Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser for oily acne-prone skin
Amazonian White Clay
Salicylic Acid
Glycerin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceSuperior
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- SuperiorEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best cleansers for oily acne-prone skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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
- Excellent suitability for your oily skin and acne concerns is provided by kaolin and salicylic acid, which effectively decongest pores and regulate oil production.
- Aloe barbadensis leaf juice and oat kernel flour further soothe and calm your skin, enhancing the overall comfort and efficacy of the formula.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of beneficial soothing components.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it daily to help clear your breakouts.
- Apply this cleanser as the first step in the morning and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow it with your toner and moisturizer.
- Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help clean deeply and remove excess oil. This works best for oily skin types.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 3.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with oily and combination skin frequently praise this cleanser for its ability to deeply purify pores and control excess sebum without being overly harsh. Many report a visible reduction in pore size and a smoother, matte complexion, while a minority of users experienced dryness or breakouts after use.
Highlights
Deeply cleanses pores Often Mentioned
- “skin feeling like it can breathe”
- “thoroughly cleaned after every use”
- “getting my skin completely clean”
- “removes all the make up”
Minimizes pore appearance Often Mentioned
- “pores are less noticeable”
- “pores... reduced or become smaller”
- “visibly minimized pores”
- “pores look smaller and cleaner”
Controls oil/shine Sometimes Noted
- “shine to be gone”
- “kept my oils at bay”
- “skin looked matte”
- “leaves a fresh feeling”
Gentle exfoliation Sometimes Noted
- “mildly grainy cream feel”
- “gentle exfoliation”
- “smooths skin texture”
- “mildest physical abrasive”
Drying or stripping Sometimes Noted
- “skin felt tight”
- “dry out my skin”
- “felt stripped”
- “left dry patches”
Efficient usage Rarely Noted
- “a little goes a long way”
- “tube last over 10 months”
- “foams/lathers up enough”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “spots all over my forehead”
- “bumpy breakouts on cheeks”
- “caused acne”
- “skin reacted with bumps”
Expensive Rarely Noted
- “expensive side”
- “pricier side for face wash”
- “price increased twice”
Ineffective for some Rarely Noted
- “didn't work for me”
- “pores still visible”
- “no difference seen”
Sources: lovi.care, kiehls.com, sephora.co.uk, ulta.com, johnlewis.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser one of the best fits for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is one of the best fits because kaolin and salicylic acid clear out blocked pores and control oil. Aloe and oat kernel flour also help calm and soothe your skin for added comfort. It is very safe to use and is unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Kaolin and salicylic acid make this cleanser a great fit by clearing out clogged pores and balancing oil production, while ingredients like aloe leaf juice and oat flour calm your skin. These components help keep your skin comfortable and clear while reducing breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
What does Amazonian White Clay do for oily acne-prone skin?
Amazonian White Clay helps clear up oily and acne-prone skin by absorbing excess oil and impurities while keeping the skin calm and comfortable. Regular use of a clay mask improves skin evenness and reduces breakouts while maintaining a balanced moisture level.
What does Salicylic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid helps clear breakouts and keeps oily skin balanced by reducing oil levels and calming inflammation. It is well suited for oily, acne-prone skin because it targets pimples while helping keep the skin hydrated and protected.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes as the first step in your morning routine and the second step in your evening routine after a makeup remover. It helps clear pores and control oil while keeping your skin calm and comfortable.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in your routine while using retinol, but use them at different times of day to keep your skin calm. Wash with this cleanser in the morning or on nights when you skip retinol, and apply your retinol at night with a gentle cleanser to help prevent dryness.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleanser is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin, so you can use it daily as part of your morning and evening routine. Kaolin and salicylic acid help clear out pores and control oil, while aloe and oat flour soothe and calm your skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to cause breakouts on oily skin because it contains salicylic acid and kaolin to clear out pores and manage oil. A few reviewers report occasional breakouts, but soothing ingredients like aloe help keep irritation low.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser is likely too drying for the thin skin around your eyes and is better reserved for breakouts on oily body areas like your back or chest. Salicylic acid and clay effectively clear oil and pores, but delicate eye skin needs much gentler care.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023A 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, 2020A 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, 2018Vectorization 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, 2012Cryotherapy 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, 2010Treatment 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, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010A 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 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, 2010Formulations containing 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract increased stratum corneum water content compared with the vehicle in 20 female subjects, while transepidermal water loss was not modified.
Skin Research and Technology, 2006
Ingredients
Water, Kaolin, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Coco-Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Ci 77891 Titanium Dioxide, Solum Diatomeae Diatomaceous Earth, Phenoxyethanol, Peg-14m, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Benzoate, Aloe Barbadensis Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Salicylic Acid, Avena Sativa Oat Kernel Flour, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide, 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
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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