Kiehl's Calendula Serum-Infused Water Cream for sensitive skin
Micronized Calendula Petals
Glycerin
Panthenol
BisabololAverage
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other moisturizers fit it 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
- Offers moderate moisturizing for your normal skin, as glycerin and panthenol hydrate and enhance barrier resilience, while Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract and Bisabolol provide soothing benefits for redness and irritation.
- The formula is highly suitable for normal skin types due to its humectant and anti-inflammatory actions.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your sensitive skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this soothing AM and PM routine every day to keep your normal skin calm. Always remember to apply SPF in the morning after your moisturizer.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner in the morning, and after your serum in the evening. This step locks in hydration and protects your skin.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer evenly across your face. Avoid rubbing to keep your sensitive skin happy and calm.
- You can apply this gentle formula on dry or slightly damp skin for the best comfort. It works wonderfully on clean skin to soothe redness and irritation.
- Do a patch test before your very first use to check your skin's reaction. Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes .
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 1.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this lightweight gel-cream is highly favored by users with oily and combination skin for its refreshing texture that effectively soothes redness and calms inflammation without feeling heavy. Some users with dry skin report it is not hydrating enough, and a small number of users dislike the tacky residue it can leave or experience irritation from the essential oils.
Highlights
Lightweight, absorbs fast Mostly Mentioned
- “absorbs instantly”
- “weightless feel”
- “watery freshness”
- “melts into skin”
Good for oily skin Often Mentioned
- “perfect for oily skin”
- “non-greasy”
- “doesn't clog pores”
- “balances oil”
Soothing and calming Often Mentioned
- “reduced redness”
- “calms inflammation”
- “soothing hydration”
- “relieved discomfort”
Radiant finish Sometimes Noted
- “healthy glow”
- “dewy look”
- “boosts radiance”
- “fresh appearance”
Smooths skin texture Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels soft”
- “smooth canvas”
- “improves texture”
- “makeup glides on”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “too expensive”
- “pricey for results”
- “not worth the money”
- “small amount for price”
Not hydrating enough Sometimes Noted
- “not moisturizing enough”
- “skin felt tight”
- “need to reapply”
- “dry patches remained”
Sticky finish Sometimes Noted
- “leaves a film”
- “sticky residue”
- “tacky feeling”
- “slippery texture”
Causes irritation Rarely Noted
- “burning sensation”
- “caused breakouts”
- “tingling”
- “made face itchy”
Strong fragrance Rarely Noted
- “smells like lemon candy”
- “scent is overpowering”
- “fragrance caused nausea”
- “too perfumey”
Sources: lovi.care, kiehls.com, sephora.sg, ulta.com, spacenk.com, femaledaily.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Kiehl's Calendula Water Cream work for sensitive skin?
This cream works moderately well for sensitive skin, providing light moisture and calming redness with glycerin, panthenol, and bisabolol. It has a safe profile without harsh ingredients, but sensitive skin often needs formulas with fermented centella asiatica, cica ceramides, and nourishing oils to fully strengthen the skin barrier and deliver deep hydration without feeling overwhelmed.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for sensitive skin?
Glycerin and panthenol hydrate dry skin and protect its barrier, while Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract and bisabolol help calm redness and irritation. To fit sensitive skin even better, this type of product needs fermented Centella Asiatica, ceramides, and nourishing oils to strengthen the skin and deliver deep moisture without causing any overload.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
What do Micronized Calendula Petals do for sensitive skin?
Micronized Calendula Petals help calm sensitive and easily irritated skin by reducing redness and inflammation. They also support a healthy skin barrier to keep skin feeling soft and comfortable.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2005
What does Calendula Flower Extract do for sensitive skin?
Calendula flower extract helps calm sensitive skin and keeps it feeling soft and smooth. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may help strengthen the skin barrier while easing redness.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Sensitive skin needs a moisturizer with soothing ingredients like glycerin, panthenol, bisabolol, and calendula extract to calm redness and keep the skin barrier strong.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying your retinol first, letting it dry, and then smoothing on this moisturizer to help calm any irritation. Using a barrier-supporting moisturizer alongside retinol is unlikely to cause problems and may help keep your skin feeling comfortable. Skin like yours often does best with a product that pairs gentle hydrators with soothing ingredients to protect against dryness.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment in your evening routine. Daily application helps keep sensitive skin hydrated and soft.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on sensitive skin, as its safety profile is excellent and it lacks harsh ingredients. Sensitive skin typically needs lightweight, fragrance-free hydration and soothing ingredients like glycerin and bisabolol to keep pores clear while calming redness and irritation.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cream on the thin skin around your eyes and on your body, as its safe formula is unlikely to cause irritation. However, because this is an average fit for sensitive skin, a product of this type needs gentle soothing ingredients like bisabolol and extra hydrating agents to properly care for delicate areas.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene, citral, citronellol, geraniol, farnesol, and linalool).
What the research says
Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 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, 2017Topical application of Calendula officinalis extract cream significantly improved skin hydration and firmness (reflected in significant changes in R0 and R6 parameters) in 21 healthy human volunteers compared to a base cream.
Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica, 2011Treatment with standardized extract of Calendula officinalis L. led to a shorter epithelization time and faster healing speed compared to mineral oil in patients with acute skin loss wounds of the hand and fingers healing by secondary intention.
Tissue Barriers, 2022Topical administration of Calendula provides weak evidence of effectiveness in acute and chronic wounds compared to standard treatments based on a narrative review of available trials.
Wounds, 2008The 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, 2012Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 2020Application of an alpha-bisabolol-containing cream produced a significant skin-lightening effect in pigmented skin compared to a vehicle control in the majority of female subjects after 8 weeks.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2010The combination of allantoin, bisabolol, D-panthenol and dipotassium glycyrrhizinate reduces UVB-induced PGE2, inflammatory cytokines, and mitochondrial superoxide in human epidermal keratinocytes.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Propanediol, Panthenol, Dimethicone Peg-10 15 Crosspolymer, Bisabolol, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Chlorphenesin, Citrus Limon Lemon Peel Oil, Sodium Citrate, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Limonene, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Geranium Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Oil Flower, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Farnesol, Linalool, Tocopherol, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Artemisia Absinthium Extract
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.