Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream for dry sensitive skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Squalane
Glycerin
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Kalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract
High
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for dry sensitive skin; a few moisturizers 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
- Highly suitable for your dry and sensitive skin as glycerin and squalane provide excellent humectant and emollient actions to hydrate and smooth the skin, while sodium hyaluronate supports the skin barrier and plumps dry or flaky areas.
- The formulation is safe for your skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients, ensuring no irritation.
- This product offers excellent moisturizing benefits, effectively addressing your dry or flaky skin concerns.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using this moisturizer 3 times a week and move to daily use if your dry skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toner in the morning, or after your serum in the evening. Always pair it with SPF in the morning.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing it harshly to protect your sensitive skin.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help with hydration absorption. This also works well for dry and flaky skin types.
- Do a patch test before your first use. Avoid the eye area to prevent any irritation.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 2.6k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with normal to dry skin highly recommend this cream for its exceptional ability to combat dehydration and improve skin's plumpness and radiance. The silky texture is frequently praised for its quick absorption without greasiness, making it an excellent base for makeup. Some users with very dry skin or sensitivity to fragrance find it less effective or irritating, occasionally preferring a richer formula or a fragrance-free option.
Highlights
Intense hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “Literally melts into the skin creating a perfectly soft feel.”
- “A skin saver for the drying winter months.”
- “Instantly quenched my dehydrated patches.”
- “Keeps my face moisturized all day without feeling heavy.”
Silky texture Often Mentioned
- “Absorbs right away with no greasy residue.”
- “Sinks in beautifully, making it a great makeup base.”
- “Feels luxurious and velvety, not sticky at all.”
- “Lightweight but packs a punch of moisture.”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “Smells fresh, clean, and like a spa.”
- “The fragrance is luxurious and calming.”
- “Love the signature Clarins botanical scent.”
- “Has a crisp smell that isn't too floral.”
Plumping and radiance Sometimes Noted
- “My skin looks instantly more plump and dewy.”
- “Gives a healthy, radiant glow to dull skin.”
- “Noticed improved elasticity and bounciness.”
- “Smooths out fine lines caused by dehydration.”
Price vs. quantity Sometimes Noted
- “Too expensive for how quickly the jar runs out.”
- “Product is great but the price is steep for daily use.”
- “I go through the small jar in less than a month.”
- “Wish it came in a larger size for the cost.”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “The perfume is way too strong for my sensitive nose.”
- “Smells nice but caused my eyes to water.”
- “Wish they had a fragrance-free version.”
- “Scent lingers too long after application.”
Not rich enough Rarely Noted
- “Good for summer, but I need the Rich version for winter.”
- “My skin felt tight again after a few hours.”
- “Better for normal skin than truly dry skin.”
Reformulation issues Rarely Noted
- “Miss the old Hydra-Quench formula, this isn't the same.”
- “New formula caused a breakout unlike the previous one.”
- “Preferred the texture of the discontinued version.”
- “Not as effective as the original cream I used for years.”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, boots.com, ulta.com, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream a great fit for dry sensitive skin?
Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream is a great fit because glycerin and squalane hydrate and smooth dry skin, while sodium hyaluronate supports the skin barrier and plumps flaky areas. The formula is also free of harsh ingredients, which helps keep your skin calm and free of irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Glycerin, squalane, and sodium hyaluronate make this cream a great fit by helping to hydrate and smooth dry or flaky areas while supporting the skin barrier. The absence of harsh ingredients also helps ensure a low likelihood of irritation for sensitive skin.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for dry sensitive skin?
Hyaluronic acid is a great fit for dry, sensitive skin because it brings a large boost in hydration, making the skin feel soft and smooth while improving barrier function. It helps calm tightness and dryness, and is unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Dermatology and Therapy, 2021
What does Squalane do for dry sensitive skin?
Squalane helps keep dry sensitive skin soft and smooth by locking in moisture and calming irritation without causing flare-ups. It is unlikely to cause redness or discomfort, making it a gentle choice that supports the skin barrier. This type of skin needs ingredients that deeply hydrate and soothe, such as plant oils and antioxidants.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2017Molecules, 2009
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This cream goes as the final step of your evening routine after your treatment, and you can also use it whenever your skin feels dry and needs extra comfort. Using a moisturizer helps hydrate dry skin and supports the skin barrier, keeping it calm and comfortable.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying your retinol first and following it with this moisturizer to help calm and smooth your skin. Using a hydrating moisturizer alongside retinol helps reduce dryness and irritation while supporting your skin barrier.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizer twice a day, morning and night, to keep dry and sensitive skin feeling soft and comfortable. Daily application helps maintain skin moisture and supports the skin barrier.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin because its ingredients hydrate and smooth without harsh additives, ensuring a very safe profile. It does not contain active ingredients that speed up cell turnover, so it is also unlikely to cause purging.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can safely use this moisturizer on your body and the thin skin around your eyes to hydrate and smooth dry areas. The gentle ingredients and lack of harsh additives mean it is unlikely to cause irritation while keeping your skin soft.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Stearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A 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 an emollient emulsion containing 15.0% caprylic/capric triglyceride doubled the amount of urocanic acid isomers and increased skin hydration with reduced transepidermal water loss in healthy subjects, though it did not prevent ultraviolet-induced urocanic acid isomerization.
Life, 2023Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025The 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, 2012Ointments formulated from the crude extract, aqueous fraction, and methanolic fraction of Kalanchoe petitiana leaves significantly improved wound healing parameters including wound contraction, epithelialization time, hydroxyproline content, and skin breaking strength in mice compared to negative controls.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2013Topical formulations containing aqueous extract of Kalanchoe brasiliensis and Kalanchoe pinnata reduced croton oil-induced ear edema and carrageenan-induced paw edema in Swiss mice compared to untreated controls, with K. brasiliensis showing a better result by being active at the lowest concentration.
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & Pharmacotherapie, 2019Topical treatment with a 5% Bryophyllum pinnatum leaf extract gel formulation promoted skin wound healing by reducing wound area, decreasing inflammatory infiltrate and IL-1β and TNF-α levels, and increasing VEGF expression in rats, showing an effect similar to Fibrinase.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Betaine, Propanediol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Silica, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Squalane, Parfum, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chlorphenesin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dimethiconol, Polysorbate 60, Tocopherol, Disodium Edta, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Kalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Citric Acid, Phenethyl Alcohol, Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Lapsana Communis Stem Extract Flower Leaf, Maris Sal Sea Salt Sel Marin, Callicarpa Japonica Fruit 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.
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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
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