Dr. Dennis Gross Clarifying Colloidal Sulfur Mask for oily acne-prone skin

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Questions and answers

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, 2025

• Topical 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, 2025

• A 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, 2018

• Licochalcone 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, 2015

• 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, 2020

• Topical 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, 2004

• Topical 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, 1966

• Nels 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, 2000

• Topically 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

• Combining 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, 2015

• Bioactive 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, 2025

• Topical 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

• Topical 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, 2017

• Topical 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, 2019

• Silicone 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, 2018

• Topical 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, 2018

• Topical 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

• Formulations containing 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract increased stratum corneum water content compared with the vehicle in 20 female subjects, while transepidermal water loss was not modified.

  Skin Research and Technology, 2006

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.