Are Serums Good For Sensitive Skin?

Because I used to have constant acne breakouts, I thought I had sensitive skin. For a long time, I knew hardly anything about my skin or the right skincare products, not to mention about their ingredients. I just used what everyone else was using or just followed the product’s advertisement without looking at its ingredients. Years went by, but my skin didn’t get better. Indeed, I was already in my twenties (and even thirties!) and still experiencing teenage pimples! At last, I decided to do something about it, and it occurred to me that I could read products’ ingredients and understand how they worked.

Summarizing years of ingredient research, here is what I’ve come to understand. The most important thing in skin care is maintaining its skin barrier and healthy microbiome. Hence, your skincare products should contain ingredients that support and protect your skin rather than destroy it by killing vital bacteria. Some of my clients have complained that their skin is so sensitive that it reacts even to chamomile extract or argan oil that are in their skin serum or cream. After more details, it became clear that the reason for that kind of sensitivity was using skincare products with wrong ingredients. By that I mean harsh chemicals that ruin the skin barrier and compromise the skin microbiome. Therefore, in this post, you will learn about the right ingredients for the skin and get a list of serums for sensitive skin.

Are Serums Good For Sensitive Skin?

Generally speaking, the term “sensitive skin” describes skin that is more prone to reactions such as:

• redness
• itching
• burning
• stinging
• rashes
• peeling
• dryness or
• feeling of tightness.

(If your main skin problem is dryness, check out my post The Best Tips for Skin Care Routine for Dry Skin.)

Some triggers of skin sensitivity include:

• extreme weather conditions
• environmental pollution
• sun exposure
• certain foods
• unbalanced diet
• stress
• lack of sleep
• skincare products
• hormone imbalance, and
• medical conditions (eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis).

Thus, in this study, the most commonly reported sensitive skin triggers included extreme temperatures (48%), skincare products (42%), stress (39%), sweat (39%), sun exposure (36%), and diet (36%).

Furthermore, dysregulation of the skin barrier function can ruin the skin microbiome and lead to the development of skin disorders, such as dry, flaky or sensitive skin (source). Consequently, understanding how to maintain the delicate balance of the skin microbiota (the collection of vital microorganisms living on the skin) is essential in gaining insight into the mechanisms responsible for healthy skin and its appearance. Therefore, the human skin microbiome has become a focus for both dermatological and cosmetic fields (source).

(If your skin sensitivity is caused by hormone imbalance typical of teenagers, check out my post called Skincare For Teenagers: Essential Tips For Healthy And Clear Skin.)

What Is In Serums – Key Ingredients To Know

Generally speaking, a facial serum is the most concentrated treatment product in a skincare routine. However, I have noticed that some “serums” in the market are nothing more than a blend of oils. After application, they just sit on your face like a film instead of penetrating the skin. In my opinion, a face serum is a lightweight skincare product that absorbs quickly into your skin and nourishes it with active ingredients.

When considering serums for sensitive skin, it’s crucial to take several factors into account. Indeed, skin serums can be beneficial for sensitive skin if chosen carefully.

First, try to conduct patch testing on your inner elbow before applying any new product to your face. This will help you ensure the skincare product doesn’t cause a reaction.

Second, avoid skin serums with the following ingredients, because in addition to increasing certain health risks, they can irritate the skin and permanently damage the skin barrier:

• phenoxyethanol
• benzisothiazolinone
• methylisothiazolinone
• methylchloroisothiazolinone
• fragrance and “natural” fragrance
• polysorbates and other ethoxylated ingredients, and
• some other potentially toxic chemicals listed here.

In other words, serums for sensitive skin should not contain high concentrations of ingredients that interfere with its enhanced immune responsiveness and already diminished skin barrier function. Such ingredients include common sensitizers and skin irritants listed above (source).

Instead, it is a good idea to look for skin serums specifically formulated for sensitive skin. Typically, they should contain high concentrations of soothing and hydrating active ingredients, including:

• peptides
• vitamin C
• niacinamide
• ferulic acid
• probiotics
• hyaluronic acid (aka sodium hyaluronate)
• potent botanicals (e.g., aloe vera, bakuchiol, green tea extract, castor oil etc.)

What Serums Are Good For Sensitive Skin

Among skin serums for sensitive skin, my favorite ones are as follows:

• Crunchi I AM Bright® Vitamin C Facial Serum
• Crunchi Goldenlight Multi-peptide Facial Serum
• Pure Haven Hyaluronic Acid
• Pure Haven Clear Up Serum
• Pure Haven Beauty Booster Serum
• Pure Haven Brightening Serum
• Pure Haven Soothing Serum
• Pure Haven Refresh Night Serum with Probiotics

The reason I like these skin serums is that I am impressed with both the companies’ management and the production processes. Indeed, I’ve studied every ingredient they use and am confident about their safety and purity. Besides, I have been using Crunchi serums for a few years now and have been enjoying their luxurious quality and effectiveness. My skin has never felt or looked better – and I’m almost 50! To learn more about these companies, refer to my blog posts Crunchi Non-Toxic Makeup Review and Pure Haven Review.

At the same time, I get questions from my readers about other companies, including those listed below. Note that I base my opinions about their products’ safety and effectiveness only on the lists of ingredients available on their websites. In other words, I do not know the behind-the-scenes processes of the companies mentioned below and cannot stand by the quality and purity of their ingredients. However, to give you more options, I have included them in this post:

• Beauty By Earth Hyaluronic Acid Serum
• Beauty By Earth Youth Restoration Bakuchiol Face Serum
• Beauty By Earth Hyperactive Anti-Aging Vitamin C Serum
• Blissoma Smooth A+ Correcting Serum
• Blissoma Aura – Phyto Brightening Serum
• Earthley Wellness Rejuvenate Me! Facial Serum – For Dry, Tired Skin
• Earthley Wellness Deep Healing Skin Serum – For Scars and Rough Spots
• Fitglow Beauty Birch Hyaluronic Electrolyte Quench + Calm Serum
• Fitglow Beauty Clear + Bright Mandelic Serum Drops
• Primally Pure Soothing Serum

Let’s talk about each of the companies listed above, starting with the two companies with which I am very familiar and love their integrity and manufacturing practices – Crunchi and Pure Haven.

Crunchi Vitamin C Facial Serum

Crunchi I AM Bright® Vitamin C Facial Serum (ADVOCATE10 for 10% off on the 1^st purchase): First, this skin serum is great for all skin types, including sensitive skin. The stable form of vitamin C (ascorbyl glucoside) helps reduce redness and swelling as well as minimize the appearance of dark spots and post-acne marks. Further, ferulic acid helps boost the efficacy of vitamin C for faster, more visible results with less irritation. Also, niacinamide helps even the skin tone and visibly brighten the skin. Additionally, potent antioxidants kakadu plum and snow mushroom help protect against environmental stressors, including blue-light damage.

I don’t have dark spots on my face but I was getting them on my hands. After I applied this serum on my hands for 6 weeks, the spots disappeared. Therefore, I know that this vitamin C serum is effective and potent.

To learn more about the forms and potency of vitamin C, check out my post What Is A Vitamin C Serum.

Crunchi Multi-Peptide Facial Serum

Crunchi Goldenlight Multi-Peptide Facial Serum (ADVOCATE10 for 10% off on the 1^st purchase): Just like the skin serum described above, this serum is also great for all skin types, including sensitive skin. It contains such potent botanicals as arnica montana flower extract to help soothe the skin and sea buckthorn extract that helps plump the look of your skin for a youthful appearance. Besides, it has hyaluronic acid that boosts hydration levels of the skin, helping to visibly plump and firm. Above all, the serum contains high concentrations of peptides (palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, palmitoyl tripeptide-5, palmitoyl tripeptide-1, palmitoyl tripeptide-38) that help to stabilize and restore skin’s collagen and elastin network to firm skin for a lifted, contoured, and sculpted appearance.

Pure Haven Hyaluronic Acid

Pure Haven Hyaluronic Acid: This lightweight, non-oily serum is also good for all skin types. It is formulated to intensely hydrate dry skin, help restore elasticity, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Its active ingredient hyaluronic acid can retain high amounts of water, making it a powerful ingredient for keeping skin hydrated. Additionally, it contains organic hibiscus flower extract known for its antibacterial properties, high content of vitamin C, and antioxidant power. Plus, organic linden flower has anti-inflammatory as well as skin softening and conditioning properties. And calendula helps calm inflamed skin and moisturize dry and sensitive skin.

Pure Haven Clear Up Serum

Pure Haven Clear Up Serum: While it is good for all skin types, it is ideal for blemished or blemish-prone skin. It is formulated to be used daily on even the most sensitive skin. Its active ingredient salicylic acid (0.5%) is well-known for treating the skin prone to irritation, inflammation, redness, and enlarged pores. Next, cucumber fruit extract helps soothe, hydrate, and soften the skin. And green tea leaf extract has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Also, the serum contains a probiotic (lactobacillus) to help with acne.

Pure Haven Beauty Booster Serum

Pure Haven Beauty Booster Serum: Just like the serums discussed above, this lightweight and fast absorbing serum is good for all skin types. It has a rich oil formula that supports the skin’s microbiome and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles associated with aging. Among its ingredients is organic hemp seed oil that is rich in vitamins, minerals, phytosterols, phospholipids, and antioxidants. Plus, there is raspberry seed oil that is naturally high in tocopherols that provide antioxidant activity and help maintain skin softness and hydration.

Next, organic evening primrose oil helps to soften and hydrate dry skin and is especially helpful for sensitive skin. Organic jojoba seed oil is anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants. It helps protect the skin from free radicals and signs of premature aging. This skin serum also contains ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10, aka “CoQ10”), which helps improve skin tone and texture and may help reduce sun damage.

Pure Haven Day Serum

Pure Haven Brightening Serum: This lightweight, non-greasy daytime serum helps energize and brighten the skin and is formulated for all skin types. It features beneficial ingredients that help defend the skin against everyday stressors and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. For instance, punarnava root extract has nourishing, balancing, and rejuvenating qualities. It helps lighten, brighten, and even the skin tone and diminish dark spots. Also, mallow flower extract contains high doses of flavonoids and vitamins C and E. This helps nourish dry and damaged skin and soothe blemish-prone and sensitive skin.

Pure Haven Soothing Night Serum

Pure Haven Soothing Serum: Although this nighttime serum’s formula is good for all skin types, it is ideal for dry and irritated skin. The formula helps calm sensitive skin, minimize redness and inflammation, and reduce signs of aging. It includes hops extract that is rich in polyphenols and has antioxidant properties. It helps calm and soothe sensitive skin which is prone to inflammation and dermatitis. Additionally, buddleja davidii leaf extract can help bring extra moisturization to protect against external stressors. The serum also contains a probiotic (lactobacillus) that helps with acne.

Pure Haven Night Serum With Probiotics

Pure Haven Refresh Night Serum with Probiotics: This ultra-moisturizing and super soothing night serum is good for all skin types, including sensitive skin. Its active ingredients help balance the skin microbiome and defend against the damaging effects of free radicals. Thus, ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10) helps improve skin tone and texture and may help reduce sun damage. Further, the beta-carotene content of carrot root oil helps with cell regeneration for healthier looking skin. Moreover, probiotics promote renewal and repair as well as improve the skin’s barrier function. And pink grapefruit peel oil helps restore brightness and vibrancy to the skin.

Beauty By Earth Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Beauty By Earth Hyaluronic Acid Serum (IREAD12 for 12% off): This skin serum contains organic aloe vera to help fight inflammation and sooth irritated and dry skin. Next, organic noni fruit extract brims with antioxidants and is beneficial for soothing irritated skin. In addition, organic white tea leaf extract and hyaluronic acid help moisturize and sooth the skin and clear breakouts. The organic green tea leaf extract and organic gotu kola extract are great for sensitive skin and help reduce redness, irritation, and premature aging.

Beauty By Earth Bakuchiol Face Serum

Beauty By Earth Youth Restoration Bakuchiol Face Serum (IREAD12 for 12% off): This skin serum uses clean ingredients that shouldn’t irritate the skin. Thus, the serum features such active ingredients as bakuchiol (a plant-based alternative to retinol), organic aloe vera, organic castor oil, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide. They are hydrating and aiding in reducing redness or irritation on the skin. There is also bilberry fruit extract rich in antioxidants that has soothing properties and anti-inflammatory agents helping to remove redness or irritation on the skin.

Beauty By Earth Vitamin C Face Serum

Beauty By Earth Hyperactive Anti-Aging Vitamin C Serum (IREAD12 for 12% off): According to the website, the serum is formulated for all skin types, including sensitive skin. It features vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), vitamin E, apple stem cells, and willow bark extract that have protecting and soothing properties. Additionally, it contains sodium hyaluronate, ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10), and lipoic acid, a powerful antioxidant that enhances other antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E.

It is important to mention that, personally, I consider the form of vitamin C used in this serum (L-ascorbic acid) not the best option for sensitive skin because it can be irritating. However, because on its website, the company states that this serum also works for sensitive skin, I have included it in the list. But I would definitely suggest conducting patch testing on your inner elbow before applying the serum to your face. Also, due to the studies I found, I am not so sure about the stability or effectiveness of ascorbic acid in topical products. Hence, I recommend you read my post What Is A Vitamin C Serum before purchasing this product.

Blissoma Correcting Serum

Blissoma Smooth A+ Correcting Serum: The company describes this serum as suitable for oily, congested, acne-prone, and rosacea-prone skin types. It contains 4% niacinamide and rose oil to help fade dark marks from breakouts fast. In addition, it has over 13 antioxidant-rich botanicals such as organic coriander, yarrow, goldenrod, fennel, dandelion, aloe, and witch hazel as well as natural vitamin A from carrots to balance oiliness and retain more water in the skin. As a result, hydration helps cells exfoliate properly and keep the pores clear.

Blissoma Vitamin C Serum

Blissoma Aura – Phyto Brightening Serum: According to the website, this skin serum is formulated for uneven and oily skin, skin with hyperpigmentation and acne as well as all types of skin, including sensitive skin. It helps with discoloration, tone, lines, texture, and color. It contains vitamin C (sodium ascorbyl phosphate), coenzyme Q10, potent botanical antioxidants including organic rooibos and wasabi extracts, as well as organic licorice, gentian, and uva ursi roots that work together to create the appearance of even color.

Earthley Wellness Rejuvenating Facial Serum

Earthley Wellness Rejuvenate Me! Facial Serum – For Dry, Tired Skin: The company recommends this serum for oily and acne-prone skin or combination and sensitive skin. It consists of just four active ingredients: organic argan oil to moisturize and nourish the skin, raspberry seed oil to promote skin repair, frankincense essential oil to promote skin repair and an anti-aging effect, and coriander essential oil for antimicrobial and an antibacterial effect.

Note: This “serum” is just a blend of oils. It may not be as lightweight or quickly absorbing as you’d like it to be. Neither does it have a concentration of powerhouse active ingredients, like some other serums, e.g., those by Crunchi.

Earthley Wellness Deep Healing Skin Serum

Earthley Wellness Deep Healing Skin Serum – For Scars and Rough Spots: The company recommends this serum for all types of skin, especially those that need repair. It is made of just six certified organic ingredients. They are hemp seed oil to moderate oil production, cranberry seed oil to promote skin health and an anti-aging effect, and watermelon seed oil to provide lightweight moisture and plumpness. Also, there are comfrey, rose petals, and calendula for their anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

Note: Just like the “serum” above, this product is also just a blend of oils. It may not be as lightweight or quickly absorbing as you’d like it to be. Neither does it have a concentration of powerhouse active ingredients, like some other serums, e.g., those by Crunchi.

Fitglow Beauty Calming Serum

Fitglow Beauty Birch Hyaluronic Electrolyte Quench + Calm Serum: This is a naturally concentrated dual hydration serum that quenches the skin with hyaluronic acid and bamboo electrolytes. Additionally, Canadian willow herb extract helps reduce the appearance of redness, while birch extract supports skin suppleness and clarity.

Fitglow Beauty Clearing Serum

Fitglow Beauty Clear + Bright Mandelic Serum Drops: The company refers to this serum’s formula as one that should brighten all skin tones while gently exfoliating and clearing the skin. The serum drops are quickly absorbed to resurface the skin, leaving it clear, smooth, and radiant. Notably, the formula includes a gentle exfoliating blend of 5% mandelic acid, kojic acid, and hyaluronic acid.

Primally Pure Soothing Serum

Primally Pure Soothing Serum (READLABELS10 for 10% off): The serum features a powerful combination of medicinal herbs and mineral-rich oils such as pumpkin seed, tamanu, and gotu kola that restore the skin at a cellular level to restore a compromised skin barrier. Enriched with minerals and amino acids, it should be able to strengthen skin tissue and target inflammation and redness, improving hydration and healing.

Conclusion: Are Serums Good For Sensitive Skin?

Non-Toxic Skin Serums With Microbiome Supporting Active Ingredients Can Help Improve The Condition Of Sensitive Skin And Maintain Healthy, Clear Skin.

In conclusion, when choosing serums for sensitive skin, it’s important to consider the formulation, the presence of soothing ingredients, and to avoid potential irritants. The latter include fragrance, phenoxyethanol, and other harsh preservatives as well as ethoxylated ingredients. Also, it is important to perform patch testing before incorporating a new skin serum into your routine to ensure compatibility with sensitive skin.

In addition, sensitive skin needs regular moisturization and hydration, which can help maintain its barrier function and reduce sensitivity. Plus, sun protection is crucial too. Consider Crunchi Sunlight® Facial SPF 30 (ADVOCATE10 for 10% off on the 1^st purchase of $50+) and Pure Haven Face Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 with broad-spectrum mineral UVA and UVB filters.

Furthermore, it is a good idea to avoid specific triggers that can cause skin reactions, such as certain foods, fabrics, or extreme environmental conditions. If sensitive skin symptoms persist or worsen, it may be necessary to seek advice from a dermatologist.

For everyday skincare routine, consider using some of the skin serums for sensitive skin below:

• Crunchi I AM Bright® Vitamin C Facial Serum (ADVOCATE10 for 10% off on the 1^st purchase)
• Crunchi Goldenlight Multi-peptide Facial Serum (ADVOCATE10 for 10% off on the 1^st purchase)
• Pure Haven Hyaluronic Acid
• Pure Haven Clear Up Serum
• Pure Haven Beauty Booster Serum
• Pure Haven Brightening Serum
• Pure Haven Soothing Serum
• Pure Haven Refresh Night Serum with Probiotics

As always, you are welcome to visit the I Read Labels For You blog for other useful information on skincare and makeup. Check out my non-toxic products shop and unprecedented e-books that will help you find safer products. You can also book a consultation with me for a deeper look into your personal needs.

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