Cetaphil Gentle Oil-Free Makeup Remover for dry sensitive skin
Aloe Barbadensis
Panax Ginseng
Camellia Sinensis
Cucumis Sativus Extract
GlycerinHigh
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for dry sensitive skin; a few pre-cleansers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers excellent makeup removal for your dry and sensitive skin, as Poloxamer 184 and Benzalkonium Chloride effectively cleanse without irritation, complemented by Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract for soothing benefits.
- Glycerin and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice provide moderate hydration, addressing your dry or flaky skin concerns with general skincare benefits.
- The product is safe for your skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
How to apply
- Use your makeup remover PM as the first step of your evening routine. Start 3×/week daily use if your dry skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this makeup remover before your regular cleanser, toner, and moisturizer. It prepares your face for a thorough double-cleansing routine.
- Gently press a small amount onto your skin using a soft cotton pad. Avoid rubbing to protect your sensitive and flaky skin.
- Apply the makeup remover on completely dry skin to ensure better tolerance and comfort. This prevents any extra irritation for reactive skin types.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your very first use to prevent irritation.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 4.5k+ reviewsA significant number of users report that it leaves an oily film requiring a second cleanse and find the bottle design dispenses too much product at once.
Highlights
Removes waterproof makeup Mostly Mentioned
- “dissolves waterproof mascara”
- “takes off long-wear eyeliner”
- “removes heavy foundation”
Gentle on eyes Often Mentioned
- “no stinging”
- “doesn't burn eyes”
- “great for contact lens wearers”
Leaves oily residue Often Mentioned
- “greasy film”
- “oily after-feel”
- “blurry vision”
Fragrance-free Sometimes Noted
- “no scent”
- “neutral smell”
- “good for allergies”
Non-drying formula Sometimes Noted
- “leaves skin soft”
- “conditioning feel”
- “not stripping”
Poor bottle design Sometimes Noted
- “spills easily”
- “opening too wide”
- “wastes product”
Requires rinsing Sometimes Noted
- “must wash off”
- “residue lingers”
- “needs second cleanse”
Price per ounce Rarely Noted
- “small bottle”
- “expensive for size”
- “runs out fast”
Sources: lovi.care, cetaphil.com, amazon.com, walmart.com, target.com, ulta.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Cetaphil Gentle Oil-Free Makeup Remover a great fit for dry sensitive skin?
This makeup remover is a great fit because it cleanses effectively without irritation and soothes dry, sensitive skin using gentle ingredients. Glycerin and aloe vera help hydrate flaky areas, while the formula's soothing components keep the skin calm.
Which ingredients make this makeup remover a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Poloxamer 184 and benzalkonium chloride gently clean away makeup without causing irritation, while aloe vera and green tea help calm dry sensitive skin. Glycerin adds much-needed moisture to keep flaky areas soft and comfortable.
What does Aloe Vera do for dry sensitive skin?
Aloe vera helps boost skin hydration and keeps dry skin feeling soft and calm without disrupting the skin barrier. Because it is gentle and has a very safe profile, it is unlikely to irritate sensitive skin.
Skin Research and Technology, 2006Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011
What does Panax Ginseng do for dry sensitive skin?
Panax ginseng helps calm dry sensitive skin by reducing irritation and locking in moisture. It also supports skin barrier health to keep your skin feeling soft and comfortable.
Journal of Ginseng Research, 2017Annals of Dermatology, 2018
Where does this makeup remover go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This makeup remover goes in your evening and weekly routines before cleansing to gently clear away makeup without irritation. It helps keep dry and sensitive skin calm with soothing ingredients like aloe and green tea extract.
Can I use this makeup remover with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this makeup remover in the evening before your cleanser and retinol. It helps cleanse without irritation while providing soothing and hydrating benefits for your dry and sensitive skin.
How often should I use this makeup remover?
Use this makeup remover in your evening routine and during your weekly routine as a first step to gently take off makeup without irritation. It is safe for your skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components like aloe and cucumber.
Can this makeup remover clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This makeup remover is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin because it is oil-free and designed to cleanse without irritation. Its soothing ingredients help keep skin calm while removing makeup.
Is this makeup remover fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol).
What the research says
A non-alcoholic benzalkonium chloride hand sanitizer demonstrated antibacterial activity against nine out of eleven bacterial strains and caused no skin irritation or redness in ten participants compared to alcohol-based hand gels.
Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 2021A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010Enzyme-modified ginseng extract cream significantly reduced the global photo-damage score and various roughness measures including total roughness, smoothness depth, and arithmetic roughness average compared to placebo in 23 human subjects.
Rejuvenation Research, 2015A red ginseng hydrogel formulation with 1,2-hexanediol promoted selective growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis and decreased Cutibacterium acnes in 20 female subjects.
Journal of Ginseng Research, 2022A 1% fermented black ginseng cream significantly reduced eye wrinkles and brightened skin color in twenty-three human subjects compared to control cream and baseline.
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part A, 2020Topical green tea extract significantly improved clinical symptoms, tear breakup times, and meibomian gland health compared to standard treatment in patients with dry eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2017Topical low-dose green tea extract reduces UVB-induced p53 expression and apoptosis in human skin keratinocytes compared to placebo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2009An anti-acne hydrogel containing Aloe barbadensis, Garcinia mangostana, and Camellia sinensis extracts showed superior antiacne and antiblotch activities compared to 1% clindamycin gel in sixty subjects with mild-moderate acne.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Transgenic cucumber expressing poly-γ-glutamic acid synthesis genes increased water content by 6-14%, reduced water loss by 11-12%, decreased facial wrinkles and roughness by 19.58% and 24.97%, decreased skin melanin by 5.27%, and improved facial elasticity in human skin and zebrafish compared to controls.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024Copper Oxide nanoparticles synthesized using cucumber extract exhibited antibacterial, antifungal, UV protection, and reactive-oxygen species inhibition properties with low cellular toxicity and skin-rejuvenating effects when incorporated into skin cream.
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders Drug Targets, 2021Topical treatment with Holothuria parva extract gel showed significant wound contraction compared to the negative control in full-thickness wounded rats.
The International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds, 2024The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
Ingredients
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Potassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Poloxamer 184, Benzalkonium Chloride, Tetrasodium Edta, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Allantoin
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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