The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 for dry sensitive skin

Sodium Hyaluronate
Vitamin B5 Panthenol
Glycerin
Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract
High
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for dry sensitive skin; a few moisturizers fit it even 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
- High compatibility with your dry and sensitive skin due to multiple forms of hyaluronic acid and panthenol, which offer excellent hydration and soothing effects.
- Glycerin and Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract further enhance moisturization and skin barrier support, making it beneficial for dry or flaky skin.
- The formulation is safe for your skin, containing no harsh ingredients and featuring beneficial components like Panthenol and Glycerin.
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
★4.4Overall rating based on 7.4k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly praised for its deep hydration and plumping effects, leading to smoother skin and reduced fine lines. While the reformulated texture is generally better absorbed, some users still report pilling when layering products. It is also frequently noted as an excellent value option.
Highlights
Hydration and plumping Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels immediately hydrated”
- “gave my skin a much needed drink”
- “lovely, plumped-up feel”
- “fine lines look smoothed”
Great value Often Mentioned
- “can't beat the price”
- “staple for budget skincare”
- “great value for money”
- “performs like expensive serums”
Sticky finish Often Mentioned
- “feels very sticky”
- “leaves a tacky residue”
- “feels like glue”
- “hair sticks to face”
Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes Noted
- “no irritation at all”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “didn't sting”
Smoother texture Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels soft and smooth”
- “texture looks healthy”
- “makeup sits better”
- “reduced dry patches”
Pilling issues Sometimes Noted
- “peels off like PVA glue”
- “pills under my moisturizer”
- “flakes off in little balls”
- “ruined my foundation”
Breakouts Rarely Noted
- “broke me out in cysts”
- “caused tiny whiteheads”
- “made my skin red”
- “clogged my pores”
Foaming Rarely Noted
- “turns white and foams”
- “soapy consistency”
- “froths up when rubbed”
- “takes long to absorb”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, theordinary.com, amazon.com, target.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 a great fit for dry sensitive skin?
This serum is a great fit because its multiple forms of hyaluronic acid, panthenol, and glycerin deliver deep hydration while calming dry and sensitive skin. It also supports your skin barrier with gentle, nourishing ingredients that leave your skin feeling smooth and comfortable without irritation.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Multiple forms of hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5 panthenol, glycerin, and Ahnfeltia concinna extract make this serum a great fit for your dry sensitive skin. These ingredients work together to provide deep hydration, calm irritation, and support your skin barrier without any harsh additives.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
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 Vitamin B5 do for dry sensitive skin?
Vitamin B5 helps keep dry sensitive skin soft and calm by boosting moisture and reducing redness. It also supports skin barrier repair to help prevent water loss and irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after your toner and before your moisturizer. Putting treatments in the evening helps keep things simple and provides extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying this hydrating treatment first to soothe and prep dry skin before your retinol product. Using a barrier-enhancing moisturizer along with your routine helps keep skin comfortable and minimizes potential dryness or irritation.
How often should I use this serum?
This treatment is used in the evening as part of your routine. Daily application helps keep dry skin feeling soft and comfortable while supporting the skin barrier.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry and sensitive skin, as it features a safe formula with a low risk of breakouts. It contains helpful ingredients like Glycerin and Panthenol that hydrate the skin without heavy oils.
Can I use this serum around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this serum around the eyes and on your body because its gentle, hydrating ingredients are safe and well-tolerated on delicate and thin areas of skin. Multiple forms of hyaluronic acid and panthenol help deliver deep moisture and soothe dryness across different body regions.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017A 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, 2025Topical 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 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, 2019Moisturizer 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 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, 2001Topical sunscreen formulations containing UV filters, red algae extract, Ginkgo biloba, and vitamins protected hairless mice from UV-induced erythema, reduced transepidermal water loss, and significantly decreased the expression of p53 and caspase-3 compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology. B, Biology, 2015Chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol nanofibrous dressings containing 3% Corallina officinalis extract exhibited bead-free morphology, enhanced mechanical strength, strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and excellent biocompatibility for skin cell survival and proliferation.
Journal of Biomaterials Science. Polymer Edition, 2026
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Panthenol, Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Sphingolipids, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Citrate, P-Anisic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol
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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