Dr. Barbara Sturm Clarifying Mask for oily acne-prone skin
Zinc Pca
Kaolin
Jojoba Seed Oil
Lactobacillus Portulaca Oleracea Extract Ferment
Sodium HyaluronateAverage
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
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
- Offers moderate suitability for your oily skin as kaolin and zinc pca decongest pores and provide mild exfoliation, though targeted ingredients for acne and blemishes are absent.
- Panthenol and allantoin offer general hydration and soothing benefits, which are supportive but not primary for your specific concerns.
- The formula is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
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
★4.4Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers with oily, acne-prone, and combination skin frequently praise this mask for its ability to calm inflammation and refine pores without causing dryness. Many report clearer, softer skin and reduced redness. A minority find it insufficiently hydrating or question its value given the high price point.
Highlights
High price point Mostly Mentioned
- “very expensive”
- “pricey investment”
- “hard to justify cost”
Calms and soothes Often Mentioned
- “calms and soothes”
- “reduces redness”
- “skin is extremely calm”
Non-drying and hydrating Often Mentioned
- “doesn't dry out skin”
- “feels hydrated”
- “no cracking/drying”
Effective spot treatment Sometimes Noted
- “works on pimples”
- “heals breakouts faster”
- “great spot treatment”
Refines pores and mattifies Sometimes Noted
- “pores look refined”
- “instantly mattified”
- “draws out impurities”
Softens skin texture Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels soft”
- “silky soft”
- “smooth finish”
Value for money Sometimes Noted
- “wouldn't repurchase full price”
- “results not worth cost”
- “better affordable alternatives”
Can be drying Rarely Noted
- “dried my skin out”
- “felt a bit dry”
- “needed serum after”
Scent/Fragrance Rarely Noted
- “little bit of smell”
- “scent is noticeable”
- “fragrance free but smells”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, nordstrom.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, spacenk.com, mecca.com.au, and more
Questions and answers
How well does the Clarifying Mask work for oily acne-prone skin?
This mask offers moderate suitability for oily skin, as kaolin and zinc pca help clear pores and reduce oil, though it lacks targeted ingredients for acne and blemishes. Oily acne-prone skin needs effective ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide that directly address breakouts while posing no risk of irritation.
Which ingredients make this mask a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This mask contains kaolin and zinc PCA to decongest pores and help clear oil, alongside soothing panthenol and allantoin. A cleansing mask for oily acne-prone skin needs ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide to directly target blemishes and control oil.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
What does Zinc PCA do for oily acne-prone skin?
Zinc PCA helps calm oily, acne-prone skin by reducing excess oil and targeting the bacteria that cause breakouts. This ingredient has a great safety profile and is unlikely to irritate your skin while helping to keep pores clear.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013
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.
Where does this mask go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleansing mask fits into a weekly routine for oily acne-prone skin after cleansing and enzyme powder, and before applying a hydrating toner and treatment. While it helps clear pores and soothe skin, this skin type needs products with targeted acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide for better results.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Can I use this mask with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this mask in your weekly routine, keeping it separate from your retinol nights to prevent any irritation. Because this product offers a moderate fit for oily and acne-prone skin, a clay mask of this type needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and stronger acne treatments to truly clear breakouts.
How often should I use this mask?
This cleansing mask is meant to be used once a week as part of a weekly routine for oily acne-prone skin. Oily acne-prone skin needs a cleansing mask with targeted ingredients for acne and blemishes to give the best results.
Can this mask clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This mask is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on oily skin, as its clay and zinc ingredients help keep pores clear without harsh effects. However, because it lacks targeted ingredients for active acne, an oily and acne-prone skin type needs a formula packed with dedicated blemish-fighting ingredients and oil-balancing actives.
Is this mask fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Clay 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, 2012Topical nicotinamide plus an antibacterial adhesive agent and zinc-pyrrolidone carboxylic acid combined with adapalene significantly reduced noninflammatory acne lesions by the second week of therapy compared to placebo with adapalene in patients with moderate acne vulgaris.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Zinc PCA inhibits UVA-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 production through suppressed AP-1 activation and enhances type I collagen synthesis by increasing SVCT2 mRNA expression in cultured normal human dermal fibroblasts.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 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, 2023A pharmaceutical formulation containing therapeutic clay from Ocara, Brazil, promoted greater formation of collagen fibers, regeneration of the deep dermis at seven days, and reepithelialization with continuous granulation tissue formation at 14 days in rat skin wounds compared to untreated controls.
Materials Science & Engineering. C, Materials for Biological Applications, 2014Topical application of jojoba wax reduced LPS-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα by approximately 30% and increased the synthesis of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid compared to untreated skin in an ex-vivo human skin organ culture model.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024Topical jojoba oil application in male mice decreased exercise-induced pro-inflammatory gene expression (Il-1b and Il-6 in soleus, Il-1b in gastrocnemius) compared to untreated exercised mice.
Biomolecules, 2025Nanolipidgel formulations with argan or jojoba oil and humectants demonstrate good sensory attributes, instrumental properties, and moisturizing efficacy for cosmetic application.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2014Topical purslane at 5% and 10% concentrations achieved alleviation of symptoms and lesion remission comparable to topical 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide in 34 subjects with oral lichen planus over 90 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2023Facial masks containing low-temperature extracted Portulaca oleracea protect sensitive skin from photothermal stimulation and improve skin barrier function during photorejuvenation.
Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2025Portulaca oleracea extract ameliorated skin barrier damage and inflammation induced by combined exposure to glycolic acid and UVB in HaCaT cells.
Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2022Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019
Why other cleansing masks fit oily acne-prone skin better
Two 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, 2019Chemical 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, 2022Treatment 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, Kaolin, Alcohol Denat, Cetearyl Alcohol, Jojoba Seed Oil, Lactobacillus Portulaca Oleracea Extract Ferment, Octyldodecanol, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Cetearyl Glucoside, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Zinc Pca, Allantoin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Lens Esculenta Seed Extract, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Disodium Edta, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hexylene Glycol, Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract, Arginine, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Vine Extract Flower Leaf, Pantolactone, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Titanium Dioxide Ci 77891
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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