Indie Lee Clearing Mask for skin with dark spots
Salicylic Acid
Glycolic Acid
Bentonite Clay
Colloidal Sulfur
Zinc OxideAverage
- AverageNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for skin with dark spots; other cleansing masks 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 and pore-clearing benefits for your normal skin due to the presence of glycolic acid and salicylic acid, but these ingredients are not specialized for your main goal of pigmentation.
- While the colloidal sulfur and zinc oxide provide excellent pore cleansing and blemish reduction, the formula lacks sufficient humectant and emollient ingredients for optimal hydration and barrier support for your normal skin.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your normal skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers with oily, acne-prone, and congested skin frequently praise this mask for its ability to rapidly calm breakouts and unclog pores without stripping the skin of moisture. While most find it effectively smooths texture and reduces redness, a minority of users find the medicinal scent overpowering or the price point too high for the small jar size.
Highlights
Clears acne Mostly Mentioned
- “zaps zits overnight”
- “great for hormonal breakouts”
- “cleared my skin fast”
- “stops pimples coming”
Decongests pores Often Mentioned
- “de-clogs pores”
- “draws out impurities”
- “pores look smaller”
- “skin feels detoxed”
Non-drying formula Often Mentioned
- “doesn't dry me out”
- “creamy texture”
- “hydrating for clay”
- “no cracking feeling”
Smooths texture Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels baby soft”
- “smooths texture”
- “face feels polished”
- “reduces roughness”
Expensive for size Sometimes Noted
- “tiny jar for price”
- “expensive”
- “wish it was bigger”
- “pricey per ounce”
Medicinal scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like sulfur”
- “strong camphor scent”
- “medicinal smell”
- “scent is overpowering”
Can be drying Rarely Noted
- “left skin tight”
- “too drying”
- “caused dry patches”
- “irritated my skin”
Ineffective for some Rarely Noted
- “did nothing”
- “no difference seen”
- “just average”
- “didn't help acne”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.sg, dermstore.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, bluemercury.com, aillea.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Indie Lee Clearing Mask work for skin with dark spots?
This mask works moderately well for skin with dark spots, offering some pore-clearing benefits through glycolic acid and salicylic acid, though these ingredients are not specialized for brightening pigmentation. A cleansing mask for this skin needs specialized brightening ingredients and added moisture to keep skin hydrated while addressing dark spots.
Which ingredients make this mask a good fit for skin with dark spots?
Salicylic acid and glycolic acid make this mask a fit by offering moderate exfoliation and pore-clearing benefits, though skin with dark spots needs products with brightening ingredients and barrier support.
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.
What does Glycolic Acid do for skin with dark spots?
Glycolic acid helps fade dark spots and improves uneven skin tone by encouraging the shedding of pigmented surface cells. When used in treatments or peels alongside other brightening ingredients, it may further reduce the severity of stubborn discoloration.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This cleansing mask fits into a weekly routine as a pore-clearing step before your nourishing mask and treatment. Because this product is not specialized for pigmentation, dark spots respond better to dedicated brightening ingredients and antioxidant serums.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this mask in your routine, but apply your retinol at a different time of day or on alternate days to avoid over-exfoliating your skin. This product helps clear pores with glycolic and salicylic acids, but a product of this type needs specialized brightening ingredients for dark spots along with extra hydrating and softening ingredients to keep your skin smooth and comfortable.
How often should I use this mask?
You can start by using this mask once a week, and if your skin handles it well, you may carefully use it more often. This product of this type needs specialized brightening ingredients and rich moisture and barrier support to properly target dark spots.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This mask is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for skin with dark spots because it features ingredients that clear pores and reduce blemishes safely. A product of this type needs more moisturizing and barrier-supporting ingredients to keep skin soft and smooth.
Is this mask fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene). Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Biomimetic hyaluronic acid-stabilized zinc oxide nanoparticles selectively inhibited C. acnes, outperformed erythromycin in preclinical acne models, and safely reduced acne lesions and redness in a clinical trial.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2025Topical 0.5% hyaluronic-ZnO nanogel applied twice daily reduced inflammatory-lesion counts by 58% at week four in human subjects compared to baseline without causing erythema.
Biomedicines, 2025Quaternized 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, 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, 2024Cryotherapy 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, 2024Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 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, 2012Azelaic acid was probably less effective than benzoyl peroxide in acne treatment response, while showing little or no difference compared to tretinoin, and adverse events were mild and transient across evaluated topical treatments.
Journal of Evidence-based Medicine, 2020Topical application of precipitated sulphur 2-8% petrolatum achieved a 95% clinical and ectoparasitological cure rate in 40 ambulatory scabies patients without relevant adverse effects.
Revista de Investigacion Clinica; Organo Del Hospital de Enfermedades de la Nutricion, 2004Topical 10% benzoyl peroxide and 2%-5% sulfur cream achieved "good" to "excellent" results with no undesirable side effects in 113 consecutive patients with acne.
Canadian Medical Association Journal, 1966Nels cream achieved a similar reduction in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesion counts compared to 5% benzoyl peroxide in acne vulgaris patients, but caused significantly fewer side-effects such as peeling and dryness.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2000Topically applied coated and uncoated zinc oxide nanoparticles under flexing and massage are retained in the stratum corneum with no significant penetration into the viable epidermis and no cellular toxicity in human skin.
Nanomedicine, 2016
Ingredients
Water, Bentonite, Zinc Oxide, Colloidal Sulfur, Propanediol, Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camphor, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Limonene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate
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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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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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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