Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque for skin with dark spots
Amazonian White Clay
Bentonite
Glycerin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceAverage
- SuperiorNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for skin with dark spots; other cleansing masks fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dark spots: hyperpigmentation, sun spots, and uneven skin tone. 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
- Suitable for normal skin, this masque offers excellent pore cleansing due to kaolin and bentonite, which absorb excess oil and impurities to maintain skin balance.
- While aloe barbadensis leaf juice and oat kernel flour provide soothing benefits, the formula does not specifically target your main goal of pigmentation.
- The product has a good safety profile with no risks of irritation for your normal skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and includes soothing components.
How to apply
- Use this cleansing mask once a week to start, and increase frequency only if your skin feels fine.
- Apply the cleansing mask in your weekly routine after the cleanser and enzyme powder, but before the hydrating toner.
- Spread an even layer over your face while carefully avoiding the delicate eye area.
- Apply the cleansing mask to clean and dry skin for the best and most comfortable results.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid combining it with strong acids.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 1.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this clay mask is widely praised by users with oily and combination skin for its ability to deeply cleanse pores and reduce shine without being overly stripping. Most users report softer, smoother skin and visibly smaller pores. A minority experience immediate stinging or redness upon application.
Highlights
Leaves skin soft Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards”
- “texture feels refined and smooth”
- “face feels like a baby's bottom”
Deeply cleanses pores Often Mentioned
- “sucked the gunk out of my pores”
- “pores look noticeably smaller”
- “clears up sebaceous filaments”
Reduces excess oil Often Mentioned
- “keeps my oils at bay”
- “mattifies without drying me out”
- “great for my T-zone”
Non-drying formula Sometimes Noted
- “doesn't crack or feel tight”
- “creamy texture, not chalky”
- “less drying than other clay masks”
Burning/stinging sensation Sometimes Noted
- “burned my face immediately”
- “intense tingling upon application”
- “stings for the first few minutes”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “expensive for a clay mask”
- “pricey but lasts a long time”
- “not worth the money”
Messy removal Rarely Noted
- “hard to wash off completely”
- “need a washcloth to remove”
- “leaves a residue if not scrubbed”
Redness/irritation Rarely Noted
- “left my face bright red”
- “caused a breakout”
- “too harsh for sensitive skin”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, amazon.com, kiehls.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque work for skin with dark spots?
This cleansing mask works for skin with dark spots, though other products fit it better because it does not specifically target pigmentation. To work best for this skin, a cleansing mask needs effective exfoliating ingredients that promote a brighter complexion, along with hydrating components like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.
Which ingredients make this mask a good fit for skin with dark spots?
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice and oat kernel flour make this mask a good fit because they provide soothing benefits, though the formula does not specifically target dark spots. A cleansing mask for skin with dark spots needs effective exfoliating ingredients that promote a brighter complexion, along with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to help maintain hydration and improve skin texture.
What does Amazonian White Clay do for skin with dark spots?
Amazonian White Clay helps clear away dead cells and oils that make dark spots look more noticeable. Using it in your routine may make skin feel smoother and look more even over time.
What does Kaolin Clay do for skin with dark spots?
Kaolin clay helps gently absorb excess oil and clear out pores without drying out the skin, which makes it a useful step for managing skin with dark spots. By lifting away impurities, it helps brighten the overall look of the face and allows other targeted treatments to absorb better. To truly fade dark spots and even out skin tone, products of this type need to be paired with brightening ingredients like vitamin C or exfoliating acids.
Where does this mask go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This mask goes into a weekly routine step after cleansing, though it does not target dark spots because its clays and soothing ingredients mainly clean pores and calm skin rather than fade discoloration. A product for this skin needs targeted brightening ingredients and gentle exfoliants to help fade dark spots while keeping the skin smooth.
Can I use this mask with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this clay mask in your routine, but apply it on a different day than your retinol to keep your skin calm and avoid excessive dryness. This product cleanses pores well with clays, but skin with dark spots needs targeted brightening ingredients and gentle exfoliants to fade discoloration.
How often should I use this mask?
This cleansing mask works for your skin by absorbing excess oil and clearing pores, though it does not focus on dark spots. To fit skin with dark spots, a product of this type needs brightening ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide to help even out skin tone.
Can this mask clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This mask is unlikely to clog pores because kaolin and bentonite absorb excess oil and impurities to keep skin balanced. However, dark spots need ingredients like vitamin C, retinoids, or AHAs that gently brighten skin tone and fade discoloration.
Is this mask fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
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, 2017Vectorization 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, 2024Twice-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, 2023Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012A novel water-in-oil emulsion with a lecithin-modified bentonite prevented epidermal degradation and inflammatory protein secretion induced by urban dust and cedar pollen more effectively than a conventional water-in-oil emulsion in a reconstructed human epidermis model.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Bentonite nanoparticles and honey co-administration improved skin wound healing in BALB/c mice by reducing inflammatory cell infiltration and increasing fibroblastosis, new epithelium thickness, granulation area, and collagen density compared to the untreated control group.
The International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds, 2025A novel electrospun chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol/montmorillonite clay scaffold proved to be a suitable material for cell proliferation and demonstrated strong antimicrobial and scavenging efficacy for wound healing applications.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 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, 2001A 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, 2018Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010
Ingredients
Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Propanediol, Glycerin, Ci 77891 Titanium Dioxide, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Zea Mays Corn Starch, Phenoxyethanol, Ceteareth-20, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Aloe Barbadensis Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Avena Sativa Oat Kernel Flour, Allantoin
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
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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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