Dermalogica Active Moist for dry sensitive skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Lavandula Angustifolia Extract Lavender Extract
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Silk Amino Acids
Average
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry sensitive skin; other moisturizers fit it 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 moderate suitability for your dry skin as Caprylic Capric Triglyceride and Sodium Hyaluronate provide emollient and humectant actions, but it may benefit from more occlusive ingredients for enhanced barrier support.
- The inclusion of Lavender Extract and Arnica Montana Flower Extract offers soothing benefits, which is advantageous for your sensitive skin.
- The product is safe for your dry and sensitive skin, containing no harsh ingredients and featuring soothing components.
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 700+ reviewsUsers with oily, combination, and acne-prone skin frequently praise this moisturizer for its sheer, lightweight formula that hydrates without clogging pores or leaving a greasy residue. Those with drier skin types or in colder climates often find it insufficient for their hydration needs, and a low frequency of users mention concerns about scent or formula changes.
Highlights
Lightweight & non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “feels like nothing”
- “zero residue”
- “super sheer”
- “matte finish”
- “light as water”
Absorbs instantly Often Mentioned
- “sinks in immediately”
- “disappears into skin”
- “no waiting time”
- “makeup ready instantly”
- “drinks it up”
Best for oily/acne skin Often Mentioned
- “doesn't clog pores”
- “no breakouts”
- “controls oil”
- “saved my acne”
- “perfect for grease-balls”
Great under makeup Sometimes Noted
- “no pilling”
- “smooth canvas”
- “primer-like finish”
- “foundation sits perfectly”
- “non-sticky base”
Expensive price point Sometimes Noted
- “pricey for size”
- “too expensive”
- “wallet hurts”
- “cost prohibitive”
- “tiny tube”
Not moisturizing enough Sometimes Noted
- “skin felt tight”
- “need more hydration”
- “too watery”
- “dry patches remain”
- “useless in winter”
Formula change concerns Rarely Noted
- “consistency changed”
- “used to be better”
- “new formula stings”
- “waterier than before”
- “quality dropped”
Herbal/earthy scent Rarely Noted
- “smells like plants”
- “weird herbal smell”
- “medicinal scent”
- “strong lemon/cucumber”
- “scent lingers”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, dermstore.com, ulta.com, acne.org, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Dermalogica Active Moist work for dry sensitive skin?
Dermalogica Active Moist works moderately well for dry sensitive skin because its ingredients provide light moisture and soothing benefits, though it is unlikely to fully lock in hydration. This skin type needs richer sealing ingredients and deep hydrators like hyaluronic acid and glycerin to support the skin barrier.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Caprylic capric triglyceride and sodium hyaluronate help lock in moisture and soften dry skin, while lavender and arnica extracts help calm sensitivity. To truly thrive, dry sensitive skin needs richer sealing ingredients that better support and protect the skin barrier.
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 Lavender Extract do for dry sensitive skin?
Lavender extract helps calm dry, sensitive skin by reducing redness and soothing irritation while supporting the natural skin barrier. It may also help improve overall skin health through its antioxidant properties.
Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2025Frontiers in Medicine, 2025
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This moisturizer goes in the evening routine after cleansing, toning, and treatment, and it may be used in other routines when needed. It works for dry sensitive skin because it provides soothing and hydrating benefits, though this skin type needs richer sealing ingredients to properly lock in moisture.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol, applying the retinol first and following with the cream to help keep your skin calm. Dry skin like yours typically needs a moisturizer with richer, heavy sealing ingredients to lock in hydration when pairing with strong treatments like retinol.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this cream daily as part of your morning and evening routine to help keep your dry skin feeling soft and comfortable. Regular use of a moisturizer like this helps maintain skin hydration and supports the skin barrier. However, because your skin is dry, this product needs richer, heavier ingredients to lock in moisture better.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This moisturizer is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin, as it has a safe profile with soothing ingredients and no harsh components. However, because it works moderately for dry skin, a product of this type needs richer, barrier-protecting ingredients to keep dry skin comfortable and fully hydrated.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream works safely on the delicate skin around your eyes and on your body, helping to keep it calm and comfortable without irritation. However, because it only offers moderate suitability for dry skin, this type of skin needs a product with richer, sealing ingredients to lock in moisture and better support the skin barrier.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2025
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (linalool). Cetearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical 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, 2023Lavandula angustifolia leaf callus extract enhanced skin cell viability, reduced oxidative stress and melanin content, improved wound healing, and enhanced skin barrier function in human skin cells and clinical tests.
Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2025Topical 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, 2019Tea tree oil effectively treated acne while lavender and rosemary oils demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties in derma cosmetic applications based on an evaluation of various essential oils.
Frontiers in Medicine, 2025A blend of Lavandula angustifolia flower extract and dipeptide-4 reduced oxidative and glycation markers, enhanced ATP, SOD, autophagy, and melatonin production, and improved tissue morphology in human skin models and fibroblasts.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2026Lavender exosome-like nanoparticles reduced inflammatory cytokine levels and improved epidermal thickness, collagen preservation, and skin integrity in UVB-induced photoaging models of HaCaT cells and mice.
Scientific Reports, 2025Topical application of sericin gels increased skin intrinsic moisturization, hydroxyproline content, and epidermal hydration while decreasing transepidermal water loss and skin impedance in healthy human volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2005Silk fibroin wound dressings exhibit anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic properties that accelerate skin wound healing compared to commercially available dressings in preclinical and clinical settings.
Biomolecules, 2022Chitosan silk fibroin topical hydrogel accelerated tissue reformation and wound regeneration compared to other groups in adult male Wistar albino rats.
Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 2023
Why other moisturizers fit dry sensitive skin better
Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
Ingredients
Water, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Gluceth-20, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Lactamide Mea, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Peg-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract Lavender Extract, Malva Sylvestris Stem Extract Flower Leaf, Hedera Helix Stem Extract Leaf, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Parietaria Officinalis Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Leaf Extract Flower, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Lemon Fruit Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Root Extract Leaf, Silk Amino Acids, Glycolipids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Palmitoyl Hydroxypropyltrimonium Amylopectin Glycerin Crosspolymer, Lecithin, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract Grape Seed Extract, Allantoin, Panthenol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-10, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polysorbate 60, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium Edta, Linalool, Lavandula Hybrida Oil
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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