14 Face Creams That Play Nice With the Most Sensitive of Skin
Having sensitive or reactive skin is no walk in the park. There are plenty of perfectly normal ingredients out there that can trigger a reaction—meaning you have to be extra careful about what you use on your complexion. "Sensitive" is also a broad term. Sometimes, having skin that's extra delicate just means that you're prone to redness or irritation, and other times, it can mean full-on breakouts.
Whichever camp you fall into, there are a few ingredients board-certified dermatologist, Kaveri Karhade, MD, says you should seek out—especially in a key product like your moisturizer. "Look for gentle moisturizers (especially allergen-free ones) containing soothing [and] hydrating ingredients such as ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid." These are great for irritation and redness. If you're wondering what you should generally avoid if you have sensitive skin, well, that depends.
First, it's important to identify any triggering ingredients that may cause you to have a reaction because you could be allergic. Once you've done that, it's best to also consider a few other things. "Avoid AHAs or BHAs [in your moisturizer] and focus on gentle hydrating ingredients instead. Avoid chemical sunscreens, as they can also irritate sensitive skin. Mineral sunscreens are a better choice." This is a great note if you weren't necessarily thinking about your sunscreen in terms of what could be irritating your skin. If you're on the hunt for a good moisturizer, though, you'll find Karhade's recommendations and a few of our other favorite options for sensitive skin below.
1. La Roche-Posay Toleraine Ultra Intense Soothing Moisturizer
2. Vanicream Daily Moisturizer
3. Aveeno Calm + Restore Triple Oat Serum
Although this has more of a serum-like texture, it's still a great hydrating option. "The magic ingredient in Aveeno products is oat which can be soothing for eczema-prone and sensitive skin," says Karhade.
4. Avène Cicalfate + Restorative Protective Cream
5. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
6. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer
All First Aid Beauty products are formulated with sensitive skin in mind. The brand's Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer is great for dehydrated skin, as it's full of nourishing ingredients like colloidal oatmeal and meadowfoam seed oil. As a bonus, it also contains licorice root and white tea to help fight free radical damage.
7. SkinMedica Replenish Hydrating Cream
8. ElatMD Moisturizer
Fragrance allergies are common, but artificial fragrance being included in skincare products is even more common, unfortunately. Luckily, EltaMD's fragrance-free and simple moisturizer can bring relief to irritated or sensitive skin. It also helps protect skin conditions like eczema and is great to have on hand after a chemical peel or laser treatment since it can promote faster skin healing.
9. Sanitas Skincare Sensitive Skin Moisturizer
This may not be a great option if you have acne-prone skin because it contains shea butter, but if that doesn't usually bother you, add this to your cart. It soothes redness and blotchiness while providing deep hydration with vitamin C and hyaluronic acid.
10. Paula's Choice Redness Relief Moisturizer
11. Naturopathica Calendula Essential Hydrating Cream
Calendula is a great soothing ingredient for dryness and redness. Luckily, this Naturopathica moisturizer is loaded with it along with other ingredients like borage seed oil, aloe vera, and rosa damascena essential oil to help provide long-lasting hydrating.
12. Dermalogica UltraCalming Barrier Repair
Dermalogica's UltraCalming Barrier Repair moisturizer is waterless and silicone-based. This may not be for everyone, but it does gently melt into sensitive skin to soothe and repair damage from environmental stress and irritation. It strengthens your skin's natural lipid barrier to prevent any future damage as well.
13. Lancer Skincare The Method: Nourish Sensitive Skin
14. Neutrogena Oil Free Facial Moisturizer SPF 15
Next: 17 Organic Skincare Products That Help Pump the Brakes on Wrinkles
Shawna Hudson is a beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and travel writer with over 10 years of experience. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in journalism and has written for other publications such as Bustle, The Zoe Report, Byrdie, Elite Daily, and more. She is currently a beauty writer atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing and hopes to continue feeding her (completely out-of-control) beauty obsession as long as she can. Stay up to date on her latest finds on Instagram @shawnasimonee.
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