Sensitive skin
Sensitive skin, calmed without compromise.
Sensitive skin is usually a barrier problem. Repair the barrier, choose your actives carefully, and most reactivity resolves on its own.
Common signs
What this looks like.
- Redness that flushes easily with heat, stress, or alcohol
- Tightness, stinging, or burning when products are applied
- Flaking or fine peeling without obvious cause
- Reactions to fragrance, essential oils, or strong actives
What sensitive really means
A compromised skin barrier loses water, lets irritants in, and responds with redness, tightness, or stinging. Common drivers: over-cleansing, fragrance, harsh scrubs, layering too many actives, or undiagnosed eczema or rosacea.
What actually calms skin
A barrier-repair moisturizer with ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids. A short list of well-tolerated actives — niacinamide, azelaic acid, mineral SPF. Avoiding fragrance, essential oils, and physical scrubs.
The reset
For three weeks, simplify: gentle cleanser, moisturizer, mineral SPF, nothing else. Reintroduce one active at a time and watch how your skin responds before adding another.
The shortlist
Ingredients that actually move the needle.
Active 1
Ceramides
Restore the skin’s natural lipid barrier.
Active 2
Niacinamide
Reduces redness, supports barrier, very well tolerated.
Active 3
Azelaic Acid
Calms redness and rosacea-prone skin.
Active 4
Mineral SPF
Zinc-based filters are kinder to reactive skin.
Recommended
Where most people should start.
Best for mostOur default for sensitive skin
Ceramide Barrier Moisturizer
Restores compromised skin barriers. If you only pick one thing for sensitive skin, our dermatologists default to this.
Also worth considering
Derm-reviewedNiacinamide 10% Serum
Refines pores, balances oil, strengthens barrier.
Not sure where to start?
Talk to a dermatologist about sensitive skin.
Twenty quiet minutes, board-certified, free with any order. You leave with a clear plan.
Frequently asked
Questions, answered straight.
- Usually a compromised barrier. Strip back to basics for three weeks and most reactivity calms down.
- Often yes, with care. Start at the lowest strength, twice a week, on top of moisturizer (“retinoid sandwich”). Your consult can guide the ramp.
- Not for everyone. For sensitive skin it is the most common avoidable trigger. We default to fragrance-free.