Best Skincare Products for Sensitive Skin
If you have sensitive skin, you know how close to impossible it is to find products that don’t completely wreck your skin. If it smells good, it’ll cause your skin to break out. If it’s something people with normal skin love, it’ll clog your pores.
As someone with oily AND sensitive skin (the struggle is real), I’ve searched high and low for years to find the products on this list—and now that I’ve found them, I’m sticking with them for life. From makeup removers and eye cream to sunscreen and face masks, these are the absolute best skincare products for your sensitive skin—no matter your age or skincare need.
Bonus: I’ve also noted which products are fragrance-free, oil-free, sulfate-free, non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic, which products are natural, and all the important ingredients for you!
Best Makeup Wipes for Sensitive Skin
Olay Daily Gentle Clean Wet Cleaning Cloths
-Fragrance-free
-Hydrates skin with Aloe
-Removes Waterproof Mascara
I steered clear of makeup wipes for years because everything seemed to cause my skin to break out—until I tried Olay’s Daily Gentle Clean Wet Cleaning Cloths. Olay is an amazing brand in general, but these really do get off all your makeup without leaving greasy residue behind to cause breakouts.
Best Makeup Remover for Sensitive Skin
CeraVe Ultra Gentle Hydrating Micellar Water
-With 3 essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide
-No-rinse formula
You’ve likely heard of micellar water—if you haven’t, you need to try it. If you’re not a fan of makeup wipes, or if you feel like you need more than just makeup wipes but you don’t want to use a harsh toner, micellar water is the perfect option.
Plus, with its no-rinse formula, there’s no greasy residue to wash off (unlike other micellar waters I’ve tried). And every CeraVe product is perfect for sensitive skin. (You’ll find a lot from them on this list, so get ready.)
Best Nighttime Cream for Sensitive Skin
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Face Cream
-Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, ceramides 1, 3, and 6-11
-Fragrance-free
-Non-comedogenic
I can’t put into words how much I love this night cream. It’s 100% fragrance free, which is nearly impossible to find. Not only does it not break my skin out; it’s the creamiest night cream I’ve ever used without it turning into a greasy, goopy mess. You can apply it before bed and still give your significant other a goodnight kiss!
Best Daytime Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin
CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
-Broad Spectrum SPF 30
-Oil-free, fragrance-free
-Non-comedogenic
-With Ceramides 1, 3, and 6-11, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid
First thing’s first: your daytime moisturizer needs to contain SPF. Which, I know, isn’t great for sensitive skin. But you just have to have it to avoid skin cancer and wrinkles as best you can. This moisturizer with CeraVe is perfect because it’s fragrance free AND contains a pretty high SPF.
(If you’re not already using a moisturizer with SPF, it will take your skin a minute to adjust; you might experience an initial breakout, but it will settle down and get used to it eventually.)
Best Eye Cream for Sensitive Skin
Burt’s Bees Sensitive Eye Cream
-Fragrance-free
-Hypoallergenic
-With cotton extracts and aloe
Just like with CeraVe, most Burt’s Bees products will be perfect for sensitive skin. Their eye cream is specifically targeted to sensitive skin, though; not only is it fragrance-free, it also contains cotton extracts and aloe!
Best Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin
Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Broad Spectrum SPF 60
-Waterproof and sweat-proof
-Fragrance-free
-Hypoallergenic
As I said previously, sunscreen can be a bit of a nightmare for those of us with sensitive skin. So stick with your CeraVe daytime moisturizer with SPF 30 for your face, and use Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Broad Spectrum SPF 60 for the rest of your body. It’s waterproof and sweatproof like most other sunscreens, but it’s also fragrance-free and hypoallergenic.
Best Toner for Sensitive Skin
T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel Astringent
-100% natural
-Dermatologist recommended
-Contains no artificial fragrances or dyes
Witch hazel is the perfect toner for sensitive skin. It’s completely natural and contains no artificial fragrances or dyes, but it cleans out your pores and dries up zits.
Best Toner for Sensitive Skin
-Infused with rosewater, glycerin, and aloe
-99.9% natural and gentle enough for daily use
I would recommend using Burt’s Bees Rosewater Tonic in addition to witch hazel, maybe every other day. It’s not as good at witch hazel at getting rid of acne, but it does give your skin a nice, subtle, soft glow.
Best Cleanser for Sensitive Skin
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser for Normal to Dry Skin
-Fragrance-free
-With hyaluronic acid and ceramides 1, 3, and 6-11
-Non-comedogenic, non-drying
If you’re on the dryer side of the sensitive skin spectrum, this cleanser is perfect. As I said, CeraVe products are perfect for sensitive skin, and this one works to hydrate while clearing up your skin.
Best Cleanser for Sensitive Skin
CeraVe Foaming Face Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin
-Fragrance-free
-With niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides 1, 3, and 6-11
-Non-comedogenic, non-drying, non-irritating
This is the cleanser I use every single day. Normally, products made for oily skin are drying, but this cleanser isn’t. It leaves your skin looking smooth and matte, but it never dries it out. And it’s gentle enough for my sensitive skin!
Best Face Mask for Sensitive Skin
Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask
-With bamboo charcoal, white China clay, and lecithin
-For acne and oil control
This is the best face mask I’ve ever used. The first time I tried it, I was shocked; when I scrubbed it off, my pores were so squeaky clean! It’s also fun to use because it heats up as you rub the charcoal all over your face.
Best Face Mask for Sensitive Skin
Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Treatment Mask
-Infused with clary sage
-99% natural
-No parabens, phthalates, petrolatum or SLS
Again, all of Burt’s Bees products are natural and super gentle on your skin. If you need some additional hydration, try this mask.
Best Acne Treatment for Sensitive Skin
-Spot treatment
-With salicylic acid, volcanic ash, grape seed extract, Canadian willowherb, and Icelandic complex
-100% vegan
You can leave the blemish dot on your zit for a couple of hours or overnight—I prefer to use them overnight, because your skin does the most healing while you sleep! But don’t expect magical, overnight results; if you have a particularly pesky zit, it might take a couple of nights with the blemish dots to really do the trick.
Best Body Wash for Sensitive Skin
-Fragrance-free, dye-free
-With soothing oatmeal
-Hypoallergenic
This is hands-down my favorite body wash. I used scented body washes for years without realizing how badly they were breaking out my skin; but when I switched to this body wash, everything cleared right up—it even helped with the pilaris keratosis on my arms. It contains soothing oatmeal, which if you’ve ever had chicken pox, you know is great for your skin.
Best Body Wash for Sensitive Skin
Dove Sensitive Skin Nourishing Body Wash
-Hypoallergenic, sulfate-free, and soap-free
This is the slightly less costly body wash option, and it’s definitely better for sensitive skin than most other body washes; but I will say this body wash is not fragrance-free.
If you’re on a budget, I would definitely recommend this option; but if you’re looking for something that definitely won’t irritate your skin, I would go with the Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash.
Best Body Lotion for Sensitive Skin
Aveeno Active Naturals Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion
-Fragrance-free
-With oatmeal and shea butter
This is the sister to Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash. It contains oatmeal and shea butter, AND it’s fragrance-free. So it will moisturize without breaking your skin out, which is huge.
Best Body Lotion for Sensitive Skin
CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough and Bumpy Skin
-With salicylic acid and lactic acid
-MVE delivery technology provides all-day hydration
Great for acne-prone skin or those with Eczema. I use CeraVe SA Lotion on my back—it helped clear up the acne back there and prevents future breakouts—and my arms, where I have a mild case of pilaris keratosis.
Best Body Lotion for Sensitive Skin
Jergens Daily Moisture Fragrance-Free Moisturizer
-Fragrance-free
-With hydralucence blend and silk proteins
At least there are a ton of body lotion options for sensitive skin! Jergens is always great, but this one is a perfect option for sensitive skin because it’s fragrance-free (which, if you have sensitive skin, you know how hard it is to find a fragrance-free lotion!).
Best Facial Cleansing Brush for Sensitive Skin
ProX by Olay Advanced Cleansing System
-Includes facial cleansing brush, cleansing brush head, and exfoliating renewal cleanser
-ProX by Olay facial cleansing brush has two speeds
-Designed by dermatologists
While there are plenty of options for facial cleansing brushes out there, they can be pretty pricey. That’s why I like my ProX by Olay; it’s just under $40, whereas competitors can be more than $100. The brush head refills are super inexpensive too!
Best Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin
Cremo Lavender Bliss Moisturizing Concentrated Shave Cream
-Paraben-free, aluminum-free, sulfate-free
-With aloe, calendula, and papaya extract
-Not tested on animals
Don’t bother with Gillette Satin Care Ultra Sensitive Women’s Shave Gel or Skintimate anything; I’ve tried them and I still get razor burn everywhere. Cremo Lavender Bliss Moisturizing Concentrated Shave Cream is the creamiest, most moisturizing shave cream I’ve ever tried. Ever.
Even though it’s not fragrance-free, it doesn’t irritate my skin at all. I end up with zero razor burn, which is absolutely nuts.
Best Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin
-With mango butter, coconut oil, and shea butter
-Paraben-free and cruelty-free
This is my second-favorite shaving cream. It’s gel instead of cream, but it has mango butter, coconut oil, and shea butter, so it’s super hydrating. It doesn’t last very long, but again, zero razor burn!
Best Nighttime Serum for Sensitive Skin
FRESH Seaberry Skin Nutrition Booster
-Paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalates-free
-With seaberry oil, roucou extract, tomato extract, camellia seed oil, and omegas 3, 6, and 7
This is my favorite serum and one of the only two serums (you’ll see the other one on the next slide) that don’t break my skin out. You can use it either alone, under your night cream, or you can mix it with your daytime moisturizer or night cream for a lighter feel.
It’s packed with a ton of good stuff, and you’ll wake up with moisturized, not-broken-out skin!
Best Daytime Serum for Sensitive Skin
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Skin Booster
-With hyaluronic acid and argan oil extract
-Preps for makeup application
This is the only serum I’ve ever been able to find that is light and not-greasy enough for me to apply underneath my makeup. I would highly suggest using this serum during the day, under your makeup, and the FRESH Seaberry Skin Nutrition Booster serum at night, mixed with your night cream.