Dr. Dennis Gross Clarifying Colloidal Sulfur Mask for dry sensitive skin
Colloidal Sulfur
Zinc Oxide
Licorice Root Extract
Retinol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceCaution
- LowDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- RiskySafety
A poor match for dry sensitive skin; the cleansing masks alongside fit it better.
- Journal of Evidence-based Medicine, 2020
- Revista de Investigacion Clinica; Organo Del Hospital de Enfermedades de la Nutricion, 2004
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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.
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Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate exfoliation for your dry or flaky skin due to colloidal sulfur and willow bark extract, which can be drying, and the presence of kaolin, which is unsuitable for dry skin types. The formulation lacks sufficient emollients and humectants to counteract the drying effects of these ingredients.
- While the product provides excellent pore cleansing with colloidal sulfur and zinc oxide to decongest pores and reduce blemishes, its drying nature makes it a poor match for your dry and sensitive skin.
How to apply
- Use your cleansing mask PM once a week as part of your weekly routine, and increase to twice a week if your dry skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the cleansing mask after cleansing and enzyme powder, but before your hydrating toner, serum, and moisturizer.
- Smooth an even layer of the cleansing mask over your face while gently avoiding any unnecessary rubbing.
- Apply the cleansing mask to clean and dry skin to ensure better comfort for your sensitive skin type.
- Always avoid the eye area and do a patch test before using the cleansing mask for the first time.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited data, users frequently report that this mask effectively calms inflammation, reduces redness, and shrinks active breakouts, often with overnight improvements, making it particularly beneficial for acne-prone and oily skin. A notable drawback is the strong sulfur scent, and some users express frustration with the pump packaging.
Highlights
Rapid acne reduction Mostly Mentioned
- “pimples dramatically reduced”
- “stops spots in tracks”
- “calms aggravated acne”
- “zaps zits fast”
Soothes redness Often Mentioned
- “calmed the redness”
- “minimizes inflammation”
- “skin less angry”
- “takes away redness”
Unpleasant sulfur scent Often Mentioned
- “smells like rotten eggs”
- “stinks”
- “smell is strong”
- “scent lingers”
Non-drying formula Sometimes Noted
- “doesn't dry out skin”
- “skin feels soft”
- “not tight”
- “moisturizing for clay”
Pore and oil control Sometimes Noted
- “pores vanished”
- “absorbs excess oil”
- “blackheads minimized”
- “skin less oily”
Versatile use Sometimes Noted
- “overnight spot treatment”
- “great under makeup”
- “use as primer”
- “leave on overnight”
Faulty pump packaging Sometimes Noted
- “pump is terrible”
- “hard to get out”
- “had to unscrew top”
- “pump stopped working”
High price point Rarely Noted
- “pricey for size”
- “expensive”
- “wish it was cheaper”
- “costly investment”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “broke me out”
- “caused peeling”
- “eyes watered”
- “too strong”
Texture issues Rarely Noted
- “pills up”
- “hard to spread”
- “thick consistency”
- “crumbles if rubbed”
Sources: lovi.care, dermstore.com, lookfantastic.com, lovelyskin.com, influenster.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise caution with the Dr. Dennis Gross Clarifying Colloidal Sulfur Mask for dry sensitive skin?
Lovi advises caution because this mask contains colloidal sulfur, willow bark extract, and kaolin, which can dry out your dry sensitive skin. The formula lacks enough softening and moisturizing ingredients to balance out these drying effects. Cleansing masks for this skin type need gentle, hydrating ingredients and skin-protecting components that lock in moisture and support the skin barrier without causing irritation.
Which ingredients make this mask a poor fit for dry sensitive skin?
Colloidal sulfur, willow bark extract, and kaolin make this mask a poor fit because they can be drying and irritating to your skin. A product of this type needs plenty of moisturizing and nourishing ingredients, such as ceramides and multiple forms of vitamin C, to support the skin barrier and provide hydration without irritation.
What does Sulfur do for dry sensitive skin?
Sulfur is generally not an ideal choice for dry sensitive skin because it can be drying and irritating. Skin of this type needs gentle, hydrating ingredients and calming agents to maintain comfort and protect the skin barrier.
What does Zinc Oxide do for dry sensitive skin?
Zinc oxide helps calm dry, sensitive skin by reducing redness and soothing irritation while protecting a delicate skin barrier. It is unlikely to cause irritation and is commonly used to keep skin comfortable.
Where does this mask go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This mask is not recommended for dry sensitive skin because its exfoliating ingredients can be too drying without enough rich moisturizers and hydrating ingredients to balance them out.
Can I use this mask with benzoyl peroxide, and in what order?
Using this mask with benzoyl peroxide is a poor match for your dry and sensitive skin because both can be very drying and irritating. This skin type needs gentle, hydrating ingredients and rich moisturizers to protect the skin barrier when using strong acne treatments.
How often should I use this mask?
This mask is a poor fit for dry sensitive skin because its drying ingredients can easily leave your skin feeling uncomfortably tight and flaky. A product of this type needs soothing plant extracts, gentle hydrators, and rich nourishing oils to keep this skin soft and comfortable.
Can this mask clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This mask is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts because it uses colloidal sulfur and zinc oxide to clear out pores and reduce blemishes. However, it may leave dry and sensitive skin too dry, so a product of this type needs rich moisturizers and soothing hydrators to protect your skin barrier.
Is this mask fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (farnesol). Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Azelaic 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, 1966Topical 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, 2025Nels 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, 2016Combining 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, 2015Licochalcone 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, 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 0.4% retinol significantly increased epidermal thickness, dermal vascularity, and extracellular matrix production by stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, endothelial cell proliferation, and fibroblast activation in naturally aged human skin compared to vehicle.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019Silicone particles encapsulating retinol increased its half-life by 9-fold and yielded 12-23% lower skin irritation in human subjects compared to Microsponge particles while maintaining biological activity.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2018A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010
Ingredients
Water, Kaolin, Colloidal Sulfur, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Peg-100 Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Zinc Oxide, Bentonite, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Opuntia Vulgaris Extract, Willow Bark Extract, Bisabolol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Farnesol, Rosamarinus Officinalis Oil Leaf Rosemary Oil Leaf, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Retinol, Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E, Sodium Pca, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Bht, Phenoxyethanol
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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