Clinique moisture surge for dry sensitive skin
Glycerin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf WaterAverage
- HighDry 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 hydration for your dry and sensitive skin, as glycerin and hyaluronic acid draw water into the skin to combat dryness and flakiness. Laminaria digitata extract and aloe barbadensis leaf water provide additional soothing benefits, supporting overall skin comfort.
- The formula is generally safe for your dry and sensitive skin, with no harsh or irritating ingredients identified, ensuring a gentle experience.
- While providing essential hydration, the product's benefits are primarily supportive rather than directly targeting the underlying causes of dryness or flakiness.
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
★4.5Overall rating based on 8.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this oil-free gel-cream is highly recommended by users with oily, combination, and sensitive skin for its deep hydration and non-greasy, dewy finish. Some users with very dry skin find it insufficient, particularly in winter, and a small number report mild breakouts or a tacky feel.
Highlights
Lightweight, absorbs fast Mostly Mentioned
- “sinks in immediately”
- “feels like water”
- “no greasy residue”
- “weightless on skin”
Good makeup base Often Mentioned
- “foundation glides on”
- “doesn't pill under makeup”
- “smooth canvas”
- “grips makeup well”
Plumping effect Often Mentioned
- “glass skin look”
- “bouncy texture”
- “fine lines disappear”
- “healthy glow”
Expensive for size Often Mentioned
- “jar is too small for the cost”
- “expensive for a basic moisturizer”
- “runs out too quickly”
Soothes sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
- “no stinging”
- “calms redness”
- “fragrance-free is a lifesaver”
Not enough hydration Sometimes Noted
- “skin felt tight after an hour”
- “need a second layer”
- “too light for winter”
- “disappears too fast”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “gave me tiny bumps”
- “clogged my pores”
- “caused cystic acne”
- “whiteheads appeared next day”
Sticky finish Rarely Noted
- “feels sticky to the touch”
- “hair sticks to face”
- “tacky film left behind”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, makeupalley.com, amazon.com, clinique.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Clinique Moisture Surge work for dry sensitive skin?
Clinique Moisture Surge works moderately well for dry sensitive skin by using glycerin and hyaluronic acid to draw in water and combat flakiness, while aloe vera helps keep skin calm. It is generally safe and gentle, but because its benefits are mostly supportive, this skin type needs products with rich nourishing ingredients that provide deep moisture and stronger skin barrier support.
Which ingredients make this moisturizer a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and aloe barbadensis leaf water make this moisturizer a good fit for dry sensitive skin by drawing in moisture and helping calm irritation. To work best for this skin type, a product needs deeply nourishing ingredients and soothing agents that provide lasting hydration and strengthen the skin barrier without causing irritation.
What does Water do for dry sensitive skin?
Hard water increases soap deposits and dryness, making dry sensitive skin more prone to irritation and flare-ups. A product of this type needs gentle cleansers and soothing ingredients to calm the skin and protect its moisture barrier against hard water minerals.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2018Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 2021
What does Glycerin do for dry sensitive skin?
Glycerin helps dry sensitive skin by drawing moisture into the skin and keeping it there, making the skin soft and smooth. It is very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation while improving how well the skin holds onto water. This type of skin needs ingredients that boost hydration and repair the barrier without causing stinging.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008
Where does this moisturizer go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This moisturizer goes at the end of your evening routine after your cleanser, toner, and treatment. A moisturizer of this type for dry and sensitive skin needs rich hydrating ingredients and soothing plant extracts to lock in moisture and calm irritation.
Can I use this moisturizer with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol by applying the retinol first, letting it absorb, and then following with the moisturizer to help keep your skin comfortable. This type of product needs to include barrier-supporting ingredients like ceramides and nourishing oils to properly care for dry and sensitive skin.
How often should I use this moisturizer?
You can use this moisturizer daily as part of your morning and evening routine to help keep your dry and sensitive skin comfortable. Regular daily application helps maintain moisture and supports skin comfort, though dry skin of this type needs richer, barrier-repairing ingredients to fully address the causes of dryness.
Health Science Reports, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this moisturizer clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This moisturizer is unlikely to cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin, as its formula is generally safe and gentle without harsh or irritating ingredients.
Can I use this moisturizer around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizer around the eyes and on your body, as its gentle ingredients are generally safe for delicate areas. Because the skin around the eyes is very thin, a product for dry and sensitive skin needs rich nourishing oils and barrier-repairing ingredients to fully protect and lock in moisture there.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Is this moisturizer fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Behenyl 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, 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, 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, 2012A 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, 2010
Why other moisturizers fit dry sensitive skin better
Cosmetic 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, 2016Nanoemulsions containing Macadamia integrifolia seed oil successfully enhanced skin hydration and reduced wrinkles in human volunteers, outperforming conventional emulsions in skin hydration enhancement.
Nanomaterials, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Caprylyl Methicone, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Pentastearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Behenyl Alcohol, Peg-100 Stearate, Sucrose, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Caffeine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Isohexadecane, Lecithin, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Hyaluronic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake Sunflower Seedcake, Trehalose, Isostearic Acid, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polysorbate 80, Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Polyethylene, Acrylamide Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Silica, Disodium Edta, Tetrasodium Edta, Bht, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides Ci 77491, Iron Oxides Ci 77492, Iron Oxides Ci 77499, Titanium Dioxide Ci 77891
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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