NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR for sensitive skin
Salicylic Acid
Niacinamide
Glycerin
Panthenol
Citric AcidAverage
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other serums 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 treatment for your acne-prone skin, as salicylic acid and niacinamide work to reduce acne lesions and blemishes.
- Provides general skincare benefits like hydration and soothing for your redness and irritation, with glycerin and panthenol offering supportive effects.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin, containing no harsh ingredients and including soothing components like niacinamide and panthenol.
How to apply
- Use your serum in the PM routine, starting 3 times a week before building up to daily use if your skin is happy.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏱ for it to soak in.
- Since your skin is sensitive and easily irritated, apply the serum on completely dry skin to help keep it calm.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the serum too close to your eyes .
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this range for oily and blemish-prone skin is highly effective at reducing active acne and improving skin texture, with many users noting clearer pores and balanced oil production without dryness. Some users with very oily skin experienced increased shine, and a small number reported initial breakouts or had mixed feelings about the scent and consistency.
Highlights
Clears active blemishes Mostly Mentioned
- “cleared my complexion in 7 days”
- “helped settle down new spots”
- “reduced redness and inflammation”
Smoother skin texture Often Mentioned
- “skin feels squeaky clean and soft”
- “refines pores significantly”
- “left face smooth and not stripped”
Good value for money Sometimes Noted
- “absolute steal for the price”
- “performs better than expensive options”
- “budget-friendly holy grail”
Non-drying formula Sometimes Noted
- “doesn't leave skin dry or stretched”
- “leaves a hydrating film”
- “no stinging or irritation”
Increases skin shine Rarely Noted
- “made my face slightly shiny”
- “left a hydrating film I didn't like”
- “too glowy for my oily skin”
Initial skin purging Rarely Noted
- “caused a breakout at first”
- “skin got worse before better”
- “brought spots to the surface”
Scent preferences Rarely Noted
- “smells like men's hairspray”
- “scent was too weak”
- “fragrance is a bit strong”
Sticky consistency Rarely Noted
- “consistency is sticky”
- “felt heavy on the skin”
- “gelatinous texture”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, superdrug.com, hometesterclub.com, nykaa.com, amazon.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Nivea Derma Skin Clear work for sensitive skin?
Nivea Derma Skin Clear works moderately well for sensitive skin, helping to reduce breakouts while calming redness and irritation with glycerin and panthenol. Salicylic acid and niacinamide clear blemishes, but because this is an average fit, sensitive skin often needs products that include potent antioxidants and extra hydrating ingredients to deliver optimal results without any risk of irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Which ingredients make this treatment a good fit for sensitive skin?
Niacinamide and panthenol make this treatment a good fit for sensitive skin by helping calm redness and irritation safely. Glycerin also helps keep the skin hydrated while salicylic acid reduces blemishes. Treatments that fit sensitive skin even better need antioxidants and ingredients that repair the skin barrier without causing irritation.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
What does Salicylic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Salicylic acid may cause irritation on sensitive skin, so it requires careful use and good sun protection to keep skin comfortable. A product for this skin type needs gentle, soothing ingredients and a mild formula that respects the skin barrier.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1999International Journal of Toxicology, 2003
What does Niacinamide do for sensitive skin?
Niacinamide helps calm sensitive skin by strengthening the skin barrier and reducing redness and irritation. It is very well tolerated and may improve overall comfort and resilience with regular use.
Where does this treatment go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
Put this treatment in your evening routine, using it once a week to start. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients like niacinamide and panthenol, along with gentle hydrators like glycerin, to keep sensitive skin calm and comfortable.
Can I use this treatment with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol by applying them on alternate nights or using the retinol in your PM routine after a soothing toner and before your moisturizer to help prevent dry or irritated skin. Because this product offers a moderate fit for sensitive skin, this type of skin needs a treatment that combines gentle salicylic acid with soothing ingredients like glycerin and panthenol to keep the skin calm and hydrated.
How often should I use this treatment?
Start by using this treatment once a week in the evening, and if your sensitive skin tolerates it well and sees good results, you may carefully use it more often. A treatment of this type needs gentle exfoliating ingredients like salicylic acid alongside soothing and hydrating components like niacinamide, glycerin, and panthenol to manage blemishes while keeping your skin calm and moisturized.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Can this treatment clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This treatment is unlikely to clog pores, though you may experience initial skin purging as it clears out blemishes. Sensitive skin needs gentle hydrating and calming ingredients like glycerin and panthenol alongside acne-fighting components to keep skin clear without causing irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Is this treatment fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).
What the research says
Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Topical 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 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 topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005A 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, 2001Moisturizer 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, 2020A novel composition containing salicylic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, HEPES, glycolic acid, citric acid, and dioic acid showed similar tolerance and efficacy compared with clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in subjects with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical 20% citric acid lotion increases viable epidermal thickness and dermal glycosaminoglycan content in sun-damaged skin compared to vehicle alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 1997
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
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
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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