Last Updated on November 2, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
Look, we’ve all had those mornings where you look in the mirror and your face is just pissed off at you. Clogged pores everywhere, oily as hell, and those annoying little bumps that refuse to go away no matter what you do. It’s exhausting. And after trying what feels like every product ever made, you’re probably wondering if a sulfur mask is gonna be the thing that finally works or just another waste of money collecting dust under your sink. So I’m doing this Proactiv Plus Skin Purifying Mask review to break down what’s actually in this thing, how it works on your skin (the real science, not the marketing BS), and whether it’s worth buying or not.
Key Ingredients in Proactiv Plus Skin Purifying Mask: What Makes It Work?
SULFUR
Sulfur’s the star here at 6%, which is a pretty solid amount. Yeah, it can smell kinda gross (like rotten eggs if we’re being honest), but there’s a legit reason dermatologists have been obsessed with this ingredient forever. Here’s what sulfur does: it’s antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal all at the same time. When it hits your skin, enzymes convert it into hydrogen sulfide, which kills the bacteria that causes acne while drying out excess oil and stopping your pores from clogging up.
t’s also keratolytic, which basically means it helps your dead skin cells shed the way they’re supposed to instead of piling up and blocking your pores. Studies show it can shrink breakouts and reduce redness in literally one day, and it’s way gentler than benzoyl peroxide, so if your skin freaks out easily, this might actually work for you.
But real talk, there are downsides. It can dry your skin out if you go overboard, and the high pH means too much use can actually damage your skin barrier. This is why I recommend it ONLY as a spot treatment. Some formulas smell bad, and when companies add fragrance to cover it up, that fragrance can make your breakouts worse.
Related: Everything You Need To Know About Sulfur In Skincare
The Rest Of The Formula & Ingredients
NOTE: The colours indicate the effectiveness of an ingredient. It is ILLEGAL to put toxic and harmful ingredients in skincare products.
- Green: It’s effective, proven to work, and helps the product do the best possible job for your skin.
- Yellow: There’s not much proof it works (at least, yet).
- Red: What is this doing here?!
- Butylene Glycol: So this pulls moisture into your skin and makes the whole thing feel smooth when you’re slapping it on your face. It’s basically there to keep everything blended nicely and stop your skin from turning into the Sahara while the sulfur’s doing its job.
- Ceteareth-20: This stops all the oil and water ingredients from divorcing each other in the tube. It also helps the mask actually wash off instead of just sitting there on your face like a stubborn film you can’t get rid of.
- Cetearyl Alcohol: Okay don’t freak when you see alcohol because this is the good kind, the fatty kind that actually moisturizes. It makes the mask creamy instead of some runny mess that slides off your face.
- Chromium Hydroxide Green: Literally just green dye to make you feel like you’re at a spa. Does zero things for your actual skin, pure vibes only.
- Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract: This is lemongrass, smells fresh, kills some bacteria. Honestly it’s just here for backup, not doing anything major. It may cause irritations in some people.
- Ethoxydiglycol: Makes it easier for the sulfur to actually get into your skin instead of just sitting on top doing nothing. Also keeps all the ingredients from separating into weird layers.
- Fragrance: They threw this in to cover up the rotten egg smell from sulfur. Which, okay fine, but fragrance pisses off a lot of people’s skin so if you’re sensitive this might be a problem.
- Geranium Maculatum Extract: It has anti-inflammatory properties.
- Glycereth-26: Holds onto moisture so you don’t feel like your face is gonna crack after using this. Balances out the drying situation from the sulfur and clay.
- Hydrated Silica: Pretty much fancy sand that soaks up oil and gently scrubs off dead skin. Not harsh about it though, just lightly buffing things away.
- Kaolin: Gentle white clay that digs into your pores and yanks out the dirt and oil without wrecking your skin. Absorbs the greasy stuff without taking away the oil your skin actually needs to function. Super mild so even sensitive skin can usually handle it.
- Linoleic Acid: Omega-6 that keeps your skin barrier healthy and weirdly enough helps control oil even though it’s an oil itself. Your skin needs this, especially if you’re oily (yeah that sounds backwards but it’s true).
- Linolenic Acid: Omega-3 that works with the linoleic acid to keep your barrier strong and calm inflammation down. Basically damage control while everything else is working.
- Magnesium Aluminum Silicate: Makes the mask thick and also soaks up oil. Just helping the other clay ingredients do their thing.
- Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil: Tea tree oil, kills bacteria, reduces redness. Classic acne ingredient that smells super herbal and kinda medicinal honestly.
- Paraffin: Wax that makes it creamy and stops moisture from escaping while you’ve got the mask on. Some people don’t like petroleum stuff so just so you know.
- Phenoxyethanol: Stops bacteria and mold from growing in the tube. Every skincare product needs a preservative or it’ll go bad, this is just doing that job.
- Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate: Gentle cleanser that helps you actually wash this off without feeling like you scrubbed your face raw. Made from an amino acid so it’s pretty mild.
- Titanium Dioxide: White pigment that makes the mask look pale and clean. Same stuff in sunscreen, has some soothing properties but honestly it’s mostly here to look pretty.
- Tocopheryl Acetate: Vitamin E that protects your skin from getting damaged and helps it heal up. Also keeps moisture in which matters when sulfur’s trying to dry you out.
- Water: The base. Every liquid skincare product is mostly water. Nothing exciting happening here.
- Zinc Oxide: Sunscreen ingredient that also calms down redness and fights bacteria a bit. Teams up with the sulfur to keep acne in check and stop your face from looking angry.
Texture
It’s creamy and kind of lotion-y, not super thick like you’d expect from a clay mask. Spreads on easy without dragging your skin around. Once it’s chilling on your face it starts drying and you can feel it tightening up. Dries down matte but doesn’t turn into a crazy cracky situation.
Fragrance
It smells like sulfur. They tried to cover it up with fragrance and tea tree oil but you can still smell that mineral-y, kinda medicinal vibe. Not gonna lie, it’s not pleasant but it’s also not terrible enough to make you gag. Just don’t expect it to smell like roses. Plus, fragrance can irritate sensitive skin (and acne-prone skin is sensitive).
How To Use It
The instructions say to use it as a mask: wash your face, leave it a bit damp if you want. Squeeze a tiny amount out and slap it on wherever you break out – forehead, nose, chin, wherever. Leave it for like 10 minutes, maybe 15 max but don’t push it or you’ll dry yourself out. Rinse with warm water. I do NOT recommend this. Sulfur is harsh and there’s no need to spread it onto healthy areas of your skin. Use it as a spot treatments on pimples only.
Packaging
Comes in a tube. Pretty basic, does the job. It’s squeezable and hygienic since you’re not dipping your fingers into a jar.
Performance & Personal Opinion
The sulfur really does work on breakouts. When used as a spot treatment overnight, pimples are noticeably smaller and less red by morning. It absorbs oil well and does help prevent new breakouts from forming when used consistently. The kaolin clay helps pull out impurities without being overly harsh. The formula also seems to have changed over time, becoming thinner and more runny than the original thick clay consistency. The mask can be drying, especially if you overuse it or have naturally dry skin. And washing it off takes a bit of effort – it doesn’t just rinse away instantly (one more reason to use it as a spot treatment only!). The fragrance they added to mask the sulfur smell can be irritating for sensitive skin, which is kind of ironic since sulfur itself is supposed to be gentler than benzoyl peroxide.
What I Like About Proactiv Plus Skin Purifying Mask
- Sulfur actually shrinks pimples, especially overnight
- Soaks up oil like nobody’s business
- Can use it multiple times a week without destroying your face
- Works as both a mask and spot treatment
- See results pretty fast, like next day
What I DON’T Like About Proactiv Plus Skin Purifying Mask
- Smells like sulfur even with the added fragrance
- Dries your skin out if you overdo it
- Formula’s thinner and more watery than it should be
- Added fragrance can irritate sensitive skin
- Takes effort to wash off completely
Who Should Use This?
- Works for mild to moderate acne – whiteheads, blackheads, random pimples here and there.
- Good if you’ve got oily skin or combination skin that breaks out.
- Also solid if benzoyl peroxide makes your face freak out since sulfur’s less harsh.
- Don’t bother if you’ve got serious cystic acne because 6% sulfur isn’t gonna cut it.
- Also skip it if your skin’s super dry or sensitive unless you’re only spot treating.
- And if fragrance pisses off your skin or you hate sulfur smells, save your money.
Does Proactiv Plus Skin Purifying Mask Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| This potent deep-cleansing sulfur mask is formulated to clear acne blemishes, absorb excess oil and help prevent new breakouts from forming. | True. |
| Helps alleviate irritation and reduces the appearance of redness. | True. |
| Deep cleans pores and shrinks their appearance. | Only salicylic acid can deep cleanse pores and it’s not here. But pore size does look smaller when acne is healed. |
| Helps reduce excess oil and shine. | True. |
| Developed to help moisturize the skin. | May have been the intention, but it’s not particularly moisturising. |
Price & Availability
$40 at Proactiv
The Verdict: Should You Buy It?
Real talk: It’s an okay sulfur mask that does the job, but it’s not the best bang for your buck or the strongest formula out there. If it’s on sale or you’re a Proactiv loyalist, go ahead. Otherwise look for a 10% sulfur mask without added fragrance.
Active Ingredient: Sulfur 6%
Inactive Ingredients: butylene glycol, ceteareth-20, cetearyl alcohol, chromium hydroxide green, cymbopogon schoenanthus extract, ethoxydiglycol, fragrance, geranium maculatum extract, glycereth-26, hydrated silica, kaolin, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, magnesium aluminum silicate, melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil, paraffin, phenoxyethanol, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, titanium dioxide, tocopheryl acetate, water, zinc oxide
