin layers and led to a significant clinical reduction in fine lines in the crow's feet area compared to placebo after 28 days.

  Skin Research and Technology, 2024

• Quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan/organic montmorillonite nanocomposite demonstrated superior moisture-adsorption and retention compared to hyaluronic acid, good UV-protection ability, negligible dermal irritation, and prominent moisture-retention efficacy on human stratum corneum when formulated into a cosmetic cream.

  Carbohydrate Polymers, 2017

• Twice-weekly use of a clay mask over 4 weeks in 75 adults with oily or combination skin improved acne-related outcomes, sebum content, skin evenness, hydration, and reduced dryness and irritation.

  Skin Research and Technology, 2023

Ingredients

Water, Sulfur, Isoamyl Laurate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, Arabic Gum, Bentonite, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Olive Glycereth-8 Esters Oil, Zinc Pca, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf, Leptospermum Scoparium Oil Leaf Manuka Honey Oil Leaf Branch Oil Leaf, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Amber Powder, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Leaf Extract Flower, Quartz, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Alcohol Denat, Chlorphenesin, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, 4-Terpineol

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.