SkinCeuticals Clarifying Clay Masque for oily acne-prone skin
Kaolin
Bentonite
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Glycerin
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit ExtractLow
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A weak match for oily acne-prone skin; the cleansing masks alongside fit it better.
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
- Offers moderate suitability for your oily skin as kaolin and bentonite clays effectively absorb excess oil and impurities, while aloe and chamomile extracts provide supportive hydration and soothing for your acne and breakouts.
- While the clays address oiliness and pore cleansing, the formula lacks more potent sebum-regulating ingredients for optimal control of your oily skin.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
How to apply
- Use your cleansing mask PM as part of your weekly routine. Start 1×/week and increase carefully if your oily skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this step after your enzyme powder and before your hydrating toner. Follow the standard weekly order to keep your skin balanced.
- Spread an even layer of the cleansing mask across your face while avoiding the eye area. Let it sit for the recommended time without rubbing .
- Apply the mask on clean and dry skin for the best purifying effect on your breakouts. Clean skin allows the formula to target blemishes directly.
- Always do a patch test before your first use to check for sensitivity. Avoid combining this mask with strong acids or retinoids in the same routine .
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 900+ reviewsUsers consistently praise this mask for effectively decongesting pores and reducing excess oil without stripping or drying out the skin, making it a favorite for oily, combination, and acne-prone types. The formula is frequently noted for leaving skin feeling smooth, soft, and balanced, with many users reporting visible improvements in pore size and skin texture after regular use.
Highlights
Non-drying formula Mostly Mentioned
- “doesn't strip skin”
- “leaves skin soft”
- “creamy texture”
- “hydrated feel”
Pore refining Mostly Mentioned
- “pores look smaller”
- “cleans out pores”
- “removes blackheads”
- “decongests skin”
Oil control Often Mentioned
- “controls excess oil”
- “mattified look”
- “balances skin”
- “reduces shine”
Smoothes texture Often Mentioned
- “skin feels smooth”
- “soft and supple”
- “improves skin texture”
- “exfoliates gently”
Soothing effect Sometimes Noted
- “calms red skin”
- “soothing on application”
- “doesn't irritate sensitive skin”
- “calms breakouts”
High price Sometimes Noted
- “cost a bit more”
- “expensive”
- “pricey”
- “investment product”
Application difficulty Rarely Noted
- “hard to smooth”
- “takes effort to apply”
- “thick consistency”
- “hard to spread”
Jar packaging Rarely Noted
- “dip fingers in”
- “jar is unhygienic”
- “prefer a tube”
- “messy jar”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “smelled like sulfur”
- “strong smell”
- “medicinal scent”
- “earthy odor”
Sources: lovi.care, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, bluemercury.com, skinceuticals.com, lookfantastic.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is SkinCeuticals Clarifying Clay Masque a weak match for oily acne-prone skin?
This mask offers moderate suitability for oily skin by using clays to absorb excess oil, but it lacks more potent oil-regulating ingredients like salicylic acid or BHA for optimal control.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Clinical Pharmacology, 2018
Which ingredients make this mask a poor fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This mask is a weak match for your oily acne-prone skin because it lacks stronger oil-controlling ingredients like BHA and salicylic acid, which are needed to deeply clear pores and manage breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Clinical Pharmacology, 2018
What does Kaolin Clay do for oily acne-prone skin?
Kaolin Clay helps oily and acne-prone skin by absorbing excess oil, clearing out pores, and keeping skin feeling smooth and calm. Using it regularly helps improve skin evenness and hydration while keeping dryness and irritation unlikely.
What does Bentonite Clay do for oily acne-prone skin?
Bentonite clay absorbs excess oil and impurities from oily acne-prone skin, which helps reduce breakouts and clear up blemishes. It also helps calm redness and leaves skin feeling smoother with regular use.
Skin Research and Technology, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Where does this mask go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleansing mask goes in a weekly routine after your cleanser and enzyme powder, and before your hydrating toner and treatment. For oily acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs stronger oil-controlling ingredients to manage oil effectively.
Can I use this mask with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this mask in your weekly routine, but it is best to avoid using it on the same nights you apply retinol to prevent excess dryness. Instead, use the mask on a separate evening, or stick to your gentle cleanser and moisturizer on your retinol nights.
How often should I use this mask?
You can use this cleansing mask once a week as part of your weekly routine. To better care for oily acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs stronger oil-balancing ingredients.
Can this mask clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This mask is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily acne-prone skin, as it contains soothing components and lacks harsh ingredients that typically trigger irritation. Clay-based masks of this type need stronger oil-balancing and pore-clearing ingredients to properly manage heavy oil and breakouts for this skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Clinical Pharmacology, 2018
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
A bentonite-based facial mask with Alcea sulphurea extract combined with oral azithromycin significantly reduced total lesion count and acne severity index while enhancing patient satisfaction in patients with moderate acne compared to placebo plus azithromycin over 8 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025A 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, 2018Quaternized 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, 2024Topical 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, 2006A 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, 2001Fermented bilberry extract improved wrinkle depth, skin smoothness, roughness, firmness, elasticity, antioxidant capacity, and complexion evenness compared to a placebo in 66 subjects over 84 days.
Nutrients, 2024Topical application of oil-in-water creams containing wild bilberry leaves extract and seeds oil produced significant beneficial effects on the skin of healthy human volunteers.
Antioxidants, 2021Bilberry fruit extract incorporated into chitosan-based hydrogels demonstrated antioxidant, anti-hyaluronidase, and anti-tyrosinase activities, supporting their potential use in topical anti-aging preparations.
Antioxidants, 2024
Why other cleansing masks fit oily acne-prone skin better
Chemical peels with 30% supramolecular salicylic acid effectively treated acne and reduced facial sebum secretion while improving skin hydration and barrier function in 25 patients.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021A 30% supramolecular salicylic acid peel improved the global acne grading score and skin barrier indicators, decreased cutaneous microbiome richness and evenness along with Staphylococcus proportion, reduced inflammatory cytokines, and increased caveolin-1 expression in 28 patients with moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2023
Ingredients
Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ci 77891 Titanium Dioxide, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Ceteareth-20, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Sunflower Seed Oil, Saccharum Officinarum Sugar Cane Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Orange Fruit Water, Citrus Limon Lemon Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharinum Sugar Maple Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Rosemary Oil Leaf, Cucumis Sativus Cucumber Fruit Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil Flower, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Curcuma Longa Turmeric Root Extract Extract, Sclareolide, Rosa Spp Rose Oil Flower, Jasminum Officinale Jasmine Extract
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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