Dermalogica Active Moist for sensitive skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Lavandula Angustifolia Extract Lavender Extract
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Silk Amino Acids
Average
- HighNormal 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 moderate moisturizing for your normal skin, as sodium hyaluronate and silk amino acids hydrate and support barrier resilience, but it lacks specialized ingredients to address your redness and irritation.
- The formula includes soothing agents like Arnica Montana Flower Extract and Lavender Extract, which are beneficial for sensitive skin, but they do not directly target your primary concerns.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin, containing no harsh ingredients and including components that help calm the skin.
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
★4.6Overall 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 sensitive skin?
Active Moist works for sensitive skin, though other products fit it better because it lacks specialized ingredients to address your redness and irritation. To fit this skin well, a moisturizer needs highly effective soothing ingredients like fermented centella asiatica, cica ceramide, and nourishing oils that specifically target redness while enhancing skin barrier function.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for sensitive skin?
This cream works for sensitive skin because it contains soothing agents like arnica montana flower extract and lavender extract, along with sodium hyaluronate and silk amino acids that hydrate and keep the skin calm. However, because it lacks specialized ingredients for redness and irritation, a moisturizer for this skin needs soothing plant extracts and barrier-strengthening oils that specifically target redness while keeping the skin hydrated.
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
What does Lavender Extract do for sensitive skin?
Lavender extract helps calm sensitive skin by reducing oxidative stress and supporting skin barrier function, though it may occasionally cause irritation or allergic reactions in some individuals. Using formulas that soothe and protect the skin barrier without harsh fragrances helps keep sensitive skin comfortable.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This moisturizer goes in the evening routine after your treatment step, and as a daytime moisturizer if your skin is dry. It is safe for sensitive skin, but a product of this type needs specialized calming ingredients to properly address redness and irritation.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol, applying it after your retinol treatment to help calm the skin and keep it soft and smooth. Using a gentle moisturizer alongside retinol is unlikely to cause irritation and helps support your skin barrier.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizer daily as part of your morning and evening routine. Regular application helps keep skin soft and supports your skin barrier.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
Dermalogica Active Moist is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores for sensitive skin, as its formula contains safe ingredients that help calm the skin without harsh irritants. However, a moisturizer for this skin needs specialized ingredients to address redness and irritation while keeping it soft and smooth.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizer around the eyes and on the body, as it has a safe profile with no harsh ingredients. Because the skin around the eyes and on certain body areas is very thin, a product of this type needs gentle hydration and soothing plant extracts to keep it soft and calm.
Is it 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
Lavandula 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, 2025Topical 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, 2023Silk 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, 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, 2019Tea 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, 2026Lavender exosome-like nanoparticles reduced inflammatory cytokine levels and improved epidermal thickness, collagen preservation, and skin integrity in UVB-induced photoaging models of HaCaT cells and mice.
Scientific Reports, 2025Topical 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, 2005Chitosan silk fibroin topical hydrogel accelerated tissue reformation and wound regeneration compared to other groups in adult male Wistar albino rats.
Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 2023Topical application of 8% sericin cream reduces wound size, shortens healing time, decreases inflammation, and increases collagen formation in rats compared to Betadine and cream base controls.
Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 2007
Why other moisturizers fit sensitive skin better
Soaps 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, 2003Cosmetic 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
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.
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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?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.