Glossier invisible shield for sensitive skin
Avobenzone
Octisalate
OctocryleneAverage
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other sunscreens fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024
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
- Suitable for normal skin due to the humectant action of glycerin and propanediol, which help maintain skin hydration without overwhelming it, and offers moderate sun protection with avobenzone and octisalate for daily use.
- It provides general skincare benefits like hydration, which can be supportive for redness and irritation concerns, but lacks specialized ingredients to directly address them.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your sensitive skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen AM daily as the final step of your morning routine. Always reapply every two hours when exposed to the sun.
- Apply after your regular moisturizer and before makeup. This product combines hydration and sun protection in one easy step.
- Gently smooth a nickel-sized amount evenly across your face and neck. Avoid rubbing harshly to keep sensitive skin calm.
- Apply the moisturizing sunscreen to clean , dry skin for the best protection. Let it absorb ⏱ fully before stepping outside.
- Avoid direct contact with your eyes. Do a patch test before your first use since your skin is sensitive.
People Say
★4.0Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers with oily and combination skin praise the clear, gel-like texture for leaving absolutely no white cast and doubling as a smoothing primer under makeup. Many reviewers find the small bottle size poor value for the price, and some with sensitive eyes report stinging or a lingering greasy residue after application.
Highlights
Clear finish Mostly Mentioned
- “Invisible on skin”
- “Zero white cast”
- “Clear gel texture”
Poor value Mostly Mentioned
- “Tiny bottle”
- “Too expensive”
- “Runs out fast”
Makeup primer Often Mentioned
- “Great under makeup”
- “Acts as primer”
- “Smooths skin texture”
Lightweight feel Sometimes Noted
- “Feels like serum”
- “Not heavy”
- “Breathable formula”
Non-comedogenic Sometimes Noted
- “No breakouts”
- “Didn't clog pores”
- “Good for acne-prone”
Eye irritation Sometimes Noted
- “Stings eyes”
- “Burns sensitive eyes”
- “Watery eyes”
Greasy finish Sometimes Noted
- “Too shiny”
- “Feels oily”
- “Silicone texture”
Scent sensitivity Rarely Noted
- “Strong citrus smell”
- “Fragrance is irritating”
- “Smells like alcohol”
Sources: lovi.care, glossier.com, influenster.com, spacenk.com, gopicky.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Glossier Invisible Shield work for sensitive skin?
Glossier Invisible Shield works moderately well for sensitive skin, providing daily sun protection and hydration without harsh ingredients that cause irritation, though other products fit it better. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients to actively calm redness and irritation, along with ceramides or similar barrier-supporting components to fully meet the needs of sensitive skin.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for sensitive skin?
Glycerin and propanediol help maintain hydration without overwhelming the skin, while avobenzone and octisalate offer moderate daily sun protection. Because it lacks specialized ingredients for redness and irritation, sensitive skin needs a product of this type that contains effective soothing ingredients and multiple ceramides.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Avobenzone do for sensitive skin?
Avobenzone helps protect sensitive skin from UV rays, though it may cause irritation or allergic reactions in some individuals. Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone generally show minimal risks of skin irritation and sensitization in human subjects.
Chemical Research in Toxicology, 2009Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025
What does Octisalate do for sensitive skin?
Octisalate helps absorb harmful ultraviolet rays in sunscreen products to protect sensitive skin from sun damage. Chemical sunscreens containing octisalate show minimal risks of skin irritation or allergy in human subjects.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
Glossier invisible shield goes in the morning routine as the final step before makeup, right after your soothing toner. It is unlikely to irritate your sensitive skin, but to truly calm redness and irritation, this skin type needs extra specialized soothing ingredients.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this sunscreen in the morning after applying your other daytime steps. This product works for sensitive skin and is unlikely to cause irritation, but to truly support sensitive skin when using retinol it needs soothing ingredients like centella asiatica or ceramides.
How often should I use it?
You can use this moisturizing spf every morning to help keep your skin hydrated and protected. Chemical sunscreens like this are generally safe and unlikely to cause irritation with daily use.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores on sensitive skin because it avoids harsh ingredients and has a very safe formula. However, a product for this skin needs soothing ingredients like Centella asiatica or calming plant extracts to actively calm redness and irritation.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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, 2017Topical application of 1,3-propanediol at various concentrations, alone or combined with butylene glycol and/or glycerol, increased skin hydration and reduced trans epidermal water loss in 30 healthy female subjects over an 8-hour period, with the 15% concentration and the addition of glycerol providing greater benefits.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, and octisalate showed no to minimal risks of dermal irritation, sensitization, photo-allergy, and photo-irritation in human subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Encapsulation of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane in lipid microparticles significantly reduced their in vivo human skin penetration compared to nonencapsulated filters.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011Microencapsulation of the BMDBM/HP-beta-CD complex in lipid microparticles significantly decreased the percutaneous penetration of the UV filter into the stratum corneum of human volunteers compared to the non-encapsulated sunscreen agent.
Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2011Following human skin application of an O/W emulsion containing 2% BMDBM loaded in lipospheres, 15% of the sunscreen accumulated in the uppermost layers of the stratum corneum without remarkably modifying skin permeation compared to unencapsulated sunscreen.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008Simulated real-life dermal sunscreen exposure in twenty human volunteers leads to the systemic bioavailability and urinary excretion of the UV filter 2-ethylhexyl salicylate and its metabolite, reaching concentration peaks at 7 to 8 hours with 70-80% of overall excretion within 24 hours.
Archives of Toxicology, 2019The application of a sunscreen formulation containing ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, and octocrylene does not significantly affect critical acne-related species such as Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, refuting the induction of facial dysbiosis in men.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Controlled single dermal exposure to an EHS-containing sunscreen in three volunteers resulted in delayed systemic resorption with elimination half-lives between 6.6 and 9.7 hours, where the parent compound EHS occurred as the dominant urinary parameter.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024Incorporating rosmarinic acid into sunscreens enhanced the in vivo SPF of octocrylene by over 157% and reduced lipid peroxidation in the human stratum corneum.
Antioxidants, 2025Early application of sunscreen after ablative fractional skin resurfacing significantly increased the sensitization rate of the UV-filter, octocrylene, and the sunscreen compared to intact skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2015Dermal sunscreen exposure in 20 healthy volunteers led to plasma concentrations of avobenzone, octocrylene, and its metabolite CDAA reaching up to 11 μg/L, 25 μg/L, and 1352 μg/L, respectively.
Environment International, 2019
Why other sunscreens fit 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, 2016
Ingredients
Avobenzone, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Water, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Propanediol, Glycerin, Styrene Acrylates Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Polysilicone-11, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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.