Kate Somerville Cold Cream for sensitive skin
Shea Butter
Glycerin
Coconut Oil
Jojoba Oil
Vitamin EHigh
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for sensitive skin; a few cleansers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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
- Highly suitable for normal skin, this product effectively cleanses with coconut oil and glycerin, while Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract help soothe redness and irritation.
- The inclusion of Sodium Hyaluronate and Shea Butter further supports hydration and skin barrier function, making it a beneficial choice for your skin concerns.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing agents ensuring minimal risk of irritation for your sensitive skin.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser in the AM and PM routines every day. Start using it daily since your sensitive skin needs gentle care.
- Apply this first in your morning and evening skincare routine before toner and moisturizer. This clears away dirt without upsetting your skin.
- Gently massage a small amount onto your face using soft circles. Avoid any rough rubbing to keep redness away.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help it wash away impurities softly. Clean skin feels fresh and comfortable afterwards.
- Avoid getting the cleanser in your eyes and do a quick patch test before first use. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited data, this product is a modern, whipped take on traditional cold cream that effectively melts away makeup, including waterproof mascara, while leaving skin feeling soft and hydrated. It is particularly praised by users with dry or sensitive skin for its ability to cleanse without stripping moisture. Some users find the jar packaging less hygienic and the price point high.
Highlights
Hydrating finish Mostly Mentioned
- “Soft skin, non-drying, glowing, moisturized.”
Effective makeup removal Often Mentioned
- “Melts waterproof mascara, removes heavy makeup, dissolves dirt.”
Luxurious texture Often Mentioned
- “Whipped, lightweight, creamy, fluffy.”
Gentle on skin Sometimes Noted
- “Soothing, no irritation, good for sensitive skin, cooling sensation.”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “Fresh floral, spa-like, jasmine and rose, not powdery.”
High price Sometimes Noted
Incomplete removal Rarely Noted
- “Smudged mascara, needed second cleanse, didn't remove everything.”
Jar packaging Rarely Noted
- “Unhygienic, dipping fingers in, messy, prefer pump/tube.”
Residue or film Rarely Noted
- “Requires washcloth to remove, feels heavy, leaves film.”
Strong fragrance Rarely Noted
- “Scent too strong, potential irritant for some.”
Sources: lovi.care, nordstrom.com, influenster.com, gopicky.com, newbeauty.com, refinery29.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Kate Somerville Cold Cream a great fit for sensitive skin?
Kate Somerville Cold Cream is a great fit because it cleanses with coconut oil and glycerin while chamomile and aloe leaf juice help soothe redness and irritation. Shea butter and sodium hyaluronate further support hydration and your skin barrier, and the formula has an excellent safety profile with minimal risk of irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for sensitive skin?
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice and chamomilla recutita flower extract help soothe redness and irritation, while shea butter and sodium hyaluronate support hydration and skin barrier function. Glycerin and coconut oil provide effective cleansing with minimal risk of irritation for sensitive skin.
What does Shea Butter do for sensitive skin?
Shea butter helps calm sensitive skin by reducing redness and soothing irritation while keeping the skin barrier strong and well-hydrated. It is unlikely to cause issues and provides gentle comfort similar to petrolatum-based care.
What does Glycerin do for sensitive skin?
Glycerin helps keep sensitive skin soft and deeply hydrated while supporting the skin barrier. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may protect against dryness and roughness.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Acta Dermato-venereologica, 1999
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routines. Using a mild cleanser like this is a key step that gently washes your face while helping to keep your skin calm and hydrated.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this cleanser before retinol because its gentle formula with shea butter and glycerin helps keep your skin calm and hydrated. Using a nourishing cleanser like this is unlikely to cause extra irritation while starting a retinol routine.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleanser is suitable for daily use as part of your morning and evening routine. Using a gentle cleanser consistently helps improve skin dryness and supports overall skin health without causing irritation.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
Kate Somerville Cold Cream is a great fit for sensitive skin and is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts because it has no harsh ingredients and features a very safe formula. Soothing agents help calm your skin while cleansing, keeping irritation and breakouts to a minimum.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use this cleanser around the eyes and on your body because its gentle formulation has an excellent safety profile that minimizes the risk of irritation. The thin skin around the eyes and various body areas benefit from the soothing and hydrating ingredients like shea butter and aloe leaf juice.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Lasers in Medical Science, 2025
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025Topical application of tocopherol succinate ethosomal gel decreased erythema, melanin, and sebum levels while improving moisture content and skin elasticity in 34 human women.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025A 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, 2017The 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, 2001Overnight virgin coconut oil application provides a skin protective effect against damage and increased TEWL from frequent alcohol-based hand sanitizer usage in 60 volunteers, resulting in a 25% increase in perceived moisture content compared to the control group.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012Topical application of jojoba wax reduced LPS-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα by approximately 30% and increased the synthesis of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid compared to untreated skin in an ex-vivo human skin organ culture model.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024Topical jojoba oil application in male mice decreased exercise-induced pro-inflammatory gene expression (Il-1b and Il-6 in soleus, Il-1b in gastrocnemius) compared to untreated exercised mice.
Biomolecules, 2025Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Coconut Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Esters, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Tocopherol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Disodium Edta
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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