7 Best Fragrance-Free Moisturizers Editors Swear By for Sensitive Skin

30.08.2025, 15:30 allure.com

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While fragrance might make your products (and your face!) smell fancy, swapping in the best fragrance-free moisturizers is crucial if scented lotions make your reactive, sensitive skin flare up. Plus, plenty of skin types—beyond simply sensitive—can find fragrances (synthetic or not) irritating, according to Fatima Fahs, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Canton, Michigan. “Even if something is labeled as ‘natural,’ that doesn't mean your body won't react to it.” In fact, Dr. Fahs points out that more than 80 essential oils have been linked to contact dermatitis (yikes!), which happens when your skin interacts with an irritant or allergen. Basically, if you notice redness, stinging, flaking, or itching after using fragranced products, Dr. Fahs recommends refreshing your skin-care cabinet.

Now, it’s time to put that advice to work. Ahead, we rounded up the best fragrance-free hydrators, a.k.a gentle, soothing formulas that deliver serious moisture without any of the drama.

La Roche-Posay

Amazon

Dermstore

Ulta Beauty

Allure shopping director Shanna Shipin applying La Roche-Posay's Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer

Why it’s worth it: For less than $25, La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer deserves a front-and-center spot in your medicine cabinet. The fragrance-free cream offers a big hit of hydration thanks to ceramides, niacinamide, glycerin, and the brand’s signature thermal spring water, which soothes the skin. Seattle-based dermatologist Sarah Sung, MD, previously told Allure that this cream is one of her go-to picks for pairing with tretinoin. “The lightweight texture absorbs quickly but provides lasting moisture, so it works well for both morning and night,” she says.

Tester feedback from shopping director Shanna Shipin

“This is my emotional support moisturizer. It's up there with Aquaphor as a product that I can trust to perform no matter how dry or damaged my skin barrier is. It doesn't go big on fancy fine-line-reducing ingredients or anything, and instead focuses on hydration. It leaves my skin wrapped in a cocoon of moisture—but not the overbearing and itchy kind! It plays nicely with my angry eczema flare-ups, and has no fragrance, so I can use it on my kids too.” —Shanna Shipin, shopping director

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Clinique

Clinique

Allure senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin applying the Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator

Why it’s worth it: Tons of factors lead to dehydrated skin—lack of sleep, travel, sweat, you name it. Packed with brightening vitamin C, moisturizing vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid, Clinique’s Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator delivers deep hydration while still feeling super lightweight and refreshing. Translation: Oily and combination skin will drink this stuff up. The gel-like cream sinks in immediately, leaving behind a glass-like finish that is just tacky enough to grip onto makeup. Use it at night for a moisture boost while you sleep, or during the day for skin that’s bouncy, plump, and effortlessly hydrated.

Tester feedback from Allure senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin

“This was my go-to moisturizer in college, and it still holds up. I love the gel texture—it's lightweight, sinks into my skin quickly, and feels cooling (very refreshing!). It's also a great base for makeup and never pills on me. When I use it at night, I notice that my skin still feels super hydrated and looks glowy in the morning.”—Sarah Felbin, senior commerce editor

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SkinCeuticals

SkinCeuticals

Dermstore

Bluemercury

Allure commerce editor Sarah Han applying SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2

Why it’s worth it: SkinCeuticals’ Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 takes its name straight from its formula: 2% pure ceramides (types 1 and 3), 4% cholesterol, and 2% fatty acids. Why is this ratio so important? "It infuses skin-identical fatty acids into the barrier in the exact proportion that naturally exists in our barrier," Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine, previously told Allure. Together, these ingredients help lock in moisture and reinforce the skin barrier. “It coddles my skin, comforting the extra-dry patches and leaving my complexion bouncy and bright,” Allure senior beauty editor Jesa Marie Calaor affirms.

Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han

“Let me tell you: This cream is so nice and buttery but not in a super-rich-my-skin-feels-like-there's-a-film-on-it way. I have combo skin so this is a great nighttime moisturizer—it really feels as if all of my other skin-care products are properly sealed in. Over time, along with the other hydrating formulas I pack onto my face, I can say it's helped improve the firmness of my skin—which can turn dull and lifeless with just a few days of poor sleep, diet, etc.” —Sarah Han, commerce editor

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Illiyoon

Amazon

Olive Young

Allure commerce writer Lily Wohlner applying Illiyoon's Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream

Why it’s worth it: Illiyoon’s Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream has a loyal following because it’s a savior for sensitive skin. The fragrance-free formula packs barrier-strengthening ceramides and moisture-locking glycerin, and it’s gentle enough for adults and kids (yup, the whole fam can use it!). “This product has saved my skin,” Charlotte Cho, founder of Soko Glam, previously told Allure. “It’s one of the most soothing body products I’ve used, and it’s rich enough to keep my skin from flaking,” she says.

Tester feedback from commerce writer Lily Wohlner

“Illiyoon’s K-beauty staple has completely transformed my acne-prone, combination skin, and I have its high concentration of plant-based ceramides to thank. It has strengthened my skin barrier, giving me that healthy, hydrated glow and a bouncy, soothed feel, all without irritation or breakouts (which is rare for me!). As a beauty writer who tests endless products, the fact that this moisturizer has remained a constant in my routine for two full years says it all.” —Lily Wohlner, commerce writer

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Skinfix

Sephora

Allure contributing commerce editor Deanna Pai after applying Skinfix Barrier+ Restoring Gel Cream

Why it’s worth it: If your barrier is crying out for help (hi, blemishes and redness) but you’re too oily and acne-prone for heavy creams, Skinfix’s Best of Beauty-winning Barrier+ Skin Barrier Restoring Gel Cream is a lifesaver. Powered by a mix of moisture-binding saccharide isomerate, oil-absorbing niacinamide, and a peptide blend that supports the skin barrier’s moisturizing abilities, it delivers serious moisture to help your barrier bounce back, all without that dreaded thick film. New York City-based dermatologist David Kim, MD, is a big fan, too, touting its lightweight formula for its ability to sit pretty on oily skin. "One to two pumps is all you need, and it gets absorbed instantly,” he previously told Allure. Bonus points for the push-top packaging, which keeps things bacteria- and mess-free (no finger-dipping required).

Tester feedback from contributing editor Deanna Pai

“I've only just started using this lightweight gel-cream, but it's totally changed the game for me—already. My combination skin is prone to acne, and I love knowing that the non-comedogenic formula won't make matters worse. It's been a godsend this summer, too. I can apply it right after my post-run shower (when I'm usually still sweating) without it ever feeling greasy or occlusive.” —Deanna Pai, contributing commerce editor

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Key ingredients: zinc PCA, niacinamide, hyaluronic acidTexture: lightweight gelBest for: people prone to breakouts or congested skin

Tatcha

Amazon

Ulta Beauty

Tatcha

Allure features director Kara McGrath applying Tatcha's Dewy Milk Moisturizer

Why it’s worth it: Plenty of “lightweight” creams claim to feel airy, but this one actually delivers. With its milky, serum-like texture, it sinks right in, erases that tight, dry feeling on contact, and leaves skin dewy without a hint of greasiness. The formula also brings some not-so-typical ingredients to the table: zinc hyaluronate for hydration that won’t feel heavy on oily skin, prebiotic green tea to balance skin’s pH and provide anti-aging benefits, and Japanese purple rice to fend off free radical damage, which results in fine lines and wrinkles (and who wants that?).

Tester feedback from Allure content director Kara McGrath

“The lavender packaging is what inspired me to pull this out of my towering ‘To Test’ pile, but I was pleased to discover that what's inside is even better. This is my platonic ideal of a summer moisturizer: It's lightweight, quick to absorb, not greasy, and very hydrating.”—Kara McGrath, content director

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Supergoop

Nordstrom

Dermstore

Allure senior beauty editor Jesa Marie Calaor the applying Supergoop! Triple Prep Weightless Multitasking Moisturizer SPF 40

Why it’s worth it: If you’re hunting for a fragrance-free moisturizer that doubles as SPF, Supergoop’s Triple Prep Weightless Multitasking Moisturizer SPF 40 checks every box. The silky chemical formula glides on, sinks in fast, and leaves zero white cast, which is crucial for deeper skin tones. On top of sun protection, it’s loaded with skin-plumping MVPs like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, niacinamide, and ectoin to keep pores happy and hydration levels up. True to Supergoop fashion, it layers beautifully under makeup and provides a smooth base. (You can also apply it under a tinted SPF for extra protection.)

Tester feedback from Allure senior beauty editor Jesa Marie Calaor

“On my super dry skin, Supergoop’s Triple Prep Weightless Multitasking Moisturizer SPF 40 absorbs quickly and leaves me feeling as if I have slathered on a regular moisturizer. When it dries down, it has a silky finish that isn’t sticky or greasy. It le