Dermalogica Active Moist for dry skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Lavandula Angustifolia Extract Lavender Extract
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Silk Amino Acids
Average
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, 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 skin, as Sodium Hyaluronate and Silk Amino Acids provide humectant action to draw moisture to the skin's surface.
- While the formula contains soothing Lavender Extract and Arnica Montana Flower Extract, it lacks sufficient emollient ingredients to fully address your dry or flaky skin concerns.
- The product is safe for your dry skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of beneficial botanical extracts.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and work your way up to daily use.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner and before your sunscreen in the morning. At night, use it as the final step after your serum.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing to keep your dry skin happy.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra hydration. This is great for soothing dry and flaky areas .
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your first use .
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 700+ reviewsUsers with oily, combination, and acne-prone skin frequently praise this moisturizer for its sheer, lightweight formula that hydrates without clogging pores or leaving a greasy residue. Those with drier skin types or in colder climates often find it insufficient for their hydration needs, and a low frequency of users mention concerns about scent or formula changes.
Highlights
Lightweight & non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “feels like nothing”
- “zero residue”
- “super sheer”
- “matte finish”
- “light as water”
Absorbs instantly Often Mentioned
- “sinks in immediately”
- “disappears into skin”
- “no waiting time”
- “makeup ready instantly”
- “drinks it up”
Best for oily/acne skin Often Mentioned
- “doesn't clog pores”
- “no breakouts”
- “controls oil”
- “saved my acne”
- “perfect for grease-balls”
Great under makeup Sometimes Noted
- “no pilling”
- “smooth canvas”
- “primer-like finish”
- “foundation sits perfectly”
- “non-sticky base”
Expensive price point Sometimes Noted
- “pricey for size”
- “too expensive”
- “wallet hurts”
- “cost prohibitive”
- “tiny tube”
Not moisturizing enough Sometimes Noted
- “skin felt tight”
- “need more hydration”
- “too watery”
- “dry patches remain”
- “useless in winter”
Formula change concerns Rarely Noted
- “consistency changed”
- “used to be better”
- “new formula stings”
- “waterier than before”
- “quality dropped”
Herbal/earthy scent Rarely Noted
- “smells like plants”
- “weird herbal smell”
- “medicinal scent”
- “strong lemon/cucumber”
- “scent lingers”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, dermstore.com, ulta.com, acne.org, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Active Moist work for dry skin?
Active Moist works for dry skin, though other products fit it better because it offers moderate hydration without fully addressing dry or flaky skin. A moisturizer for dry skin needs rich, nourishing ingredients, heavier emollients, and moisture-retaining agents like hyaluronic acid and glycerin to support the skin barrier.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry skin?
Sodium hyaluronate and silk amino acids make this cream a fit by drawing moisture to your skin's surface, while lavender extract and arnica montana flower extract help soothe it. Because it lacks enough rich softeners to fully care for dry or flaky skin, a moisturizer for this skin needs heavy-duty nourishing ingredients and protective sealants to lock in moisture and support the skin barrier.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for dry skin?
Hyaluronic acid draws moisture into dry skin, giving an immediate and lasting boost in hydration that helps smooth out fine lines and soften rough patches. It is very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation while improving overall skin smoothness and plumpness.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2021Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
What does Lavender Extract do for dry skin?
Lavender extract helps calm and soothe dry skin while supporting faster healing and skin repair. It may also improve moisture retention and comfort when used as part of a regular skincare routine.
Frontiers in Medicine, 2025Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020
Where does it go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
In your morning and evening routine, this moisturizer goes after your hydrating toner or treatment, right before your sunscreen or makeup. Using a daily moisturizer helps improve visual dryness and overall skin comfort for dry skin.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol by applying it after your retinol treatment to help soothe the skin. Dry skin types benefit most when this moisturizer is paired with rich, softening oils and butters to lock in hydration and prevent flaking.
How often should I use it?
You can use this moisturizer daily in the morning and evening as part of your regular skincare routine to keep your skin hydrated. This type of product needs rich emollient ingredients and plant oils to fully soften dry or flaky skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This moisturizer is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry skin, as it has a safe formula free of harsh ingredients. To properly care for dry skin, a product of this type needs richer softening ingredients to thoroughly lock in moisture and smooth flaky areas.
Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Archives of Dermatological Research, 2016
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizer is safe for the thin skin around the eyes and body, but because it only offers moderate hydration, dry skin types need richer creams with heavier moisturizing ingredients to fully address dryness and flaking.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (linalool). Cetearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Hyaluronic acid extracts are safe and efficacious products for skin repair when used in tissue regeneration alone or in combination with herbal or Western medicine.
Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Optimized transfersomes loaded with epigallocatechin-3-gallate and hyaluronic acid increased cell viability while reducing lipid peroxidation, intracellular ROS, and MMP expression in HaCaT cells, and exhibited higher skin permeation and deposition compared to plain EGCG.
Drug Delivery, 2017Topical application of an emollient emulsion containing 15.0% caprylic/capric triglyceride doubled the amount of urocanic acid isomers and increased skin hydration with reduced transepidermal water loss in healthy subjects, though it did not prevent ultraviolet-induced urocanic acid isomerization.
Life, 2023A bacterial nanocellulose wound dressing incorporating polyhexamethylene biguanide and sericin showed no skin irritation in healthy volunteers and significantly promoted wound healing with lower wound size and higher collagen formation in full-thickness rat wounds compared to controls.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2016Topical 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, 2019Lavandula angustifolia leaf callus extract enhanced skin cell viability, reduced oxidative stress and melanin content, improved wound healing, and enhanced skin barrier function in human skin cells and clinical tests.
Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2025Tea tree oil effectively treated acne while lavender and rosemary oils demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties in derma cosmetic applications based on an evaluation of various essential oils.
Frontiers in Medicine, 2025A blend of Lavandula angustifolia flower extract and dipeptide-4 reduced oxidative and glycation markers, enhanced ATP, SOD, autophagy, and melatonin production, and improved tissue morphology in human skin models and fibroblasts.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2026Topical application of sericin gels increased skin intrinsic moisturization, hydroxyproline content, and epidermal hydration while decreasing transepidermal water loss and skin impedance in healthy human volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2005Silk fibroin wound dressings exhibit anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic properties that accelerate skin wound healing compared to commercially available dressings in preclinical and clinical settings.
Biomolecules, 2022Chitosan silk fibroin topical hydrogel accelerated tissue reformation and wound regeneration compared to other groups in adult male Wistar albino rats.
Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 2023
Why other moisturizers fit dry 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, 2024Topical oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions containing glyceryl glucoside, natural moisturizing factors, and ceramide significantly improved skin hydration and barrier function while reducing visible dryness and tactile roughness in subjects with very dry skin compared to untreated sites and vehicles.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2012
Ingredients
Water, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Gluceth-20, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Lactamide Mea, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Peg-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract Lavender Extract, Malva Sylvestris Stem Extract Flower Leaf, Hedera Helix Stem Extract Leaf, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Parietaria Officinalis Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Leaf Extract Flower, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Lemon Fruit Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Root Extract Leaf, Silk Amino Acids, Glycolipids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Palmitoyl Hydroxypropyltrimonium Amylopectin Glycerin Crosspolymer, Lecithin, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract Grape Seed Extract, Allantoin, Panthenol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-10, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polysorbate 60, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium Edta, Linalool, Lavandula Hybrida Oil
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.