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We asked the BuzzFeed Community to name their favorite gentle skincare products for sensitive skin and they had some amazing recommendations. Start taking notes:
1. Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser swaps 1/4 of its H20 content for rosewater, which is super soothing (and not to mention, smells great!) for your skin, plus Poloxamer (which is an effective yet mild cleansing agent also used in contact lens solution) leaves your skin clean, soft, and free of makeup/grime.
2. Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads tackle breakouts with just a few swipes of its resurfacing abilities, made up of 2.8% glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, and witch hazel. They're so easy and mess-free, so you can say "seeya" to acne and acne scars faster!
3. Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 provides — wait for it — NOT greasy hydration and sun protection that melts seamlessly into your skin and doesn't cause your skin to freak out, so you can rest easy knowing you're protected. It's really forging the path for other moisturizer-sunscreen hybrids, NBD.
4. Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser is a beloved K-beauty staple that instantly soothes the skin, contains tea tree leaf oil to deep clean pores and keep breakouts and bay, and reveals your skin's inner glow.
5. Dermal Korea Collagen Essence Sheet Masks are perfect for sensitive folks who want to get in on the ~face mask party~ (it's a thing, I promise) and hydrated, firmer skin with little effort on their part — just slap on on for 15–20 minutes and then massage any remaining essence into your face afterwards.
6. Alba Botanica Hawaiian Facial Cleanser gently buffs away acne-causing impurities, so you can give your pimples and redness a one-way ticket to pineapple-scented paradise — and it's super affordable to boot!
7. Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner keeps its ingredient list super simple and douses your skin with 91.3% Milk Vetch Root Extract (which replaces purified water!) to keep skin looking hydrated, elastic, and dewy AF — and it's hypoallergenic and free of artificial fragrances and colors. Good stuff!
8. Anything CeraVe, TBH!! Sensitive skin peeps especially stan the Hydrating Cleanser, Daily Moisturizing Lotion, Moisturizing Cream, Ultra Lightweight AM and PM Lotions, and Hydrating Eye Gel-Cream for their dermatologist-approved and National Eczema Association–approved formulas that are some of the gentlest ones out on the market, true story. Dry, itchy, psoriasis-prone skin — consider it under control!
9. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil removes makeup and dirt like a friggin' dream — its olive oil–based formula is rich in vitamins and breaks down waterproof makeup in a flash, while rinsing thoroughly away. It's also suitable for *all* skin types, so massage away! Further proof? Apparently, one is sold every 10 seconds worldwide.
10. Curel Itch Defense does exactly what the name suggests: relieves dry, itchy skin, and rebalances ceramide, pH, and moisture levels, and helps control flare-ups — and since it's safe to use on babies six months and up, you're all the more assured it's safe for you too.
11. Olay Cleansing Infusion Hydrating Glow Facial Cleanser contains sea algae and aloe extract to improve your skin's condition *as* you wash, while biorenewing hydrators absorb into the skin's surface and helps keep skin ~glowing from within.~
12. Belif The Cream Aqua Bomb is the lightweight moisturizer to end all lightweight moisturizers — the oil-free gel-cream formula instantly ~bursts~, disperses, and sinks into skin, banishing dryness/flakiness and leaving behind a hydrated, bouncy complexion.
13. La Roche Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser is a milky-gel hybrid daily face wash that feels soothing/cooling to the touch and helps your skin retain the moisture it needs (hello, prebiotic thermal water!), while still removing every bit of makeup and dirt — it's also soap-free, sulfate-free, oil-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free, and non-comedogenic. PHEW.
14. Cosrx Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask serves as an overnight mask, wash-off mask, or daily moisturizer, depending on what skin type you have! It's made up of 87.26% propolis extract and natural beeswax, which is a natural and highly effective ingredient for soothing irritated skin and reducing redness. ✨
15. Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment instantly calms down rogue redness with color-changing (green to beige) capsules that blends into your skin tone, protects against UV light with SPF 30, and boosts fatigued-looking skin — all thanks to a centella asiatica complex, aka Tiger Grass*.
16. Dermalogica Ultra Calming line strengthens your skin's natural moisture and defense barrier with nourishing ingredients like licorice root extract, oat oil, squalane, and other soothing ingredients that will keep irritation at bay.
17. Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser is dermatologist-approved, so it probably should be approved by you too — it's free of every pore-clogging and bad-for-your-skin ingredient you can possibly think of, so you're left with clean, happy skin! Easy as can be.
18. Sunday Riley Juno Antioxidant + Superfood Face Oil doesn't try to fool you with an unnecessarily long ingredient list: it's literally all cold-pressed seed oils, including blueberry, cranberry, red raspberry, and broccoli — plus, for dry skin types, you can also mix in Juno with your sunscreen or foundation for smoothness and added radiance.
19. Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleanser is 98.9% natural, hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and infused with a combination of rice extracts and aloe to keep redness, irritation, and breakouts at an all-time low.
20. Paula's Choice CALM Redness Relief 1% BHA Lotion Exfoliant helps keep rosacea under control by soothing redness (hello, plant extracts!) and plumping dry skin with major hydration, while also diminishes the appearance of wrinkles and size of pores — and it's 100% fragrance free, so slather away!
21. Garnier SkinActive The Gentle Sulfate-Free Cleanser keeps breakout-prone skin, well, from breaking out by ensuring your face is properly cleansed but without all of the potential irritants other cleansers might have, including sulfates, alcohols, fragrances, parabens, oils, and soap. Foam up and let the glycerin do its work, and voila — a clean, smooth visage is yours!
22. Cetaphil Pro Oil Absorbing Moisturizer SPF 30 has a super lightweight formula that absorbs instantly into oily, easily irritated skin, so you don't break out from clogged pores, stay mattified all day, and most importantly, stay protected from the sun! Reapply as needed, folks!
23. Indie Lee Squalane Oil is soothing, straightforward, and effective. Why? It's a noncomedogenic, lightweight face oil made of 100% pure, olive-derived squalane, which helps deliver hydration, balance excess oil, and promote plump, firm, and even skin texture. Um, love!
24. Aveeno Eczema Therapy Lotion literally has the National Eczema Association Seal of Approval on its packaging, so it's a trustworthy product, to say the least — it's clinically proven to relieve dry, itchy, and irritated skin with its winning combination of colloidal oatmeal, ceramides, and essential lipids (found naturally in your skin!) to keep your skin's protective and reparative functions running smoothly.
25. Tatcha The Deep Cleanse is a godsend for oily skin — it has a gel-like formula that lathers into a creamy foam and contains tiny Japanese luffa fruit fibers within it that gently exfoliate your skin, so you experience a deeper-than-surface-level cleanse. Plus, it uses amino acids derived from silk, so it's SUPER gentle for sensitive skin.
26. Differin Adapalenge Gel is the first retinoid gel approved for over-the-counter use, aka a dermatologist-level treatment that reduces inflammation and prevents pore blockage and pimples — just be patient and consistent (as with most skincare products anyways!), since it typically takes around 12 weeks to see ~true~ results.
27. Supergoop! Daily Correct CC Cream wears like a second skin — it's THAT natural-looking — while providing lightweight color correction and ample sun protection (peep that SPF 35!). No tackiness, no greasiness, no irritation. Period!!
28. Derma-E Anti-Wrinkle Cleanser is a sulfate-free cleanser that gets all up in your pores to clean 'em out with glycolic acid, marine plant extracts, and payaya for a fresh face — plus, Vitamin A helps cellular renewal for long-term benefits!
29. La Roche Posay Toleraine Double Repair Face Moisturizer really does double — nah, like triple duty at least — when it comes to locking that hydration in, helping reduce the symptoms of eczema, *not* clogging pores, and not causing flareups or your skin to look oily. Rejoice!
30. Mario Badescu Cucumber Lotion only has a teensy amount of alcohol (4%) and soothing cucumber extract astringent to help minimize T-zone shine, clarify overall skin texture, and nourish skin with amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Sensitive and oily skin, meet your match!
31. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream is one of your best bets for an everyday moisturizer that sinks into your skin and lasts all day without needing reapplication — it truly keeps your parched skin hydrated with glacial glycoprotein and olive-derived squalane. Plus, as of earlier this year, the formula is now totally paraben-free!
32. All of the products in Etude House's SoonJung Line are deliberately formulated with at least 93% naturally-derived ingredients and low pHs — while negating potential irritants like fragrance, artificial color, and parabens — so your skin feels instantly soothed and pampered, both short and long term.
33. Fresh Soy Face Cleanser has a cult following for being so gentle and effective when it comes to removing makeup and giving your face a thorough cleanse — thanks to elasticity-promoting amino acid–rich soy proteins, soothing rosewater, and borage seed oil.
34. Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar leaves every inch of your face and body feeling fresh and clean as can be, without leaving your skin feeling stripped of natural oils or emollients, or feeling desert-dry (eep!) — and that's due to its mild, soap-free formula, which doesn't contain any harsh detergents.
35. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel is an OG product that deserves a spot in your skincare shelf — it provides lightweight, all-day hydration for all skin types (there are various versions!) and is comprised of all vegan ingredients, so you know you're treating your skin to the best of the best! So good that you'll trust it for decades.
36. Soap & Glory Face Soap & Clarity Facial Wash softly exfoliates away dead skin cells with beads that won't leave your face beet red — plus, it's filled with yuzu for a super brightening dose of Vitamin C — hello, clean face and less breakouts!
37. Johnson's Calming Bedtime Lotion may be intended for babies, but who's to say adults can't get in on the ~soothing~ action? It's hypoallergenic, dye-free, sulfate-free, and paraben-free for sensitive folks, and NaturalCalm aromas help calm you down before bedtime.
38. The whole Farmacy line for its ultra-soothing blends of honey, fruit, and flower enzymes, and other natural roots (like tumeric, sunflower, and licorice!) — it's got your whole skincare routine covered from start to finish, and it won't leave evidence of sensitivity or flare up existing acne. Better yet, it'll whip your skin into the best shape it's ever been in!
39. Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydra-Gel Eye Patches perk up your fatigued and thirsty undereye areas with some all-mighty hyaluronic acid, while ceramide NP, collagen, and marshmallow root extract help soften the appearance of fine lines and caffeine helps depuff — and best of all, they're fragrance-free, so your peepers don't get angry/irritated!
You reading this list and picking up some new gentle skincare products:
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