Obagi Kinetin+ Hydrating Cream for sensitive skin
Kinetin
Zeatin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Ascorbic Acid
Hydrolyzed ElastinHigh
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best moisturizers for sensitive skin.
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 cream effectively addresses your redness and irritation goals with kinetin and panthenol providing soothing and anti-inflammatory effects that enhance barrier resilience.
- The presence of zeatin further supports skin health with its antioxidant activity, making it a beneficial addition for overall skin well-being.
- The formulation is safe for your sensitive skin, containing no harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsWhile many report visible improvements in skin texture and fine lines, some users find the price point too high and have experienced significant frustration with the airless pump packaging.
Highlights
Deep hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “hydrating for super-dry skin”
- “long lasting hydration”
- “leaves skin hydrated”
- “plump and well-hydrated”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “absorbs instantly”
- “non-greasy feel”
- “velvety texture”
- “light like water”
Soothing & calming Often Mentioned
- “reduces redness”
- “good for sensitive skin”
- “calms irritation”
- “hypoallergenic”
Anti-aging benefits Sometimes Noted
- “skin younger looking”
- “improves fine lines”
- “skin feels radiant”
- “restores youthful look”
Faulty packaging Sometimes Noted
- “pump does not work”
- “bottle design is a scam”
- “wasted product”
- “impossible to open”
High price Sometimes Noted
- “expensive”
- “not worth the money”
- “overrated”
- “pricey for the amount”
Acne/Breakouts Rarely Noted
- “broke out with acne”
- “caused small bumps”
- “not ideal for acne”
- “clogged pores”
Texture dislike Rarely Noted
- “too thick”
- “did not like texture”
- “feels heavy”
Sources: lovi.care, lovelyskin.com, influenster.com, walmart.com, obagi.com, dermstreet.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Obagi Kinetin+ Hydrating Cream a great fit for sensitive skin?
Obagi Kinetin+ Hydrating Cream is a great fit for sensitive skin because it contains kinetin and panthenol, which help soothe redness, calm irritation, and strengthen the skin barrier. The gentle formula avoids harsh ingredients, making it safe and well-tolerated for delicate skin.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for sensitive skin?
Kinetin and panthenol make this cream a great fit for sensitive skin by soothing redness, calming irritation, and strengthening your skin barrier. Zeatin also supports your skin health with antioxidant activity while keeping the formula gentle and free of harsh ingredients.
What does Kinetin do for sensitive skin?
Kinetin helps make sensitive skin look and feel smoother and more hydrated while calming redness. It is generally well-tolerated and is unlikely to cause irritation.
What does Zeatin do for sensitive skin?
Zeatin helps protect skin cells from UV damage and stress, which may keep skin looking youthful and smooth over time. It works by preventing the breakdown of collagen and maintaining moisture balance when applied regularly.
Rejuvenation Research, 2005International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2009
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This cream is a treatment that goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, followed by a moisturizer. It helps soothe redness and irritation while supporting your skin barrier safely.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol, and applying it first helps soothe and prepare your skin to better handle the retinoid. Using a barrier-enhancing moisturizer alongside strong treatments like retinol is unlikely to cause irritation and may improve your overall treatment comfort.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream is a great fit for your sensitive skin and is suitable for daily use. Using it regularly helps calm redness and irritation while keeping your skin feeling soft and comfortable.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin, as it contains no harsh ingredients that typically trigger irritation. Reviewers rarely report acne or breakouts with this product.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizing treatment around the eyes and on the body because its gentle formulation is well-tolerated and free of harsh irritants. Kinetin and panthenol help soothe redness and support delicate skin barrier health in thinner areas without causing irritation.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
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, 2002Topical combination of kinetin and niacinamide exerts synergistic anti-aging effects with significant reductions in spot, pore, wrinkle, and evenness counts, alongside increased hydration and decreased erythema in Taiwanese subjects compared to placebo.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2007Long-term treatment with zeatin in human skin fibroblasts undergoing aging in vitro prevented cell enlargement, reduced intracellular debris, prevented actin polymerization, and enhanced stress tolerance without increasing maximum proliferative capacity.
Rejuvenation Research, 2005A 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, 2025Kinetin treatment increased involucrin and keratin 1 mRNA expression in HaCaT cells and improved skin moisture and transepidermal water loss while decreasing skin texture roughness in subjects using kinetin-containing cream compared to baseline.
Annals of Dermatology, 2017Cosmetic formulations containing a liposomal dispersion of magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, alpha-lipoic acid, and kinetin provided photoprotection against UV damage in hairless mouse skin and enhanced stratum corneum and deeper layer skin moisture in human volunteers after four weeks of daily applications.
Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2012Topical 0.1% kinetin cream applied twice daily for 12 weeks resulted in slight but statistically significant improvements in overall skin condition, texture, color, and wrinkles among 100 Thai subjects with facial photo-damage compared to baseline.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2015Pretreatment with trans-Zeatin significantly inhibits UVB-induced MMP-1 expression, c-Jun activation, and MAPK phosphorylation in cultured human skin fibroblasts compared to UVB irradiation alone.
International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2009Trans-Zeatin treatment attenuates ultraviolet-induced aquaporin-3 loss, delayed wound healing, and decreased water permeability in cultured human skin keratinocytes through the inhibition of MEK/ERK activation.
International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2010A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Topical application of a 0.1% copper-zinc malonate-containing cream significantly enhanced elastin biosynthesis and induced elastic fibre regeneration in photoaged facial skin of 21 female patients after 6 weeks of treatment compared to baseline.
Experimental Dermatology, 2009A betaine-based deep eutectic solvent successfully enhanced the transdermal delivery of elastin peptide, which improved skin barrier repair, reduced melanin secretion and deposition, and stimulated the secretion of procollagen I and elastin.
Biomaterials Advances, 2024Bioactive recombinant humanized elastin (RHE) gel effectively restores skin elasticity, reverses UV-induced damage and oxidative stress, and promotes extracellular matrix remodeling in zebrafish and aged mice models compared to commercial vitamin E and recombinant humanized collagen gels.
Materials Today. Bio, 2025
Ingredients
Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Peg-12 Glyceryl Dimyristate, Stearyl Alcohol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Glycine Soja Soybean Sterols, Phenoxyethanol, Laureth-23, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Kinetin, Zeatin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Disodium Edta, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Water-Soluble Collagen, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrochloric Acid
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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