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The 9 Best Serums For Sensitive Skin
When you have sensitive skin, trying out a new product means proceeding with caution, applying the minimal amount, and waiting (with crossed fingers) to see how your skin will react. But the best serums for sensitive skin provide the ultimate comfort to reactive skin: they're actually made with ingredients that soothe and calm inflammation, help alleviate dry patches and redness, and strengthen skin to create a barrier against outside irritants.
Some of these serums address the needs of sensitive acne prone skin and are equipped to rid excess sebum from pores without stripping your skin of its natural oils. Others add an intense amount of moisture to extremely dry skin types and nourish the skin, providing antioxidants and effective ingredients like green tea extract and hyaluronic acid.
The one most important thing these thoughtful products have in common? All of these sensitive skin serums will gently take care of your complexion without alcohol or harsh chemicals that can cause reactions that range from redness to dry patches. Whether you're interested in improving your skin's texture and making your skin more even, healing acne without drying out your skin, or simply keeping skin healthy, soft, and smooth — these nine serums for sensitive skin will deliver!
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1A Serum That Helps Even Out Your Skin Tone
Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum, $90, Amazon
A serum that can address uneven skin tone is a great thing — but it's even better when that serum is so mild you can use it twice daily on the most sensitive skin types. This product repairs old sun damage and keeps sensitive skin soft and smooth.
2A Serum With Organic Plant Extracts That Calm & Soften
Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum, $21, Amazon
An eco-friendly and alcohol free serum infused with a blend of organic complexes like rose flower extract and patented Phyto-Oglio, this serum makes skin so soft and smooth you can actually use it in place of your primer. It adds an incredible amount of hydration to both sensitive and acne-prone skin without clogging pores.
3A Thermal Spring Water-Infused Serum That Alleviates Redness
La Roche-Posay Rosaliac AR Intense Hydrating Facial Serum, $40, Amazon
If you have sensitive skin, there's a good chance you probably also suffer from red skin on occasion. This serum contains thermal spring water and ambophenol, both of which help reduce redness and moisturize your skin. This product is also free of parabens, fragrances, alcohol, and colorants and has been tested on sensitive skin.
4A Serum With Marine Collagen To Protect & Plump The Skin
Mizon Collagen 100, $13, Amazon
This hydrating serum contains 90 percent highly concentrated marine collagen ampoule to protect, moisturize, and improve skin texture. Apply it after your toner or mix it with essence — reviewers say a little goes a long way and that it plumps up skin.
5An Oil-Free Gel Serum That Won't Leave Oily Skin Feeling Greasy
Mario Badescu Herbal Hydrating Serum, $30, Amazon
Use it alone or layer it under your moisturizer for even more intense hydration — either way, this oil-free gel serum is perfect for moisturizing and treating oily and acne-prone skin. It's packed with good stuff like gingko and ginseng extracts and ceramides that trap and lock moisture in.
6A Serum With 20 Percent Peat Extract & 80 Herbs For Glowing Skin
Belif Peat Miracle Serum Concentrate, $62, Amazon
A serum rich in 20 percent peat extract to improve cell turnover, this potion is perfect for all skin types and contains 80 different herbs that helps ease dryness and make skin more radiant looking.
7A Serum For Skin & Under Eyes With Antioxidant Seaberry
Fresh Seaberry Skin Nutrition Booster, $46, Amazon
Rich with nourishing camellia seed oil, this serum's secret weapon is seaberry, an antioxidant that has omegas 3, 6, 7, and 9 and helps protect skin from free radical damage. You can use it on the face and under the eyes and reviewers with sensitive skin say it makes their complexion brighter and silkier.
8A Glycolic Acid Night Serum That's Safe On Sensitive Skin
Drunk Elephant TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, $90, Amazon
Alpha hydroxy acids have been known to irritate some sensitive skin types, but their benefits, which include exfoliation and an increase in collagen production, are often worth the risk. Luckily, this 12 percent glycolic night serum doesn't make you compromise: it delivers smoother and more glowy skin, but also provides the benefits of plant extracts that hydrate and soothe skin.
9A Serum That Relieves Redness & Packs A Hydrating Punch Of Hyaluronic Acid
Murad Sensitive Skin Soothing Serum, $53, Amazon
Give skin redness the boot with this soothing serum, which contains hyaluronic acid and lecithin to retain moisture, chamomile and arnica to calm skin, and glycolipids to add even more hydration. Your skin will look and feel healthier and, most importantly, your skin's barrier will be stronger.
