SkinMedica Dermal Repair Cream for sensitive skin
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Dimethicone
GlycerinAverage
- SuperiorNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
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
- Offers excellent moisturizing and barrier repair for your normal skin, with Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Tocopheryl Acetate providing superb antioxidant activity and hydration. Sodium Hyaluronate and Tocopheryl Acetate further enhance smoothing texture and hydration, which is beneficial for general skin health.
- While the product offers general skincare benefits, it lacks targeted ingredients to address your specific concerns of redness and irritation.
- The safety profile is excellent, with Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Allantoin present to soothe normal skin and prevent irritation.
How to apply
- Use this soothing AM and PM routine every day to keep your normal skin calm. Always remember to apply SPF in the morning after your moisturizer.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner in the morning, and after your serum in the evening. This step locks in hydration and protects your skin.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer evenly across your face. Avoid rubbing to keep your sensitive skin happy and calm.
- You can apply this gentle formula on dry or slightly damp skin for the best comfort. It works wonderfully on clean skin to soothe redness and irritation.
- Do a patch test before your very first use to check your skin's reaction. Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes .
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 1000+ reviewsThis product is highly praised for delivering intense, lasting hydration, significantly improving skin texture and softness, and promoting a more youthful appearance. It is particularly beneficial for dry, mature, or climate-stressed skin. Some users with oily or acne-prone skin find it too rich.
Highlights
Deeply hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “My skin feels moisturized all day long.”
- “Provides intense skin hydration.”
- “Leaves my skin hydrated and soft.”
Improves texture Often Mentioned
- “My face feels so smooth and glowing.”
- “Significant change in skin texture.”
- “Skin feels soft and plump.”
Anti-aging benefits Sometimes Noted
- “Wrinkles were reduced and pores shrunk.”
- “Helps retain youthfulness over time.”
- “Creases in my forehead became more shallow.”
Non-greasy feel Sometimes Noted
- “Rich but not heavy.”
- “Absorbs into skin well.”
- “Not greasy, feels great on face.”
Expensive product Sometimes Noted
- “Very expensive for the amount.”
- “Hard to justify the cost.”
- “Price is quite high.”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Caused acne.”
- “May clog pores if used in high concentrations.”
- “Too rich for acne-prone skin.”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Not a fan of the new packaging.”
- “Feels like a waste of plastic.”
- “Difficult to get all the product out.”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “The smell is a little off-putting.”
- “Not a fan of the fragrance.”
- “Scent could be better.”
Sources: lovi.care, skinmedica.com, lovelyskin.com, dermstore.com, walmart.com, nlimedspa.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does SkinMedica Dermal Repair work for sensitive skin?
This cream works for sensitive skin, though other products fit it better because it lacks targeted ingredients to calm redness and irritation. To truly soothe and protect sensitive skin, a moisturizing treatment needs soothing ingredients like fermented Centella Asiatica, cica ceramide, and nourishing oils.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for sensitive skin?
This cream works for sensitive skin because it contains soothing ingredients like aloe vera leaf juice and allantoin, which help calm the skin and prevent irritation. Additionally, ingredients such as sodium hyaluronate, glycerin, and vitamin E derivatives provide deep moisture and keep the skin soft and smooth. However, for a better fit, this skin type needs products with targeted ingredients that specifically reduce redness and irritation, such as fermented centella asiatica, cica ceramide, and nourishing oils.
What does Vitamin C do for sensitive skin?
For sensitive skin, Vitamin C helps calm redness and evens out dark spots while improving overall skin quality and radiance. Daily use is generally well-tolerated and may help protect against environmental stress.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps calm and hydrate sensitive skin while supporting the skin barrier to keep it soft and comfortable. Clinical studies show it improves surface moisture and reduces dryness, roughness, and redness without irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2018
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This moisturizing treatment goes in the evening routine, applied after the soothing toner and treatment step. Because this skin needs extra care, a product for it also needs targeted soothing ingredients to calm redness and irritation.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol by applying the retinol first and following it with the cream. This product of this type needs barrier-enhancing ingredients like ceramides and soothing agents to help calm redness and protect sensitive skin when using strong actives.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream works for your sensitive skin as an average fit, though other products fit it better. To care for sensitive skin properly, this type of product needs soothing ingredients like aloe vera and allantoin to calm redness and irritation.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin, as only a small number of reviewers report breakouts. A product for this skin needs soothing ingredients like aloe vera and allantoin to calm redness and irritation while keeping pores clear.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
SkinMedica Dermal Repair Cream may be used around the eyes and on the body, though the skin around the eyes and in certain body areas is much thinner and requires careful application. The product provides good hydration and barrier repair, but sensitive skin in these delicate areas needs soothing ingredients and extra gentle care to avoid irritation.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum, linalool, geraniol, and citronellol) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
Vitamin E in O/W and W/O emulsions significantly increased stratum corneum hydration and enhanced water-binding capacity, with an optimum concentration of 5%.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 1998Co-encapsulation of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopheryl acetate in nanostructured lipid carrier gel formulations significantly enhanced moisture retention up to 68% and improved skin elasticity in human volunteers compared to a solution gel.
Scientific Reports, 2025Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Topical 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, 2019A 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, 2010Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.
Military Medicine, 2024A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.
Skin Research and Technology, 2000Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007A 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, 2001
Why other moisturizers 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, 2016Soaps containing betaine caused the least skin irritation compared to other tested soaps in twenty-eight healthy subjects, though irritation did not decrease with increasing concentrations of betaine.
Skin Research and Technology, 2003
Ingredients
Water, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dimethicone, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Panthenol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Algae Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Cetyl Esters, Brassica Campestris Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Panicum Miliaceum Seed Extract, Phytosterols, Tocotrienols, Squalene, Rice Bran Cera, Allantoin, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Squalane, Pyridoxine Dipalmitate, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Linoleate, Aspergillus Aspidosperma Quebracho Ferment, Zea Mays Oil, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysilicone-11, Lecithin, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Alcohol Denat, Sodium Hydroxide, Tromethamine, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Linalool, Geraniol, Citronellol, Beta-Carotene Ci 40800
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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