The Best Serums for Sensitive Skin Including Vitamin C Serums

The List 

BEST OVERALL

Best Overall
Carrot and Stick Repair Serum

Best Vitamin C
Carrot & Stick The Defence Serum

FULL LIST

Formulyst Advanced Repair Serum

Dermalogica Ultracalming Serum Concentrate

Cerave Skin Renewing Complex Vitamin C Serum

Murad Revitalixer Recovery Serum

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Stress Rescue Super Serum

SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum

iS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum Advance +

Phyto-C Signature Serum

Nuria Hydrate Moisture Replenishing Serum

bioClarity Zen

exuviance Anti-redness Calming Serum

Kate Somerville KX Active Concentrates Omegas + Ceramides Barrier Defense Serum

The 16 Best Sensitive Skin Serums

BEST OVERALL

Carrot and Stick Repair Serum
Apply this anti-aging serum daily to keep skin hydrated and protected from free radical damage. The Repair Serum by Carrot & Stick helps lift, tighten and firm the look of skin thanks to seven plant-based neuropeptides, while synthesized growth factors help keep skin looking radiant. It’s the best anti-aging serum for 30s — and beyond.

BEST VITAMIN C

Carrot & Stick The Defence Serum
Why settle for just one type of vitamin C? The best vitamin C serum is this potent formula from Carrot & Stick. It’s packed with three vitamin C derivatives which work together to promote collagen and visibly brighten the skin. The daily dose of vitamin C also helps fight free radical damage and enhance cellular longevity. Apply in the morning and evening to clean skin.

FULL LIST

Cerave Skin Renewing Complex Vitamin C Serum
Suitable for all skin types, including sensitive, this potent yet gentle serum is formulated with 10% pure vitamin C to brighten the complexion visibly. Additionally, it contains three essential ceramides and vitamin B5 to restore the skin’s protective barrier and deeply hydrate. Cerave for sensitive skin is a favorite drugstore brand among dermatologists. 

Formulyst Advanced Repair Serum
A potent serum with concentrated anti-aging properties, Formulyst’s Advanced Renewal Treatment is specifically formulated to help optimize skin hydration and visibly plump and smooth the appearance of wrinkles. Intensely nourishing while naturally comforting and calming, this rejuvenating treatment delivers rich moisturization, serving as an essential step in your daily skincare regime. As fine lines and wrinkles appear to fade, your skin will look firmer and instantly feel smoother.

Dermalogica Ultracalming Serum Concentrate
This ultra-concentrated serum helps calm and protect even the most sensitized skin, thanks to Dermalogica’s proprietary UltraCalming Complex. Oat and botanicals ease sensitization, while avocado and sunflower seed extracts, peptides, and evening primrose oil defend against environmental stressors. 

Murad Revitalixer Recovery Serum
What’s unique about this serum is that it can be used under the eyes as well. It’s encouraged because caffeine, wild indigo, and niacinamide brighten dark circles’ appearance while reducing puffiness. But don’t stop there. Cannabis and neuropeptide calm inflammation and boost hydration, so don’t skip out on the rest of your face. 

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Stress Rescue Super Serum
At some point or another, we all have stressed skin, and let’s face it, 2020 put us to the test. Along with soothing niacinamide, ashwagandha and goli fruit extracts protect against environmental stressors and damaging blue light from electronics.

SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel
This gel-like serum is packed with botanical ingredients to hydrate the skin and visually improve redness and blotchiness as it’s formulated with cucumber and thyme. It’s also a good pick for those dealing with sensitized, acneic skin — including scarring due to the addition of mulberry. 

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum
Here’s the fascinating thing about this serum: It has what Drunk Elephant calls a “reservoir effect,” which means the product stays active on the skin for up to 72 hours — even if you’ve washed your face or rubbed your skin. It’s desirable for sensitive skin because it has a pH of 3.3, and is void of essential oils, silicones, and fragrance. It contains a powerful blend of l-ascorbic and ferulic acids to promote a brighter, firmer, and more even-looking complexion. The addition of sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer (a modified form of hyaluronic acid) provides a serious moisture boost while pumpkin ferment extract gently sweeps away dead skin cells. 

iS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum Advance
It can be tricky for those with rosacea to find active products that don’t irritate their condition, but this one hits the mark — even though it’s a bit on the pricey side. Vitamin C and A work together to calm, heal, and restore the skin — everything inflamed, acne-prone rosacea skin needs. Other star ingredients include anti-aging olive leaf extract and skin-lightening kojic acid, which helps repair pigmentation issues.  

Phyto-C Signature Serum
Phyto-C is known for its results-driven line of vitamin-C serums, but this one is at the top of the list. Suitable for sensitive skin, a proprietary peptide and protein matrix deeply hydrates, calms and protects, and softens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Nuria Hydrate Moisture Replenishing Serum
Additives and preservatives such as parabens, sulfates, phthalates, formaldehyde, mineral oil, coal tar, and triclocarban aren’t suitable for any skin type, but they can trigger a reaction in sensitive skin. Nuria’s products are formulated without any of those ingredients — and then some. Instead, everlasting flower extract (a bloom native to Greece), squalane, and sodium hyaluronate, deeply hydrate, restore, and protect sensitized skin. 

bioClarity Zen
This plant-based, non-toxic serum calms and soothes on contact and over time. Key ingredients include bioClarity’s proprietary Floralux blend (chlorophyll, copper, antioxidants, lentil extract, licorice root, and niacinamide, all of which reduce the appearance of red, blotchy irritated skin.

exuviance Anti-redness Calming Serum
Formulated for delicate reactive skin, this cooling, milky serum contains a combination of willow herb and algae extracts to soothe sensitive skin and reduce facial blotchiness. A unique TriPeptide and a powerful PHA blend (polyhydroxy acids, a gentler form of AHAs and BHAs) hydrate and smooth skin texture. It’s non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic, and fragrance-free.

Kate Somerville KX Active Concentrates Omegas + Ceramides Barrier Defense Serum, $59
This restorative serum has been clinically proven to reduce irritation, alleviate dryness, and protect against environmental aggressors in as little as four weeks — but results are visible after one use. Stressed skin is restored, and redness is eliminated due to a potent formula composed of ceramides, bio-active phyto-omegas, and Tasmannia lanceolata fruit extract. 

Sensitive Skin: The Bottom Line

Overall, we recommend Carrot and Stick Repair Serum at night to help visibly repair skin. 

And Carrot & Stick The Defence Serum during the day to help visible defend skin.