Skin Obsessed Mary has worked through more than 60 products aimed at sensitive skin, and most of them earned her approval. She keeps her reasons plain: does it hydrate without irritating, does it sit well on the skin, does it do what it promises? When something falls short, she says so directly and explains why.
What does Skin Obsessed Mary recommend for sensitive skin?
She keeps coming back to barrier support and deep hydration. The Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream won her over so completely that she called it a possible replacement for her usual moisturiser, which is high praise from someone who rarely switches. She loves the Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++ enough to buy two or three at a time, praising its hydration, easy layering and zero white cast. She uses the Prequel Skin Utility Balm Multi-Purpose Skin Protectant as a nightly occlusive under her eyes to stop that area drying out, and all over her face when her skin feels compromised. She also rated the Josh Rosebrook Ultra Peptide Cream Facial Serum Concentrate as deeply nourishing, especially when skin feels depleted.
In her words
"This is so nice, [...] so thick in a good way and so hydrating. This is probably the first moisturizer that's made me think if I stop using my other butter, this might be the replacement. [...] I love my butter but it's really freaking expensive. This is that good. [...] If you haven't tried this and you have dry, dehydrated, older skin, it's worth it. I think this was 14 bucks for the small thing, worth every freaking penny."
"This could be my favorite sunscreen ever. It is definitely my most repurchased. It's hydrating, it layers beautifully under pretty much everything, and it has zero white cast, and it's super affordable. So I tend to buy two or three of these at a time. I don't have any more right now, I just have too many sunscreens because I keep buying them to test them and I just can't justify a repurchase. But I can tell you I will be buying more of this. I always do."
"I love Then I Met You's little snail mucin eye product, it's gorgeous."
"First up is the Prequel Skin Utility Balm Multi-Purpose Skin Protectant. I generally apply this just under my eyes as a final occlusive. It helps seal everything in and stops that area from drying out overnight, which bugs me. But if my skin is feeling particularly dry or compromised, I will use this all over my face, which is essentially slugging. I do like a good slug. I don't do this every night, but if my skin needs it, it makes a huge difference."
"This is by Josh Rosebrook. It is the Ultra Peptide Cream. Man, do I love Josh Rosebrook. And this product is something really special. It feels super luxe on the skin and it is deeply nourishing. It's especially good if your skin is feeling a bit depleted."
"This contains retinaldehyde, which is the strongest type of retinoid you can get without a prescription, but the beauty of it is that it's also far less irritating than tretinoin. I think this is sort of the Rolls-Royce of retinaldehyde, which are also called retinals with an A. It's encapsulated, which means it goes deeper into the skin before being released and absorbed. It just means that it does not irritate my skin in any way. Then there's what I call the supporting band members."
How many products has Skin Obsessed Mary reviewed for sensitive skin?
Skin Obsessed Mary has reviewed 66 products for sensitive skin, for an approval rate of 86%. 57 approved, 3 mixed, and 6 skipped.
What has Skin Obsessed Mary skipped for sensitive skin?
She skipped very few products here, which itself tells you something. When she did, the reason was usually a texture or wear problem, not irritation. The Avène Sunscreen Tinted Lotion SPF 50 looked beautiful on, she said, but sat on top of her skin and transferred onto everything. The Clinique Mineral Sunscreen Fluid for Face SPF 50 left such a strong white cast that layering foundation and powder over it still was not enough to cover it. She also skipped the BYOMA body wash, finding the scent off-putting and the hydration too light for her needs.
"I thought this was beautiful, but it just didn't sink into my skin. It just sat on top of my skin. Plus it was super transferable. It came off on everything, my clothes, my phone, no matter what I was doing, it just seemed to rub off. If it were able to absorb a bit more into the skin, I think it would have been a winner, but it just looked beautiful and I was really sad with the results because I had high hopes."
"It says it's for sensitive skin, it costs 28 dollars for 30 mils. [...] It has titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. It starts out a bit greasy but then it does dry down, but it's glowy, it is uber glowy, and it leaves a super duper white cast, so much so that I had to really cover this up later with makeup and a lot of makeup. I went in with my Jones Road and after that that still wasn't enough, and then I had to use a powder foundation because it was so glowy."
"I didn't love it. I adore their face care. I don't love their body care. I didn't dig the scent and it's just not hydrating enough."
"Right now I'm using the Garnier oil infused micellar water. But you know what? It's actually not my favorite. I prefer Bioderma's version, but because I'm doing a low buy winter, I'm making a very conscious effort to use what I already have rather than replacing."
What should you take from Skin Obsessed Mary's picks?
Mary named the Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream, Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++, Dieux Instant Angel Lipid-Rich Firming Moisturizer and Prequel Skin Utility Balm Multi-Purpose Skin Protectant as standout winners in this category. Her overall message is that sensitive skin does not mean you have to play it overly safe. A well-formulated product with good barrier ingredients can be both effective and gentle, and her record backs that up.
Watch Skin Obsessed Mary say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Tatcha Dewy Skin CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 12:04
- Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++Named a winnerWatch at 7:46
- Dieux Instant Angel Lipid-Rich Firming MoisturizerNamed a winnerWatch at 5:08
- Prequel Skin Utility Balm Multi-Purpose Skin ProtectantNamed a winnerWatch at 14:48
- Avène Sunscreen Tinted Lotion SPF 50Skipped itWatch at 5:39
- Clinique Mineral Sunscreen Fluid for Face SPF 50Skipped itWatch at 4:15
- BYOMA Hydrating Body WashSkipped itWatch at 10:27
- Garnier Oil-Infused Cleansing WaterSkipped itWatch at 1:39
- Caudalie Grape WaterSkipped itWatch at 7:09
- Prequel Non-Drying Glycerin CleanserSkipped itWatch at 11:53
- Then I Met You Snail Mucin Eye CreamRated itWatch at 19:19
- Josh Rosebrook Ultra Peptide Cream Facial Serum ConcentrateRated itWatch at 8:45
- Allies of Skin 1% Retinol Repair CreamRated itWatch at 1:47
- Bloom Effects Royal Tulip Hydrating B-Phase TonicRated itWatch at 13:31
- Vaseline Original Healing JellyRated itWatch at 7:50
- La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5Rated itWatch at 4:13
- CeraVe Moisturizing CreamRated itWatch at 3:00
- CeraVe Hydrating Facial CleanserRated itWatch at 1:18
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle CleanserRated itWatch at 9:54
- Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++Rated itWatch at 5:54
- The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support SerumRated itWatch at 5:33
- Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar WaterRated itWatch at 1:42
- CeraVe Healing OintmentRated itWatch at 3:12
- Purito Deep Sea Pure Water CreamRated itWatch at 18:28
About this expert
See everything Skin Obsessed Mary has reviewed
Related guides
This guide reflects what Skin Obsessed Mary said across her videos about 66 products for sensitive skin, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.