All scans / Face masks / PanOxyl Pore Refining Acne Mask
PanOxyl Pore Refining Acne Mask ingredients: is it worth it?
This is a basic clay-based mask with mild exfoliation and a lot of sensory/fragrance noise, not a high-evidence acne treatment workhorse.
This is a basic clay-based mask with mild exfoliation and a lot of sensory/fragrance noise, not a high-evidence acne treatment workhorse.
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Its pore "refining" and acne claims rest mostly on kaolin and sea silt for transient oil and debris absorption plus a low-position polyhydroxy acid (maltobionic acid), which likely provides only gentle, modest exfoliation at an unknown and probably low concentration; there are no proven leave-on acne actives like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or sulfur to justify strong acne efficacy. The formula does have a reasonably structured base with humectants (glycerin, propanediol, caprylyl glycol, isopentyldiol) and soothing bisabolol, which helps offset some potential irritation, but the inclusion of bergamot essential oil and menthol means this leans more toward a tingling, spa-feel clay mask than a clinically-optimized acne treatment, keeping efficacy in the mid range.
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DemythSkin rates PanOxyl Pore Refining Acne Mask 3.2/5 for efficacy and 4.0/5 for safety.
CONTAINS COMMON SENSITISERS⌄
Fragrance components and essential oils that more often cause reactions in sensitive skin: Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Peel Oil. Most people tolerate them; patch test if your skin reacts easily.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (14)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Aqua, Bisabolol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Chromium Oxide, Citric Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia(Bergamot) PeelOil, Disodium EDTA dihydrate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Gum Arabic, Hydroxyacetophenone, Isopentyldiol, Kaolin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Maltobionic Acid, Menthol, Microcrystalline Wax, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyisobutene, Propanediol, Sea Silt, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium hydroxide, Sorbitan Oleate, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Aqua
- Solvent; formula base
- Bisabolol
- Soothing anti-irritant agent
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- Emollient; texture enhancer
- Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside
- Mild surfactant; dispersing agent
- Caprylyl Glycol
- Humectant and preservative booster
- Ceteareth-20
- Emulsifier; helps oil-water mix
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Fatty alcohol emollient; thickener
- Chromium Oxide
- Colorant; provides green tint
- Citric Acid
- pH adjuster; mild chelating agent
- Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Peel Oil
- Fragrance essential oil component
- Disodium EDTA dihydrate
- Chelating agent; stabilizes formula
- Glycerin
- Humectant; increases skin hydration
- Glyceryl Stearate
- Emulsifier and emollient
- Gum Arabic
- Film-former and thickener
- Hydroxyacetophenone
- Antioxidant and preservative booster
- Isopentyldiol
- Humectant; solvent; sensorial enhancer
- Kaolin
- Absorbent clay; oil and impurity adsorbent
- Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
- Thickener; stabilizes clay dispersion
- Maltobionic Acid
- Polyhydroxy acid; gentle exfoliant
- Menthol
- Cooling sensory agent; fragrance component
- Microcrystalline Wax
- Thickener; provides structure
- PEG-100 Stearate
- Emulsifier; stabilizes cream texture
- Polyisobutene
- Film-former; texture and slip agent
- Propanediol
- Solvent and humectant
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Maltobionic Acid: Polyhydroxy acids such as maltobionic acid have been shown to provide gentle exfoliation with less irritation than AHAs while improving skin texture and hydration in clinical and in vitro studies.
Kaolin: Kaolin clay is widely used in dermatologic and cosmetic formulations for its oil-absorbing and cleansing properties, helping reduce surface sebum and impurities in oily and acne-prone skin.
Bisabolol: Bisabolol, a component of chamomile, has documented anti-inflammatory and soothing effects in topical formulations, helping mitigate irritation from other ingredients or procedures.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
PanOxyl Pore Refining Acne Mask: common questions
Is PanOxyl Pore Refining Acne Mask worth it?
PanOxyl Pore Refining Acne Mask scores 3.2 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Mid) and 4.0 out of 5.0 for safety (Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. This is a basic clay-based mask with mild exfoliation and a lot of sensory/fragrance noise, not a high-evidence acne treatment workhorse.
What are the key active ingredients in PanOxyl Pore Refining Acne Mask?
PanOxyl Pore Refining Acne Mask contains no gold-standard actives. Its formula is built on supporting and base ingredients rather than clinically transformative actives.
Does PanOxyl Pore Refining Acne Mask contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin flags these ingredients in PanOxyl Pore Refining Acne Mask as documented irritants: Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Peel Oil, Menthol.
How is PanOxyl Pore Refining Acne Mask scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
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