The Sensitive Skin Heroes Our Beauty Experts Swear By
Jenn George, Beauty Director
Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Cream, £40 | Dr. Jart+
Calming Serum Green Tea + Panthenol, £15 | Beauty of Joseon
Camomile Sumptuous Makeup Cleansing Butter, £7 | The Body Shop
R&R Glow Recovery Cream, £95 | Sarah Chapman
“As I’ve got older, my skin has definitely become more reactive – easily irritated by fragrance, strong actives or aesthetic treatments. Lately, I’ve been relying on Korean skincare, as the formulas tend to be gentle and non-irritating. Dr Jart’s buttery Cicapair Cream is a staple; it contains centella – a plant-based extract common in K-beauty – to soothe and strengthen the skin. If I’m feeling itchy or inflamed, I’ll slather it on at night and in the morning, I follow up with Beauty of Joseon’s Green Tea Serum, which combines centella with calming, antioxidant-rich green tea. I love a cleansing balm, but heavily scented formulas can aggravate sensitivity, so I use The Body Shop’s camomile version when needed – it still feels luxurious but calms rather than compromises my skin. Post-treatment (after microneedling or laser) I always reach for Sarah Chapman’s R&R Cream, which is designed specifically for stressed skin and delivers instant comfort while visibly reducing redness.”
Orin Carlin, Beauty Writer
Cicaplast Balm B5 Multi-Purpose Repairing Balm, £8.80 (was £11) | La Roche-Posay
Triple Hyaluronic Acid, £40 | Beauty Pie
Daily Moisturiser With SPF50, £21.99 | Skin + Me
Blue Orchid Treatment Oil, £45 | Clarins
“I’m extremely lucky that I don’t have generally sensitive skin, only occasional bouts of sensitivity when I’m run down. Even so, I never travel without a small tube of Cicaplast, a rightful skincare icon, so I’m prepared for every eventuality – bites, stings, sunburn, you name it. If I’m experiencing a reaction from testing strong active formulas, I strip my routine back and keep everything super simple. A recent discovery for me is Beauty Pie’s Triple Hyaluronic Acid and it ticks all the boxes: quenching, comfortable and – crucially – ultra-gentle. For daytime, I’ll use Skin + Me’s SPF – one of the only protective moisturisers that doesn’t make my eyes water. It also contains ectoin for that extra barrier support. Then in the evening, I’ll massage my skin with a nourishing oil. There are plenty of great options out there but Clarins’ Blue Orchid Treatment Oil is such a classic, it always does the trick.”
Rhea Cartwright, Beauty Contributor
Deep Gentle Cleanser Cleansing Lotion, £50 | QMS Medicosmetics
ATOBARRIER365 Cream, £26 | AESTURA
Phyto Corrective Hyaluronic Acid Serum Gel, £80 | SkinCeuticals
Flawless Lip, £14 | Dr Sam's
“While my skin is typically very resilient, I have sensitive patches that are exacerbated by cold weather and microneedling. Whether it’s a chronic or acute bout of sensitivity, your cleanser will make or break how quickly you recover and the QMS Cleansing Milk is possibly the gentlest cleanser I’ve ever used. AESTURA is a Korean pharmacy pick that I’ve been using religiously – the Atobarrier 365 Cream is like first aid for compromised skin, full of ceramides to soothe and strengthen. I used to work in a skin clinic and they’d always recommend Skinceuticals’ Phyto Corrective Serum as after-care for post-microneedling or laser treatments, which is a habit I’ve kept up. It’s oil-free, incredibly light and cooling, so ideal when skin feels inflamed and irritated. Nothing screams winter more than dry, chapped lips and while I have enough lip balms for every day of the week, Dr Sam’s Flawless Lip is the ultimate TLC. Containing only two ingredients, this will soothe and soften without leaving lips too glossy or fragranced.”
Sapna Rao, Fashion & Beauty Editor
Facial Spray With Aloe, Chamomile & Lavender, £6 | Mario Badescu
Peptide Glazing Fluid Dewy Gel Serum, £32 | Rhode
Nordic Hydra LÄHDE Water Gel, £10 (was £19.90) | Lumene
Blemish Control Face Cleanser, £14.50 | CeraVe
"As someone with incredibly sensitive, reactive skin, I’ve learned the hard way which products are worth my time – and which are not. From Mario Badescu’s lightweight, calming mist to the simple, stripped-back gel creams and serums from Rhode, Lumene and Summer Fridays, I stick to formulas I know will support my skin barrier, won’t clog my pores and will leave my complexion smooth, calm and hydrated. If I could only keep one product in my routine, it would be the CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser – it’s genuinely transformed my skin and is brilliant at removing make-up too."
DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at info@sheerluxe.com.
/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Fwebsite-images%2F2025%2F03%2Fsign-up-pop-up.jpg?itok=zlMvamfa)
