Erno Laszlo Pore Cleansing Clay Mask for acne-prone skin
Kaolin
Bentonite
Glycerin
Calamine
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower ExtractAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other cleansing masks fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 cleansing and mild exfoliation for your combination skin, as kaolin and bentonite absorb excess oil while malic, citric, and tartaric acids provide gentle exfoliation. Rosa damascena flower water and portulaca oleracea extract offer soothing benefits, helping to calm your acne and blemishes.
- The formula provides general cleansing and soothing effects suitable for your acne-prone skin, though it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target acne concerns.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of calming components.
How to apply
- Use this cleansing mask during your PM weekly routine. Start 1x/week and increase if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this cleansing mask after using your pre-cleanser and cleanser , and before your hydrating toner.
- Spread an even layer of the cleansing mask over your face , avoiding any rubbing to protect your skin.
- Apply the cleansing mask to clean and dry skin to help clear up your blemishes effectively.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers with combination and oily skin types frequently praise this mask for effectively detoxifying pores without the harsh, cracking sensation typical of other clay treatments. The majority of reviewers report immediate improvements in skin texture and softness, noting that the formula leaves the face feeling hydrated and refreshed rather than stripped or tight.
Highlights
Non-drying formula Mostly Mentioned
- “doesn't crack”
- “skin feels hydrated”
- “not stripping at all”
- “comfortable dry down”
Effective pore cleansing Often Mentioned
- “pores look smaller”
- “draws out oil”
- “blackheads reduced”
- “clean T-zone”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “very expensive”
- “pricey for size”
- “luxury price tag”
- “wait for sale”
Gentle on sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
- “no redness”
- “soothing”
- “calms breakouts”
- “gentle detox”
Pleasant rose scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like roses”
- “spa-like scent”
- “light floral smell”
- “refreshing fragrance”
Smooth application Sometimes Noted
- “creamy texture”
- “glides on”
- “easy to rinse”
- “silky feel”
Small quantity Sometimes Noted
- “small tube”
- “finished quickly”
- “travel size appearance”
- “not enough product”
Average results Rarely Noted
- “nothing special”
- “average clay mask”
- “expected more”
- “pores looked same”
Stains fabrics Rarely Noted
- “stained my washcloth”
- “hard to wash out of towels”
- “use dark towels”
- “pink residue”
Strong fragrance Rarely Noted
- “perfume is too strong”
- “smell lingers”
- “fragrance irritated nose”
- “too floral”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, sephora.my, walmart.com, lookfantastic.ie, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Erno Laszlo Pore Cleansing Clay Mask work for acne-prone skin?
This cleansing mask works reasonably well for acne-prone skin by absorbing excess oil and calming blemishes, though other products fit this skin type better. To achieve a better fit, an acne-prone skin type needs specialized acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid and zinc oxide.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2025
Which ingredients make this mask a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Kaolin and bentonite help absorb excess oil, while malic, citric, and tartaric acids provide gentle exfoliation for your acne-prone skin. Rosa damascena flower water and portulaca oleracea extract also offer soothing benefits that help calm blemishes. To work best for this skin, a mask of this type needs targeted ingredients like salicylic acid and zinc oxide.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2025
What does Kaolin Clay do for acne-prone skin?
Kaolin clay helps absorb excess oil and calms redness in acne-prone skin with a strong safety profile. Using a clay mask twice a week may improve acne and skin evenness while keeping dryness under control.
Skin Research and Technology, 2023Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024
What does Bentonite Clay do for acne-prone skin?
Bentonite Clay helps clear breakouts and calm acne-prone skin by soaking up excess oil and reducing the number of blemishes. It is a good fit for oily and breakout-prone skin when used as a facial mask.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cleansing mask is used once a week as part of a weekly routine after a cleanser and enzyme powder, and before a hydrating toner, treatment, and moisturizer. Acne-prone skin of this type needs a cleansing mask with clays like kaolin and bentonite to absorb excess oil, along with soothing ingredients like portulaca oleracea extract to help calm blemishes.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2025
Can I use this mask with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleansing mask in your weekly routine, but apply it on a different night than your retinol to avoid irritation. This mask provides gentle oil absorption and soothing benefits, yet acne-prone skin needs products containing specialized active ingredients to directly target breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2025
How often should I use it?
Use this cleansing mask once a week as part of your weekly routine, and you may carefully use it more often if your skin tolerates it well and shows good results. An average fit for your acne-prone skin needs specialized blemish-fighting ingredients alongside calming clays and soothing extracts to fully target breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2025
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This mask is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for acne-prone skin, as it uses clays like kaolin and bentonite to absorb excess oil and clear the skin. However, because it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target acne concerns, an acne-prone skin type needs a product that includes targeted acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
Is this mask fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).
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, 2025Facial 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, 2022Biomimetic 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 application of uncoated or silane-coated zinc oxide nanoparticles under occlusive conditions and on barrier-impaired skin of human volunteers results in no measurable penetration into or local toxicity in the viable epidermis.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2016Vectorization 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, 2025A 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, 2001Topical 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, 2025Topical zinc oxide 20% ointment achieved a complete cure in 50% of patients with warts compared to 42% in the salicylic acid-lactic acid group, with no serious side-effects.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2007Hibiscus syriacus ethanolic extract stimulated fibronectin and collagen synthesis, fibroblast contractility, and wound healing activity in human skin cells and explants, while increasing skin hydration gene expression.
BioMed Research International, 2017Polydeoxyribonucleotide derived from Hibiscus sabdariffa callus at 5 μg/mL promoted wound healing and upregulated related genes and proteins in human keratinocytes.
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2024Water extracts from Roselle leaves and callus cells exhibited different biochemical components, transcriptome profiles, and effects on human skin cells, with the callus extract demonstrating anti-melanogenic, skin barrier, and antioxidant activities, while the plant extract affected angiogenesis, oxidation-reduction, and glycolysis.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023
Why other cleansing masks fit acne-prone skin better
A 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, 2023A 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 45% mandelic acid peel showed nearly equal overall efficacy as 30% salicylic acid peel in patients with mild-to-moderate facial acne vulgaris, but with fewer adverse effects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
Ingredients
Water, Calamine, Kaolin, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Bentonite, Pentylene Glycol, Montmorillonite, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Polyacrylamide, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laureth-7, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Edta, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Parfum, Red 4 Ci 14700, Malic Acid, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Red 33 Ci 17200, Tartaric Acid, Crataegus Monogyna Flower Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Willow Bark Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Viola Tricolor Extract, Octanediol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Lactobacillus Soybean Extract Ferment, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark 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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.