Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser for dry skin
Amazonian White Clay
Salicylic Acid
Glycerin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceCaution
- LowDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- RiskySafety
A poor match for dry skin; the cleansers alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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
- Offers moderate exfoliation for your dry or flaky skin due to salicylic acid, but the inclusion of alcohol denat may cause dryness, and the limited humectants like glycerin offer only partial hydration.
- While kaolin and diatomaceous earth provide excellent pore cleansing by absorbing excess oil and impurities, the overall formula is moderately unsuitable for your dry skin type.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin clean. Start using it daily right away since your skin is not sensitive.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow with your toner and moisturizer afterwards.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your face using soft circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry with a clean towel.
- Apply this cleanser on slightly damp skin for a comfortable and refreshing wash. This helps maintain your skin's natural moisture while cleansing away dirt.
- Avoid getting the cleanser directly into your eyes to prevent any irritation. Do a simple patch test before your first use to ensure your skin likes it.
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
Why does Lovi advise caution with the Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser for dry skin?
Lovi advises caution because alcohol denat may cause dryness and the limited hydrators offer only partial moisture for dry skin. A cleanser for this skin needs essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and soothing ingredients to protect the moisture barrier.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a poor fit for dry skin?
This cleanser calls for caution on dry skin because alcohol denat may cause dryness, and limited glycerin offers only partial hydration alongside clay ingredients that absorb oil. A cleanser for dry skin needs rich hydrating and barrier-repairing ingredients like essential ceramides and sodium hyaluronate to maintain moisture and protect the skin.
What does Amazonian White Clay do for dry skin?
Amazonian White Clay helps remove excess oil and impurities, but it can be too drying for dry skin. Dry skin needs gentle, hydrating ingredients like glycerin and ceramides to keep skin soft and smooth.
What does Salicylic Acid do for dry skin?
Salicylic acid is generally not a good fit for dry skin, as it is meant to clear out pores and remove dead skin rather than hydrate. Because dry skin needs soothing and moisture rather than exfoliation, a product for dry skin needs nourishing ingredients like urea to lock in moisture and keep the skin soft.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This cleanser is a poor match for your dry skin because alcohol and clay may cause dryness and it lacks enough hydrating ingredients. A cleanser for dry skin needs gentle, hydrating ingredients like glycerin and soothing plant extracts to keep skin soft and comfortable.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You should exercise caution using this cleanser if you have dry skin, as it may cause dryness and offers only partial hydration. A cleanser for dry skin needs gentle, hydrating ingredients and barrier-restoring components like ceramides and glycerin to keep the skin soft and smooth.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleanser is a poor match for your dry skin, as it may cause dryness while offering only partial hydration, so this skin type needs a gentle cleanser that deeply moisturizes and protects the skin barrier.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin, as reviewers report very few complaints about breakouts. However, because it contains drying ingredients and limited hydrating ingredients, a cleanser for dry skin needs more heavy hydrators and nourishing oils to keep skin soft and comfortable.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You should use caution when applying this cleanser near the eyes or on the body because the formula may dry out sensitive areas. Cleansers for this skin need gentle hydrating ingredients like glycerin and soothing plant extracts to keep dry skin soft and comfortable.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
A 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, 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, 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, 2010A 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, 2020Treatment 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, 2024The 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, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012A 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, 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
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Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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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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