Obagi Clear for sensitive skin
Hydroquinone Usp
Ascorbic Acid
Glycerin
Lactic Acid
Tocopheryl AcetateAverage
- AverageNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other serums 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 skin brightening for your normal skin due to hydroquinone and ascorbic acid, which help to even skin tone, but it does not directly address your redness and irritation.
- Glycerin provides humectant action for your normal skin, but the absence of sufficient emollient ingredients like phenyl trimethicone may not fully address potential dryness.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients, minimizing the risk of irritation.
How to apply
- Use your serum in the PM routine, starting 3 times a week before building up to daily use if your skin is happy.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏱ for it to soak in.
- Since your skin is sensitive and easily irritated, apply the serum on completely dry skin to help keep it calm.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the serum too close to your eyes .
Questions and answers
How well does Obagi Clear work for sensitive skin?
This product works for your sensitive skin, though other treatments fit it better. A treatment for this skin needs soothing ingredients and calming components that reduce redness and irritation without causing adverse effects.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for sensitive skin?
This cream works moderately well for your sensitive skin because glycerin helps keep it hydrated, but it needs ingredients that calm redness and irritation, like niacinamide and snail secretion filtrate.
What does Hydroquinone do for sensitive skin?
Hydroquinone is unlikely to be a good fit for sensitive skin because it may trigger irritation, redness, and inflammation. Sensitive skin needs gentle ingredients that calm and soothe without causing reactions.
What does Vitamin C do for sensitive skin?
Vitamin C helps brighten skin, smooth out fine lines, and fade dark spots. Clinical studies show it is generally safe and well-tolerated when improving overall skin quality.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
Apply this treatment in the evening routine, as treatments with active ingredients are placed at night for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure. This product works for your sensitive skin, though a product of this type needs extra soothing and softening ingredients to calm redness and fully address dryness.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
This treatment is unlikely to cause irritation on sensitive skin, but combining it with a strong ingredient like retinol may be too harsh and dry. To use them safely, apply your retinol at night and this treatment at a different time, or alternate nights, while keeping your skin calm and moisturized.
How often should I use it?
You can use this treatment once a week in the evening to see how your sensitive skin tolerates it, since it includes exfoliating acids. If your skin feels comfortable and you see good results, you may carefully use it more often.
Can Obagi Clear clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
Obagi Obagi Clear is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for your sensitive skin because it lacks harsh or irritating ingredients. However, to better fit sensitive skin, a treatment of this type needs extra soothing and calming ingredients along with rich, softening components to prevent dryness and redness.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A topical serum containing vitamin C, vitamin E, and raspberry leaf cell culture extract improved skin color, elasticity, radiance, smoothness, scaliness, and wrinkles compared to the untreated contralateral side in fifty female volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020A 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, 2017TFC-1067 and 2% hydroquinone both significantly lightened facial dyschromia after 8 and 12 weeks in 48 healthy female subjects, but only hydroquinone also lightened normal skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Topical 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, 2022The 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, 2001Niacinamide/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, 2012Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.
Cutis, 2004Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Topical 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, 2024
Why other serums fit sensitive skin better
Topical application of TAT-SOD significantly suppresses UVB-induced erythema formation, blood flow rise, and apoptotic sunburn cell formation in human volunteers compared to a vehicle control.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2016
Ingredients
Hydroquinone Usp, Ascorbic Acid, Bht, Butylparaben, Cetyl Alcohol, Disodium Edta, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Methylparaben, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ppg-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate, Propylparaben, Saponins, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Stearyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Water
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.