Mary Kay Extra Emollient Night Cream for sensitive skin
Petrolatum
Mineral Oil
Beeswax
Candelilla Wax
Hydrogenated Soy Glyceride
Average
- AverageNormal 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 petrolatum and mineral oil enhance barrier resilience, but it lacks specialized ingredients to address your redness and irritation concerns.
- Beeswax and candelilla wax provide emollient action, which is moderately suitable for normal skin, but may not offer sufficient additional benefits for your specific needs.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components like beeswax.
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
★4.7Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsThis product is highly effective for extremely dry skin and rough patches, with many users reporting transformative results on areas like elbows, heels, and lips. However, some users find its thick, petroleum-based texture to be too greasy or heavy for regular facial application.
Highlights
Heals rough patches Often Mentioned
- “Works wonders on tough, dry areas!”
- “Heels and elbows have lost that bumpy, scaly look.”
Intense hydration Often Mentioned
- “It moisturizes my skin very well.”
- “Lifesaver when your skin is desperately dry.”
- “Replenishes hydration in very dry areas.”
Greasy/sticky texture Often Mentioned
- “It felt very sticky on my hands.”
- “It is quite greasy, though not as bad as straight Vaseline.”
- “It feels too heavy and doesn't seem to absorb well.”
Long-lasting value Sometimes Noted
- “A little goes a long way.”
- “Tube has lasted over a year.”
- “Since I only use it on a selected area... it is lasting me a long time.”
Versatile usage Sometimes Noted
- “I use this around my eyes and on my lips.”
- “Excellent for dry patches, especially on hands, elbows, and feet.”
- “Can be used anytime your skin needs extra moisture.”
Not for oily Sometimes Noted
- “Definitely not suitable for those with oily skin.”
- “May be too heavy for oily skin types.”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “The scent is a bit strong; I wish it had a milder fragrance.”
- “It has a very strong scent that many find unpleasant.”
- “Smells chemically scented.”
Potential staining Rarely Noted
- “Be careful if you sleep on your stomach, as it might stain your pillow.”
- “Hair ends up sticking to your face.”
Sources: lovi.care, marykay.com, influenster.com, shespeaks.com, womensblogtalk.com, vanityroutine.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Extra Emollient Night Cream work for sensitive skin?
Mary Kay Extra Emollient Night Cream works on sensitive skin by offering moderate moisture and a safe formula that is unlikely to cause irritation, though it lacks specialized ingredients to calm your redness and irritation. To fit sensitive skin well, a moisturizer needs soothing ingredients that target redness, along with nourishing oils and ceramides to strengthen the skin barrier without overwhelming it.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for sensitive skin?
Beeswax and other waxes in Mary Kay Extra Emollient Night Cream help calm and protect sensitive skin. However, this cream lacks specialized ingredients to soothe redness and irritation, so sensitive skin needs moisturizers with fermented Centella Asiatica, Cica Ceramide, and nourishing oils.
What does Petrolatum do for sensitive skin?
Petrolatum helps calm and protect sensitive skin by locking in moisture and supporting the outer barrier. This ingredient has a very low chance of causing allergies, making it safe for daily use on easily irritated skin.
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2016Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2024
What does Mineral Oil do for sensitive skin?
Mineral oil helps calm sensitive skin by trapping moisture and protecting the outer barrier from irritation. It is very gentle and unlikely to cause allergic reactions, making it safe for daily use on delicate skin.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2019
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This cream goes at the end of your evening routine as a moisturizer. It helps lock in hydration with petrolatum and mineral oil, but sensitive skin with redness also needs specialized soothing ingredients to properly calm irritation.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol, applying it after your retinol treatment to help lock in moisture and protect your sensitive skin. This cream works for your skin, though other products fit it better because it lacks specialized ingredients to address redness and irritation concerns, which sensitive skin needs along with soothing agents like ceramides.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream works well for your sensitive skin as part of your evening routine. Daily application helps improve skin moisture and barrier strength, though a product of this type for your skin needs specialized ingredients to calm redness and irritation.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause purging since it does not contain active ingredients that speed up cell turnover, but it may clog pores and cause breakouts on sensitive skin because it is heavy and greasy.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cream on your body and around the eyes, as petrolatum and mineral oil help protect these areas. Because the skin there is very thin, a product of this type needs soothing ingredients and a safe formula that avoids irritation.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
The 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, 2020Topical treatment with skin-identical lipids in a petrolatum-rich cream base showed no superiority over pure petrolatum in promoting normalization of barrier recovery and inflammation in detergent- and tape-stripped-perturbed human skin over 14 days.
Acta Dermato-venereologica, 2000Topically applied extra virgin olive oil and petrolatum both significantly improved skin barrier function and microtopographic features in 54 healthy adult volunteers, with petrolatum exerting stronger occlusive effects and extra virgin olive oil uniquely promoting epidermal renewal.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025Repeated application of concentrated water-in-oil emulsions over four weeks caused no skin irritation, positively affected skin properties, and delivered almost 50% of the applied fluorescein sodium, with isopropyl myristate showing superior penetration performance compared to liquid paraffin in healthy volunteers.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2019Topical application of a honey, olive oil, and beeswax mixture three times daily for up to 4 weeks resulted in clinical responses in 86% of patients with pityriasis versicolor, 78% with tinea cruris, and 75% with tinea corporis.
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2004A prototype body cream containing bee venom, propolis, honey, beeswax, and royal jelly demonstrated stability for 90 days, high antioxidant capacity of 85.45%, lack of cytotoxicity with over 70% cell viability, and no irritation or allergic reaction in dermatological analysis, while improving skin parameters in a panel test.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022MUD1 protected human dermal fibroblasts against AAPH-induced oxidative stress by increasing cell viability, reducing oxidative damage, improving mitochondrial functionality, and enhancing wound healing capacities.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018
Why other moisturizers fit sensitive skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 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 dexpanthenol-containing cream accelerated skin barrier repair, increased stratum corneum hydration, reduced skin roughness, and decreased skin redness compared to vehicle and untreated controls in sodium lauryl sulphate-irritated skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2002
Ingredients
Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Paraffin, Beeswax, Candelilla Wax, Hydrogenated Soy Glyceride, Carnauba Wax, Stearic Acid, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Menthol, Red 17
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.