Our Experts Swear by These Moisturizers That Won't Irritate Even the Most Sensitive Skin

Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab scientists have a century-long history of testing skincare products for efficacy, including moisturizers from drugstores to high-end brands. When skincare products make moisturization or hydration claims, the Beauty Lab’s chemists use the Corneometer device to gauge how well (or not!) a formula moisturizes skin. We use the machine to measure the hydration levels of testers’ clean skin before application of a standardized amount of product, and again six hours after to calculate how much the product has increased skin’s moisture.

Finally, we send moisturizers to consumer testers around the country who give their feedback on factors such as absorption, texture and scent. We consider all of these data points to find the best moisturizing products out there for all skin types, including sensitive skin. Our picks for best hydrating moisturizers for sensitive skin are either backed by our Good Housekeeping Seal or top-tested or expert picks from the GH Beauty Lab.

When shopping for moisturizers for sensitive skin, the Beauty Lab’s experts recommend looking for formulas that are hypoallergenic (meaning made without ingredients that are potential allergens), and free of potential irritants, like fragrance and alcohol. Also seek out keywords like “calming,” “soothing,” “redness-reducing,” “anti-redness” and “sensitive skin” on product packaging, which indicates the product is formulated for those with reactive skin types.

GH Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab Chemist Danusia Wnek lends over 10 years of formulation, product development, claim evaluation and efficacy testing experience to the Institute. She led the moisturizer studies that the above data is sourced from. Danusia also contributed her scientific expertise on how moisturizers function and broke down what ingredients work best.

Beauty Director April Franzino collaborated with our beauty experts to write this original product roundup while consulting dermatologists for more info on how to take care of sensitive skin. Associate Product & Reviews Editor Jacqueline Saguin updated this piece to include the Beauty Lab’s latest findings in this best-of moisturizers for sensitive skin guide.