e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Daily Moisturizer for dry sensitive skin
Hyaluronic Acid
Jojoba Seed Oil
Vitamin E
Niacinamide
Shea ButterAverage
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry sensitive skin; other moisturizers fit it 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 moderate hydration and barrier support for your dry and sensitive skin, as hyaluronic acid and ceramides provide essential moisture and aid in skin barrier repair. Jojoba seed oil and panthenol further enhance skin suppleness and soothe dryness, aligning well with your goals.
- The formula is generally safe for your dry and sensitive skin, with no harsh ingredients identified that would typically cause irritation.
- This moisturizer provides basic hydration and barrier function, making it a suitable option for daily use without significant drawbacks.
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 2.8k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this moisturizer is highly regarded for its lightweight, fast-absorbing texture that effectively hydrates dry and sensitive skin, leaving it smooth and plump. It also performs well under makeup and is praised for its affordability. Some users with very oily or acne-prone skin find it too heavy or greasy, and a few mention a tacky finish or potential for clogged pores.
Highlights
Deeply hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “Keeps skin plump and hydrated all day.”
- “Helped my tight, flaky patches.”
- “Skin feels soft, smooth, and hydrated for hours.”
- “Provides long-lasting moisture.”
Lightweight, absorbs fast Mostly Mentioned
- “Absorbs quickly and is lightweight.”
- “Sinks in fast, feels non-greasy.”
- “Lightweight formula absorbs quickly.”
- “Doesn't feel heavy or slick.”
Great under makeup Often Mentioned
- “Works great under makeup.”
- “Layers seamlessly under makeup.”
- “Smooth, soft base that lasts all day.”
- “Makeup stays nice all day.”
Highly affordable Often Mentioned
- “Unbeatable for such a quality product.”
- “Excellent value without breaking the bank.”
- “Affordable price compared to higher-end creams.”
Gentle on sensitive Sometimes Noted
- “Fragrance-free version is a win for sensitive skin.”
- “Non-irritating formulation.”
- “Gentle yet effective for sensitive skin.”
- “No fragrance too which is also great for my sensitive skin.”
Heavy for oily Sometimes Noted
- “Left my face feeling greasy rather than smooth.”
- “The texture felt heavy on my skin.”
- “It felt too thick and greasy.”
May clog pores Rarely Noted
- “Tend to clog my pores and cause irritation.”
- “Not ideal for my specific facial skin type.”
- “Interferes with oily zones.”
Tacky residue Rarely Noted
- “Skin felt tacky and weighed down.”
- “Sticky after-feel.”
- “I can feel this sitting on my face.”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, ulta.com, walmart.com, elfcosmetics.com, lemon8-app.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Daily Moisturizer work for dry sensitive skin?
This moisturizer works well for daily use on dry sensitive skin, providing moderate moisture and barrier support through ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and panthenol. However, this skin type often benefits more from products that offer deep hydration, rich nourishing ingredients, and complete allergen avoidance to ensure maximum comfort and protection.
Which ingredients make this moisturizer a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
This moisturizer works for your dry sensitive skin because hyaluronic acid, ceramides, jojoba seed oil, and panthenol provide essential moisture, help repair your skin barrier, and soothe dryness. To fit this skin type best, a product needs intensely nourishing ingredients and rich moisture boosters that offer deep hydration, lock in water, and calm irritation without any harsh components.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for dry sensitive skin?
Hyaluronic acid is a great fit for dry, sensitive skin because it brings a large boost in hydration, making the skin feel soft and smooth while improving barrier function. It helps calm tightness and dryness, and is unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Dermatology and Therapy, 2021
What does Jojoba Seed Oil do for dry sensitive skin?
Jojoba seed oil helps calm dry and sensitive skin while supporting its moisture barrier. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may reduce redness and inflammation.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2022
Where does this moisturizer go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This moisturizer goes in your evening routine as the final step after your treatment, and it is suitable for daily use. Using a moisturizer helps improve hydration and supports the skin barrier.
Can I use this moisturizer with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol by applying your retinol treatment first in your evening routine, letting it absorb, and then smoothing on the moisturizer. This helps keep your skin calm and hydrated while you use your treatment. For your dry sensitive skin, a moisturizer of this type needs richer barrier-repairing ingredients and deep moisturizers to prevent dryness and irritation.
How often should I use this moisturizer?
This moisturizer is suitable for daily use morning and night to help keep your dry sensitive skin comfortable. Regular application of a daily moisturizer is unlikely to cause irritation while helping to maintain skin moisture.
Can this moisturizer clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This moisturizer is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin, as reviewers report a low chance of clogged pores. To prevent breakouts while keeping skin soft, a product for this skin type needs non-heavy moisturizing ingredients and barrier-repairing ceramides.
Can I use this moisturizer around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizer around the eyes and on your body, as its gentle ingredients are generally safe for daily use. However, because dry and sensitive skin needs intensive moisture and strong barrier repair, a product for this skin should include higher levels of rich oils and targeted barrier-boosting ingredients.
Is this moisturizer fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Application of Body Lotion for 5 weeks on cosmetic dry skin improved barrier properties, increased levels of cholesterol, ceramides, and long-chain fatty acids, increased beneficial skin bacteria, and enhanced microbiome functional potential compared to baseline.
Scientific Reports, 2022Alpha-tocopherol loaded nanostructured lipid carrier gel provided enhanced moisturizing and anti-aging properties in human volunteers over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Topical 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, 2019Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012Topical application of jojoba wax reduced LPS-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα by approximately 30% and increased the synthesis of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid compared to untreated skin in an ex-vivo human skin organ culture model.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024Topical jojoba oil application in male mice decreased exercise-induced pro-inflammatory gene expression (Il-1b and Il-6 in soleus, Il-1b in gastrocnemius) compared to untreated exercised mice.
Biomolecules, 2025Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 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, 2005A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hyaluronic Acid, Jojoba Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Oat Milk, Ceramides, Stearic Acid, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Disodium Edta
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
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