Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser for skin with dark spots
Amazonian White Clay
Salicylic Acid
Glycerin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceHigh
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for skin with dark spots; a few cleansers fit it even 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
- Offers moderate exfoliation for pigmentation goals due to salicylic acid, which promotes skin renewal, and is highly suitable for your normal skin type with its keratolytic and humectant actions from glycerin.
- Provides excellent pore cleansing with kaolin and salicylic acid for decongesting pores, further enhanced by soothing aloe barbadensis leaf juice and oat kernel flour.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your normal skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.
How to apply
- You can use this cleanser AM and PM every single day. Start slowly 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply this cleanser as the first step in your morning routine or the second step in your evening routine. Follow it with toner and moisturizer.
- Massage a small amount of cleanser gently onto your face using circular motions. Rinse well with lukewarm water and pat dry.
- For the best results, apply your cleanser directly to wet skin to help wash away dirt. Make sure your face is clean before you begin.
- Avoid getting the cleanser in your eyes. Always do a quick patch test before using the product for the very first time.
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 a great fit for skin with dark spots?
This cleanser is a great fit because it helps fade dark spots and renew skin with salicylic acid, while cleaning out pores deeply using clays. It is very safe and unlikely to cause irritation for normal skin, thanks to soothing ingredients like aloe and oat flour.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for skin with dark spots?
Salicylic acid, kaolin, and glycerin make this cleanser a great fit for skin with dark spots by gently exfoliating to promote skin renewal while keeping the skin soft and comfortable. Soothing aloe vera and oat flour further help calm your skin during deep pore cleansing.
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 Salicylic Acid do for skin with dark spots?
Salicylic acid helps fade dark spots and uneven skin tone left behind after breakouts. It gently clears away surface buildup, which may improve the look of dark marks and support a smoother, more even complexion over time.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This cleanser fits well in both your morning and evening routines as the first cleansing step. It helps clear pores and gently renew skin, with a very low chance of irritation.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in your routine along with retinol, as it is unlikely to cause irritation when paired with gentle products. Use it first to cleanse your skin before applying your retinol treatment.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily as part of your morning and evening routine to help clear pores and gently renew your skin. It is very safe and unlikely to cause irritation for normal skin types.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This cleanser is a great fit for skin with dark spots because it helps clear out pores and gently smooths the surface with salicylic acid and clay, while soothing aloe helps keep skin calm. Breakouts are unlikely since it has a very low complaint rate for causing them and contains skin-friendly ingredients that minimize irritation.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but it is best to avoid the very thin skin directly around your eyes. The skin on your body is much thicker than the delicate eyelid area, making it better suited for daily cleansing formulas.
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, 2017Twice 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, 2023Vectorization 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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.