Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

This moisturiser is the newest addition to La Roche-Posay’s toleraine line for sensitive skin. We found this worked brilliantly on oily, hormonal-acne prone skin, especially for keeping itchiness and breakouts at bay. It’s a very lightweight cream which absorbs quickly, and we found using two pumps was adequate for reaching all areas of our face and neck. Over two months of daily use, we saw a reduction in redness, particularly on our chin and nose, and an overall more soothed, comfortable complexion. It’s the same size as many of the moisturisers we’ve tried previously from the brand, which typically last up to six months, making the price tag very reasonable for the results it delivered.

Best: Moisturising balm

Rating: 8/10

If you struggle with sensitive skin, Avène is an all-round excellent brand to seek help from. Our reviewer has used its facial mist for years to counteract tight, tingly skin, but this moisturising balm provides a long-term solution. It has a thicker consistency, as most balms do, so we opted to use this before bed, as opposed to before make-up in the mornings, but if you’re on the dryer side, it’s ideal. With regular use it kept our skin feeling soft and smooth, with an ever so slight dewy finish.

Best: Lightweight moisturiser for sensitive skin

Rating: 8/10

If you’re looking for something a little more lightweight, try this moisturising lotion, which has a milky, creamy texture. We found it effective for relieving tightness without being overly thick. Fast-absorbing with no pilling effect, it’s a lovely morning option, and can be bolstered with a richer cream on top if you need an extra boost. Made for dry, sensitive skin, it’s alcohol and fragrance free, two common irritants. Best of all it doesn’t leave a greasy residue behind, so your make-up won’t slip and slide and it causes no irritation or breakouts too.

Best: For very dry skin

Rating: 9/10

For skin crying out for a moisture boost, this thick, rich balm from Kate Somerville is everything you need.  Designed to tackle redness and provide relief from post-treatment irritation, every application is a skin-softening, complexion-smoothing treat. Packed with ceramides and peptides, it’s surprisingly lightweight, so much so that even our oily-skinned tester used it with ease. It leaves skin plump but not greasy and also sits well under foundation. We loved applying it to treat flaky patches of skin, particularly on the end of the nose or on cheeks, which are prevalent around winter.

Best: Moisturiser for sensitive skin in winter

Rating: 8/10

This is your typical rich cream moisturiser which can be slathered on after coming in from the cold on an evening commute, or used sparingly for a top up of moisture. Catering to thirsty skin types, it promises long-lasting hydration with a blend of grape seed, rosehip and macadamia nut oils which leave skin feeling soft and supple. A little goes a long way and you can easily use a lot or a little, depending on what your skin needs at the time. However it doesn’t leave your face feeling greasy or sticky, a key factor when using a thicker texture like this.

Best: For dry skin

Rating: 9/10

Korean skincare brand Dr Jart+ hit the headlines in 2020 when it emerged into the UK with a refreshed product line up. You may remember its TikTok famous cicapair tiger grass colour correcting treatment, which conceals redness and evens out skin tone, you can find our review of it (spoiler alert: we’re big fans). It’s a chic aluminium tube, with a little going a long way to smooth skin and intensely combat dryness. After one application, skin immediately feels softer and more plump, and we were particularly impressed with how well it sat beneath make-up, leading to no slip or pilling of our foundation. It’s packed with ceramides, which help prevent water loss and keep your skin barrier functioning. For sensitivity-induced dry areas of flaky skin from going overboard with retinols, this is a must-have in our skincare routine.

Best: For combination skin

Rating: 8/10

Often sensitivity comes hand in hand with a dry skin type, but it can also affect oily and combination skin types too. Cultured Biomecare is a new brand, launched in 2021 by Rob Calcraft, who is also the founder of skincare powerhouse, Ren. The five-product line-up is focused on caring for your microbiome – the ecosystem of microorganisms that live on and in your skin. This hydrating cream is best suited for redness-prone skin, a common sign of sensitivity. Made with fermented mushroom extract, it’s fragrance-free, has a gentle, cooling effect and calms down a flushed complexion with daily use. We began to see improvements in our skin after two weeks.

Best: For dehydrated skin

Rating: 9/10

Dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting is the brain behind this creamy moisturiser. It has a gel-cream texture and a pump mechanism which dispenses a generous amount of product that’s quick to absorb and leaves a dewy, hydrated finish. Fragrance-free and non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog pores) this is a great option if you’re feeling dehydrated but also want the cocooning feeling of a thicker cream. Containing a mix of niacinamide, shea butter and sodium hyaluronate, it’s a powerhouse of skin-plumping ingredients.

Best: For normal skin

Rating: 7/10

If you’re looking for a simple everyday moisturiser for skin which sometimes sees sensitivity but not year round, this is your best bet. Made with shea butter – a superb ingredient to fight dryness – plant stem cells, antioxidants and physavie, it can help to minimise inflammation, and we found ourselves reaching for this after a day spent in the cold, windy, wintery weather. It layered really well under our SPF and over our serums and the tube design feels slightly more hygienic than dipping your hands into a pot.

Best: Budget moisturiser for sensitive skin

Rating: 7/10

This is a lovely budget-friendly option that’s fuss-free and sees results. Made with Community Fair Trade aloe from Mexico, it’s a gel texture which is fast-absorbing and quick to calm and maintain a stressed complexion. Ideal for oilier skin types, it doesn’t feel heavy or greasy, but instead is a refreshingly cool fix. Aloe vera is a commonly seen ingredient in creams thanks to its calming properties and it works a treat in this pot.

Best: Gel moisturiser for sensitive skin

Rating: 8/10

Often moisturisers designed for sensitive skin can be rich creams, but this water-based gel is a lightweight alternative. It sinks into the skin in seconds and is rich in hyaluronic acid, apple fruit extract, glycerin and cactus pear extract which combats dryness and boosts hydration. We were impressed with how it reduced redness and irritation on our hormonal acne-prone tester’s skin. On application it has an instant cooling effect but leaves behind no residue or sticky feeling.