Sulwhasoo Herbal Clay Purifying Mask for oily acne-prone skin
Kaolin
Bentonite
Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
Honey
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root ExtractAverage
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other cleansing masks 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
- This product offers moderate benefits for your oily skin, with kaolin and sea silt effectively absorbing excess oil and impurities to cleanse pores. However, it lacks specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The formula is well-suited for oily skin due to the presence of bentonite for seboregulation and mild exfoliation.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components like licorice root extract and honey.
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
★4.5Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited data, this mask is highly recommended for individuals with sensitive, dry, or stressed skin who need pore care without the harshness of traditional clay masks. Users consistently report a cooling, non-drying experience that leaves skin feeling soft, soothed, and visibly brighter, though it may be too gentle for those seeking aggressive blackhead extraction.
Highlights
Non-drying, hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “gel-cream formula is super hydrating”
- “didn't experience any tight feelings”
- “doesn't dry down completely”
- “leaves face clean but not stripped”
Gentle, soothing Often Mentioned
- “cooling sensation on application”
- “calms redness and irritation”
- “no tugging or stinging”
- “gentlest clay mask I've used”
Softening results Often Mentioned
- “skin feels baby soft”
- “pores look tighter”
- “brightens complexion”
- “smooths skin texture”
Herbal scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells divine”
- “relaxing herbal smell”
- “fresh ginseng scent”
- “feels like a spa treatment”
Luxurious texture Sometimes Noted
- “slides onto skin quickly”
- “silky and smooth”
- “fine powders provide gentle exfoliation”
- “easy to rinse off”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “bit expensive for me”
- “waiting for a sale”
- “pricey for a clay mask”
- “luxury price point”
Mild pore extraction Sometimes Noted
- “whiteheads not fully removed”
- “didn't minimize pores much”
- “gentler than other clays”
- “not for deep extraction”
Availability issues Rarely Noted
- “bought the trial kit”
- “hard to find full size”
- “out of stock often”
- “had to order from Korea”
Scent preference Rarely Noted
- “herbal smell is strong”
- “scent is specific”
- “smells like traditional medicine”
- “might be too much for some”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com.au, reddit.com, thevelvetlife.com, femaledaily.com, yesstyle.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Sulwhasoo Herbal Clay Mask work for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleansing mask works moderately well for your oily acne-prone skin, helping to absorb excess oil and impurities with clays while staying unlikely to cause irritation thanks to soothing honey and licorice root extract. However, because it lacks specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target breakouts, a product of this type needs acne-fighting ingredients like BHA and salicylic acid to truly fit this skin type.
Which ingredients make this cleansing mask a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Kaolin, bentonite, and sea silt help absorb excess oil and impurities from your pores, while soothing ingredients like honey and licorice root keep your skin calm. Oily acne-prone skin often needs a product of this type that also includes targeted acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or BHA.
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 cleansing mask go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleansing mask goes into a weekly routine for oily acne-prone skin, used after a cleanser and enzyme powder, and before a hydrating toner, treatment, and moisturizer.
Can I use this cleansing mask with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleansing mask weekly as part of your routine, but avoid applying it on the same nights you use retinol to prevent irritation. This mask helps clear away excess oil, but oily acne-prone skin also needs targeted ingredients like salicylic acid to properly clear blemishes and breakouts.
How often should I use this cleansing mask?
This cleansing mask works best when used once a week as part of your weekly routine. Products of this type for oily acne-prone skin need clays like kaolin or bentonite to absorb excess oil and impurities, alongside ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target breakouts.
Can this cleansing mask clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleansing mask is unlikely to clog pores or cause irritation for oily acne-prone skin, as it features a safe formula with soothing ingredients like licorice root extract and honey. However, because it lacks specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target breakouts, an oily acne-prone skin needs products with blemish-fighting acids and deep pore-clearing ingredients to stay clear.
Is this cleansing mask fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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, 2025Licochalcone A activated Nrf2 signaling, elevated cytoprotective enzymes, increased the reduced-to-oxidized glutathione ratio, and decreased reactive oxygen species in human fibroblasts and neutrophils, while a LicA-rich licorice extract lowered UVA-induced oxidative processes in vivo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2015Vectorization 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, 2025Artemisia princeps-derived nanovesicles accelerate cell proliferation, decrease senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity, inhibit MMP-1 activity more effectively than EGCG, and increase procollagen type I expression in human dermal cells and skin models.
Journal of Extracellular Biology, 2025Artemisia annua aqueous extract increased the itching threshold, inhibited TSLP expression, and promoted FLG mRNA expression in in vitro and in vivo models.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2024Artemisia Capillaris Thunb. extract protects human HaCaT keratinocytes from UVB-induced apoptosis and inflammation by suppressing the cGAS/STING signaling pathway.
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology. B, Biology, 2024Honey-based dressings reduced mean healing duration, length of hospital stay, and VAS pain scores compared with povidone iodine-based dressings in 1236 participants.
Journal of Wound Care, 2021Topical honey application improved the mean duration of attacks and pain, occurrence of crusting, and healing time compared to acyclovir cream in 16 adult patients with recurrent labial and genital herpes lesions.
Medical Science Monitor, 2004Combining 755 nm alexandrite laser with topical licorice gel significantly reduces terminal hair counts compared to alexandrite laser with placebo in women with idiopathic hirsutism.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015Bioactive glycyrrhizic acid and oxymatrine ionic liquid self-assembled nanomicelles significantly promoted the transdermal permeation, subcutaneous retention, and anti-photoaging efficacy of palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 in cellular and animal models compared to unformulated peptide.
Advanced Science, 2025Topical application of Glycyrrhiza glabra and Sophora japonica flavonoid-rich fractions individually and in combination significantly increased the wound healing rate and reduced oxidative stress compared to wound and Nolaver-treated groups.
Molecules, 2023
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, 2022Two percent supramolecular salicylic acid showed similar efficacy to 0.01% adapalene plus 5% benzoyl peroxide in reducing acne lesions in 31 patients over 28 days.
Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2019Treatment 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, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Kaolin, Butylene Glycol, Titanium Dioxide Ci 77891, Bentonite, 1,2-Hexanediol, Silica, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sea Silt, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Powder, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Houttuynia Cordata Powder, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium Edta, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Propanediol, Gluconolactone, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract Raspberry Fruit Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Honey, Miel, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Angelica Keiskei Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Polygonatum Officinale Root Extract Rhizome, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Tocopherol
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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