Obagi Rebalance Skin Barrier Recovery Cream for dry sensitive skin
Ceramide Np
Niacinamide
Squalane
Phytosphingosine
Allantoin
High
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
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
- Offers excellent moisturizing treatment for your dry and sensitive skin, as glycerin, squalane, and multiple ceramides work synergistically to enhance barrier resilience and hydration.
- The inclusion of bisabolol and oat kernel flour further soothes and calms the skin, providing additional comfort for dryness and flakiness.
- The product is safe for your skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients, minimizing the risk of irritation.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 400+ reviewsThis moisturizer is highly rated for its ability to soothe and repair compromised skin barriers, especially after treatments like chemical peels or retinoid use. Users frequently report significant improvements in hydration and a reduction in redness and irritation, making it a good choice for dry or post-procedure skin. Some users find it too heavy for oily or acne-prone skin, and the price point is considered moderate to high by many.
Highlights
Deeply hydrating Often Mentioned
- “soaks right in”
- “stays pretty hydrated all day”
- “comforting to winter dried out skin”
- “restores hydration for instant relief”
Soothes irritated skin Often Mentioned
- “really calms my skin”
- “so much less inflamed and irritated”
- “relieved the dry, itchy feeling”
Great post-procedure Sometimes Noted
- “helped my skin when I do a peel”
- “use this after peels and microneedling”
- “soothing effect on post-procedure skin”
- “first non-ointment moisturizer after peels”
Lightweight, non-greasy Sometimes Noted
- “lightweight, non-greasy”
- “Very light and smooth!”
- “glides on so smoothly”
- “without looking oily”
Expensive price point Sometimes Noted
- “expensive”
- “five to six times the price”
- “drugstore creams sell for a fifth”
Dispenser issues Rarely Noted
- “Pump dispenses more than most faces need”
- “dispenses more than most”
- “pump dispenses more”
Heavy for oily skin Rarely Noted
- “heavy on oily or acne-prone skin”
- “poorly suited to acne-prone”
- “congestion-prone users often prefer a lighter”
- “rich base is poorly suited”
Sources: lovi.care, dermapproved.com, lovelyskin.com, dermstore.com, skincareessentials.com, dermstreet.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Obagi Rebalance Skin Barrier Recovery Cream a great fit for dry sensitive skin?
This cream is a great fit because it uses glycerin, squalane, and multiple ceramides to deeply quench dryness and strengthen your skin barrier. Ingredients like bisabolol and oat kernel flour also help calm and soothe the skin, keeping it comfortable and reducing flakiness with a very low risk of irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Glycerin, squalane, and multiple ceramides make this cream a good fit because they team up to lock in moisture and keep your skin barrier strong. Bisabolol and oat kernel flour also help calm and soothe your dry skin to keep flakiness away.
What do Ceramides do for dry sensitive skin?
Ceramides help hydrate dry sensitive skin and strengthen its outer barrier to reduce water loss and calm irritation. Using a product with ceramides often improves skin comfort and makes the skin feel much softer.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2008Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2016
What does Niacinamide do for dry sensitive skin?
Niacinamide helps dry sensitive skin by calming irritation and keeping moisture locked in so your face feels soft and smooth. It works to build up your skin barrier and calm redness while being very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2013
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This cream goes in the evening routine after your cleanser and soothing toner, followed by your regular moisturizer. Using a daily moisturizer helps improve visual dryness and keeps dry skin comfortable and soft.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol, and it helps to apply the cream after your retinol to keep dry skin calm and comfortable. Using a barrier-supporting moisturizer helps reduce dryness and irritation when you use strong treatments like retinoids.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice daily to keep your dry, sensitive skin comfortable and hydrated. Regular daily application helps improve moisture levels and supports the skin barrier.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This cream is a great fit for your dry sensitive skin because ingredients like glycerin, squalane, and ceramides boost moisture and strengthen your skin barrier while avoiding harsh irritants. It is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts, though it may feel a bit heavy if your skin leans oily.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is a great fit for the thin skin around the eyes and body because it provides gentle, deep moisture and comfort without harsh ingredients. It helps soothe dryness and flakiness while keeping the skin barrier strong and calm.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl 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, 2017Topical treatment of nicotinamide, alone or in combination with other active ingredients, reduces the progression of skin aging and hyperpigmentation in clinical trials while being well tolerated.
Antioxidants, 2021Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025Topical application of an emulsion containing a complete mixture of ceramides III, IIIB, VI, phytosphingosine, cholesterol, and linoleic acid significantly accelerated barrier recovery after SLS damage and improved skin hydration after acetone treatment in human volunteers compared to an emulsion containing only two types of ceramides.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2002Phytosphingosine demonstrates anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activity with excellent clinical results in acne vulgaris.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007Phytosphingosine increased filaggrin metabolism and skin hydration in human skin by stimulating filaggrin biosynthesis and degradation leading to natural moisturizing factor formation.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017Topical gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018
Ingredients
Water, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Glycol Palmitate, Coconut Alkanes, Niacinamide, Hexyldecanol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Maltodextrin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Phytosphingosine, Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Tetraselmis Suecica Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Punica Granatum Pericarp Extract, Bisabolol, Arginine, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Cholesterol, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour Oat Kernel Flour, Coco-Caprylate Caprate, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Stearic Acid, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium Edta, Citric Acid
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
How does it fit your skin?
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