8 Lightweight Face Moisturizers For Sensitive Skin

Ah, the struggles of having sensitive skin. Trying out new products can be a real hit or miss (let’s be honest… usually a miss!) for those of us with sensitive skin.

Thankfully, there are skincare options out there for sensitive skin. The key is in knowing what to look for.

In this post, we’ll focus on lightweight face moisturizers for sensitive skin that are fragrance free.

Please remember this: while all of these products are gentle and recommended for sensitive skin, there is no one product that will work for every single person. That being said, don’t quit your hunt for the perfect face moisturizer! It may take some trial and error. But once you find the right product, it’s a skincare game changer.

P.S. Make sure you read the end of the blog post. There’s a little Q&A about face moisturizers and sensitive skin plus tips for applying moisturizer the right way!

Lightweight Face Moisturizers For Sensitive Skin

1. Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream

Don’t let the name fool you. This is a fantastic, hydrating yet lightweight moisturizer! It includes shea butter for hydration, panthenol (AKA vitamin B-5) to protect your skin’s moisture barrier and madecassoside (AKA Tiger Grass) to prevent inflammation and care for damaged skin.

(P.S. This is my FAVORITE moisturizer for my dry, sensitive skin. I’ve purchased it over 10 times in the past few years… lol)

Texture: Cream

Who is it best for? Dry, sensitive skin

2. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

This is a quick absorbing, daily face moisturizer from Neutrogena. It includes hyaluronic acid (a hydrator that is naturally found in skin) to retain water and provide hydration. It’s also oil-free for those who can’t tolerate oil in skincare.

Texture: Gel

Who is it best for? Oily, sensitive skin

3. Round Lab Mugwort Calming Cream

This is a Korean face moisturizer that includes mugwort extract, vitamin A, vitamin B and beta-carotene. All of these ingredients are meant to sooth sensitive skin and prevent loss of hydration. The texture is between a gel and cream, so it’s great for someone who has dry skin in some areas and oily skin in other areas.

Texture: Between gel and cream

Who is it best for? Combination, sensitive skin

4. Aveeno Calm + Restore Oat Gel Moisturizer

Specifically for sensitive skin, this gel moisturizer from Aveeno includes oat as the star ingredient to help calm and sooth the skin. It’s lightweight and non-greasy, so it’s perfect for those who have oily skin. Thanks to the calming oat ingredient, it can also be used to ease skin that’s irritated whether it be from sun damage, a skincare product gone wrong, acne, etc.

Texture: Gel

Who is it best for? Oily/Combination, sensitive skin

5. Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer

This daily face moisturizer was formulated with sensitive skin in mind. The formula specifically excludes common irritants (such as dyes, fragrance, etc.) to keep sensitive skin happy. The moisturizer includes ceramides (which help keep skin smooth and supple), hyaluronic acid (naturally occurring hydrator) and squalane (a moisturizing oil with anti-aging properties).

Texture: Cream

Who is it best for? Dry/Combination, sensitive skin

6. Differin Soothing Moisturizer

This moisturizer is lightweight, non-greasy and gentle. It contains avocado oil, which helps nourish your skin and keep it moisturized. It’s made by the same brand that makes the over-the-counter retinol acne treatment Differin Gel (which I love!).

Texture: Cream

Who is it best for? Combination, sensitive skin

7. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer

This oil-free, quick absorbing face cream from La Roche-Posay includes prebiotics that feed the skin’s microbiome to keep it healthy. It also includes Niacinamide (a form of vitamin B-3), which provides a range of benefits such as decreasing redness, improving skin hydration, helping to even out skin tone and more!

Texture: Cream

Who is it best for? Dry/Combination sensitive skin

8. Neutrogena Oil-Free Facial Moisturizer

This moisturizer is oil-free, hypoallergenic, lightweight and non-greasy. It’s an all-around gentle formula that’s perfect for sensitive and oily skin. The ingredients list is quite short, so it’s is a great one to try if you’ve had trouble with more complex moisturizers in the past.

Texture: Cream

Who is it best for? Oily/Combination, sensitive skin

Q&A + Tips & Tricks

Why should I go with a fragrance free moisturizer?

Here’s the deal… Fragrance has NO benefit in skincare.

Fragrance doesn’t have any moisturizing properties, anti-aging benefits, skin repairing benefits… Nothing.

So why is fragrance so often used in skincare? The role of fragrance in skincare is simply to create a luxurious, pampering feeling for the person using the product. Otherwise, fragrance has no place in skincare.

In fact, fragrance is a common irritant in skincare, so it’s best to avoid it when you have sensitive skin.

I have dry skin! Can I still use a lightweight moisturizer?

Yes! Lightweight doesn’t always mean less moisturizing.

In this list, I’ve included both gel and cream style moisturizers.

If you have dry skin, consider going with a cream style moisturizer. If you have oily skin, consider going with a gel style moisturizer.

While all of the moisturizers in this list are lightweight, gel moisturizers tend to be the most lightweight. Someone with oily skin may appreciate this about gel moisturizers more than someone with dry skin.

However, either a gel or cream style moisturizer may work fine for you no matter your skin type. It all comes down to personal preference and what your skin likes best!

Tips for applying face moisturizer:

Don’t use too much product

A thin, even layer on your face and neck is fine. There’s no need to over apply your skincare!

Apply moisturizer onto damp skin

For best results, apply your moisturizer onto clean, damp skin right after washing your face. This is too help seal the moisture into your skin, preventing it from evaporating away.

Massage into skin using circular motions

Your skin is textured, so use circular motions to make sure the moisturizer is evenly distributed across your entire face and neck.

This post includes 8 of the best lightweight face moisturizers for sensitive skin!

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