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Sephora Hydrating Serum for dry sensitive skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

Sephora Hydrating Serum

Average

  • 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

  • Highly suitable for your dry and sensitive skin as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and polyglutamic acid provide excellent humectant action, addressing dryness and flakiness effectively.
  • The formula offers excellent moisturizing benefits, hydrating and plumping your skin to combat dryness.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.

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 500+ reviews

This lightweight, unscented serum is widely praised for its ability to instantly plump and hydrate the skin, making it a favorite for those with dry or dehydrated complexions. While most users appreciate its fast absorption and clean formula, a notable minority experiences issues with the texture, specifically stickiness and pilling under other products.

Highlights

  • Deep instant hydration Mostly Mentioned
    • “Skin looks more hydrated as if plumped up with water”
    • “Very effective and hydrating”
    • “Intensely hydrated for 24 hours”
    • “Gave me glass skin”
  • Lightweight absorption Often Mentioned
    • “Absorbs quickly without stickiness”
    • “Non-greasy texture”
    • “Sinks into the skin nicely”
    • “Lightweight but moisturizing”
  • Plumps and smooths Often Mentioned
    • “Skin feels plumped”
    • “Reduces appearance of wrinkles”
    • “Soft, dewy, and plump skin”
    • “Fine lines are reduced”
  • Gentle on sensitivity Sometimes Noted
    • “Great for sensitive skin”
    • “No irritation on my sensitive skin”
    • “Unscented and clean”
    • “Did not cause breakouts”
  • Great value Sometimes Noted
    • “Better for the price”
    • “Affordable and quality”
    • “Value for money”
    • “Good budget-friendly serum”
  • Pills under makeup Sometimes Noted
    • “Pills extremely easily”
    • “Peels off every time I applied it”
    • “Started pilling like dead skin cells”
    • “Rolls off if you rub your face”
  • Difficult application Rarely Noted
    • “Time consuming application”
    • “Have to apply it very slowly”
    • “Runs down your face”
    • “Liquid consistency is hard to control”
  • Ineffective for some Rarely Noted
    • “No results”
    • “Didn't notice any improvement”
    • “Just surface-level moisture”
    • “Not enough hydration for dry skin”
  • Sticky texture Rarely Noted
    • “Formula is very sticky”
    • “A bit tacky at first”
    • “Feels slightly sticky”
    • “Left a sticky residue”

Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, kohls.com, influenster.com, skinsafeproducts.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Sephora Hydrating Serum work for dry sensitive skin?

Sephora Hydrating Serum works for your dry sensitive skin, though other products fit it better. Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and polyglutamic acid help pull in moisture and keep your skin soft and smooth, while the gentle formula is unlikely to cause irritation. To fit this skin type best, a moisturizing treatment needs multiple forms of hyaluronic acid, pro vitamin B5, ceramides, and nourishing extracts to deeply lock in moisture and support the skin barrier.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry sensitive skin?

Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and polyglutamic acid make this serum a good fit by drawing in moisture to keep dry skin soft and smooth. These ingredients help hydrate and plump your skin safely without causing irritation. To fit this skin even better, a moisturizing treatment needs multiple forms of hyaluronic acid, pro vitamin B5, ceramides, and nourishing extracts to deeply lock in moisture and strengthen the skin barrier.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025

What does Glycerin do for dry sensitive skin?

Glycerin helps dry sensitive skin by drawing moisture into the skin and keeping it there, making the skin soft and smooth. It is very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation while improving how well the skin holds onto water. This type of skin needs ingredients that boost hydration and repair the barrier without causing stinging.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008

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

Where does it go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?

This treatment goes in the evening routine after toner and before moisturizer. Putting it here keeps your routine simple and safe around sun exposure, while glycerin and hyaluronic acid help soak up moisture and keep your dry sensitive skin soft and comfortable.

The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this serum with retinol by applying the serum first to keep your dry, sensitive skin hydrated and comfortable. This type of skin also needs barrier-restoring ingredients like ceramides to properly support routines with strong actives.

Cutis, 2006Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

How often should I use it?

You can use this moisturizing treatment in the evening as part of your routine. Daily application of this product type helps improve skin moisture and manage dryness.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021

Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?

This serum is unlikely to clog pores, cause breakouts, or lead to purging on dry sensitive skin. Its safety profile is very high, and it contains gentle ingredients that avoid harsh additives which typically trigger irritation.

Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?

You can use this moisturizing treatment around the eyes and on the body because its ingredients are very safe and unlikely to irritate dry and sensitive skin. To truly match this skin type, a product of this type needs soothing and moisture-locking ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and polyglutamic acid to keep the skin feeling soft, smooth, and comfortable.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

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, 2017

  • Poly-gamma-glutamic acid derived from a novel Bacillus subtilis strain dose-dependently increased skin barrier markers, hyaluronic acid synthesis, and aquaporin 3 expression in keratinocytes, and elevated filaggrin, involucrin, CD44, and aquaporin 3 expression in a reconstructed skin model compared to the control.

    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025

  • The 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, 2020

  • Ten 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

  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012

  • Topical 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, 2011

  • Topical 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, 2022

  • Treatment 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, 2019

  • Curcumin-loaded polyglutamic acid and gum arabic electrospun nanofibers accelerated wound healing, increased TGF-beta1 and VEGF expression, reduced inflammatory factors, and enhanced re-epithelialization and tissue regeneration in a mouse model with acute full-thickness skin defects.

    International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024

  • Polyglutamic acid and polylysine composite hydrogels promote wound repair and hemostasis through high water absorption, bioadhesion, calcium ion-mediated coagulation factor activation, and inherent antibacterial properties in a deep skin defect model.

    Macromolecular Bioscience, 2021

Ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Polyglutamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play