Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask for skin with dark spots
Benzoyl Peroxide
Glycerin
Kaolin
Bentonite
MentholCaution
- CautionNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- RiskySafety
A poor match for skin with dark spots; the cleansing masks alongside 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
- Offers moderate exfoliation for pigmentation and acne-prone skin due to the presence of benzoyl peroxide, which fights acne and reduces hyperpigmentation, though it is not ideal for your normal skin type.
- Kaolin and bentonite clays absorb excess oil, which is not a primary concern for your normal skin, and glycerin provides some hydration.
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
★4.3Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users find this product to be a highly effective 2-in-1 cleanser and mask for acne and oil control. It is frequently praised for deep cleaning and reducing pore appearance. However, a moderate number of users report that it can cause dryness and irritation, particularly for sensitive skin, and it is also noted to bleach fabrics.
Highlights
Clears acne Often Mentioned
- “clears my skin like a beauty”
- “almost no acne left”
- “AMAZING SKIN AFTER 1 USE!”
- “keeps my acne away”
Versatile 2-in-1 Often Mentioned
- “love that you can use this as a wash or a face mask”
- “better as a mask”
- “doubles as a mask and cleanser”
- “fantastic 2-in-1 product”
Cooling sensation Sometimes Noted
- “feel the cooling sensation”
- “tingling feel”
- “refreshing clean”
- “cooling intensity build”
Deep clean pores Sometimes Noted
- “pores shrinking down”
- “skin feels soooooooo clean”
- “pulling out all of the oil”
- “pores look pristine”
Bleaches fabrics Sometimes Noted
- “bleach out washcloths”
- “bleach your clothing”
- “wearing an old t-shirt”
- “stained my towels”
Drying and irritation Sometimes Noted
- “Dries out skin”
- “face is bright red”
- “excess drying”
- “left my skin feeling really dry”
Burning sensation Rarely Noted
- “burned my face”
- “burning eyes”
- “intense tingling”
- “got burned BAD”
Strong scent Rarely Noted
- “smell is clean... but potent”
- “smells medicated”
- “strong scent”
- “smells like bleach”
Sources: lovi.care, neutrogena.com, amazon.com, walmart.com, acne.org, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise caution with Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask for skin with dark spots?
This cleanser and mask is a poor match because it absorbs extra oil, which is not a primary concern for your normal skin, and benzoyl peroxide is not ideal for your skin type even though it helps fight acne and pigmentation. A product of this type needs effective exfoliating ingredients that brighten your complexion without risking irritation, along with hydrating and nourishing components like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to keep normal skin soft and smooth.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a poor fit for skin with dark spots?
Benzoyl peroxide, kaolin, and bentonite make this a poor match because they fight acne and absorb oil, which are not primary concerns for your normal skin. Skin with dark spots needs products that contain effective exfoliating and brightening ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to promote a brighter complexion while keeping it hydrated and smooth.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Benzoyl Peroxide do for skin with dark spots?
Benzoyl peroxide helps clear breakouts, but for skin with dark spots, this type of product needs added brightening ingredients like niacinamide to effectively fade discoloration.
What does Glycerin do for skin with dark spots?
Glycerin helps keep dry skin hydrated and supports a healthy skin barrier, which makes skin feel soft and smooth. While it does not directly fade dark spots on its own, it is often added to spot-fading products to keep the skin comfortable while other ingredients work.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Acta Dermato-venereologica, 2017
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This cleanser is a poor match for your normal skin with dark spots because it is designed to fight acne and absorb extra oil. A product of this type needs gentle brightening ingredients and extra moisture to help fade dark spots without drying out normal skin.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
Using this cleanser with retinol requires caution since it may easily dry out and irritate your skin. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients and extra moisture to protect the skin barrier when paired with retinol.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleansing mask is a poor match for your normal skin, so it should be used cautiously or avoided. Skin with dark spots typically needs gentle brightening ingredients and nourishing hydration rather than strong acne-fighting clays and benzoyl peroxide.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores because it contains acne-fighting benzoyl peroxide and oil-absorbing clays. However, it may cause dryness and irritation on normal skin, so skin with dark spots needs a gentle cleanser with soothing and hydrating ingredients instead.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol).
What the research says
Topical benzoyl peroxide may improve acne more effectively than placebo or no treatment, while showing little to no difference compared with adapalene or clindamycin, but with an increased risk of treatment discontinuation due to adverse effects compared to placebo.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Preoperative treatment with benzoyl peroxide significantly decreases the bacterial skin load of Cutibacterium acnes in patients undergoing elective shoulder surgery from skin incision until wound closure compared to preparation with soap.
Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 2021Once-daily fixed-dose clindamycin phosphate 1.2%/benzoyl peroxide 3.1%/adapalene 0.15% gel achieved superior treatment success (52.5%) and greater reductions in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions compared to vehicle (8.1%) and dyad component gels in participants with moderate-to-severe acne over 12 weeks.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2022A 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, 2024Topical clindamycin phosphate 1.2%/adapalene 0.15%/benzoyl peroxide 3.1% gel achieved significantly greater treatment success and lesion reductions compared to vehicle in participants with moderate-to-severe acne.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2023Daily application of adapalene 0.3%/benzoyl peroxide 2.5% gel reduced and prevented atrophic acne scar formation, achieving a total scar count change of -15.5% versus +14.4% for vehicle over 24 weeks in 67 subjects with moderate or severe facial acne.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2018The 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, 2012Vectorization 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, 2012Quaternized 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, 2017A 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, 2025Coadministration of 40% topical L-menthol with 10% trans-cinnamaldehyde reduced spontaneous pain intensity, neurogenic inflammation, primary and secondary mechanical hyperalgesia, and heat hyperalgesia, but not cold hyperalgesia, in 14 healthy volunteers.
The Journal of Pain, 2016Topical application of menthol-based cooling gel decreased intramuscular temperature by 1.9 °C and increased cutaneous blood flow by 0.3 ml/min in healthy males compared to placebo gel.
International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 2018Cooling skin temperature or applying topical menthol reduced histamine-induced itch intensity and flare diameters in healthy male volunteers.
Neuroscience Letters, 1995
Ingredients
Benzoyl Peroxide, Water, Glycerin, Kaolin, Bentonite, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Titanium Dioxide, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium Edta, Menthol
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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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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