Sensitive skin notes

Every cream stings? It's probably not the cream.

Burning when you put it on, tightness after washing, new products that make it worse. 8 things that change when you give irritated skin fewer, gentler products.

The one cream we'd start with

Sensitive Skin Moisturiser

0 reactions in a patch test on 20 people with sensitive skin

Fragrance-free · Dermatologically tested · COSMOS Organic · 50 ml

Free shipping

30-day money-back · no need to send it back

Independent lab test · Dermatologically tested · Made in the EU

4.7 · 3 reviews

Full ingredient list

Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium PCA, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Isoamyl Laurate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aqua/Water, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter*, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose, Octyldodecanol, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

*Ingredients from organic farming

Certified COSMOS Organic by Ecocert: an independent body checks every ingredient and how it's made.

Quick answers

Has it been tested on sensitive skin?

Yes. The formula is dermatologically tested. In a patch test on 20 people with sensitive skin, none showed a skin reaction. A 4-week consumer test was run with 30 women with sensitive skin. Individual results may vary, so if your skin is very reactive, try it on a small area first.

I have eczema or rosacea. Is it suitable?

It's a cosmetic moisturiser, so it isn't made to treat any skin condition, and we can't promise how your skin will respond. What we can tell you: there's no fragrance and no essential oils in it, the ingredient list is short (it's in the box at the top of this page), and in a patch test on 20 people with sensitive skin, none had a reaction.

If you have a diagnosed condition, show the list to your doctor or dermatologist and try it on a small area first. If it doesn't suit you, you get a full refund within 30 days and keep the bottle.

3 min read · Citadel Skin notes

Citadel Sensitive Skin Moisturizer

Most people with easily irritated skin try to fix it by adding something: a soothing serum, a new cream, another mask. When that stings too, they add something else. Here's what happens when you go the other way.

01Putting cream on stops being the part you dread

When creams sting, the cream often isn't the real problem. A worn-out skin barrier lets ingredients through that healthy skin would keep out, so things you used to tolerate start to burn.

The answer is to give your skin less to react to: no fragrance, a short formula, and nothing designed to "work" aggressively.

02Your face stops feeling tight after washing

Hot water and cleanser strip away the oils that hold water in your skin. That's the tight, slightly stretched feeling a few minutes after you dry your face.

This cream does both halves of the job. Glycerin, sodium PCA and two forms of hyaluronic acid pull water back in. Jojoba oil and mango butter soften skin and help hold that water in. Put it on within a minute or two of washing, while skin is still slightly damp.

03You stop guessing which product caused it

If you use five products and your face reacts, you can't tell which one did it, so you swap one out and try again. That cycle can go on for months.

One plain cream, morning and night, means one thing on your skin. If it's comfortable, you've found your base. Everything else can be added back slowly, one at a time.

Sensitive Skin Moisturiser

One cream. Morning and night. Zero fragrance.

No essential oils, no long list of actives, nothing your skin doesn't need.

04Cold wind and heated rooms bother your skin less

Dry winter air pulls water out of skin, both outside and inside next to the radiator. Skin with a weak barrier feels it first: red cheeks, flaky patches around the nose, that raw feeling after a walk.

Apply before you head out. A sealed layer helps skin hold onto its own water in dry, cold air.

05No fragrance, not even the "natural" kind

Essential oils smell lovely, but they're still fragrance, and fragrance is one of the most common reasons sensitive skin reacts. Plenty of natural products use them.

The Sensitive Skin Moisturizer has no added fragrance of any kind, and no fragrance allergens to declare on the label. It smells of almost nothing, which is the point.

Tested, not just claimed

What an independent lab measured

  • 100%showed no skin reaction in a patch test
  • 100%still had increased skin hydration 8 hours after applying
  • 93%said their skin felt instantly soothed and comfortable
  • 100%showed less redness right after application

Formula tested by an independent lab under dermatological supervision. Patch test: 20 people with sensitive skin. Instrumental tests: 10 women, single application. Consumer test: 30 women with sensitive skin, 4 weeks. Individual results may vary.

06It's the one product you can keep in every routine

Whatever else you use, an exfoliating acid once a week, a serum or nothing at all, a plain barrier cream sits underneath it all and keeps skin comfortable. On the nights you use something stronger, it's the step that keeps your skin calm.

07You can check exactly what's in it

It's certified COSMOS Organic by Ecocert: 100% of the formula is of natural origin and 22% is organic. It's vegan, dermatologically tested, and made in the EU in an FDA-registered, GMP-certified facility.

The full ingredient list is in the box at the top of this page, under the price, so you or your dermatologist can check it before you buy.

08If it isn't right for you, it costs you nothing

Try it for 30 days. If it doesn't suit your skin, email us and we'll refund you in full. No need to send it back.

30 days. Full refund. Keep the bottle.

One email is all it takes.

What to expect

  1. First daysComfortable to put onA light cream that should feel comfortable going on, with less of that tight feeling after washing.
  2. Weeks 2–4Calmer, softer skinWith fewer products and steady use, skin tends to feel calmer and less reactive.
  3. Weeks 6–8Time to judgeAbout when the bottle runs out. Individual experiences vary.
  • 10% offfirst order
  • Freeshipping
  • 30-daymoney-back
  • No returnneeded

Questions people ask first

Is it really fragrance-free?

Yes. There's no added fragrance and no essential oils in the formula. You can check the full ingredient list in the box at the top of this page.

Has it been tested on sensitive skin?

Yes. The formula is dermatologically tested. In a patch test on 20 people with sensitive skin, none showed a skin reaction. A 4-week consumer test was run with 30 women with sensitive skin. Individual results may vary, so if your skin is very reactive, try it on a small area first.

Can I use it with my other products?

Yes. Use it after cleansing and after any serum, morning and night. If your skin is stinging or feels tight right now, try it on its own for a week or two first, then add other products back one at a time.

I have eczema or rosacea. Is it suitable?

It's a cosmetic moisturiser, so it isn't made to treat any skin condition, and we can't promise how your skin will respond. What we can tell you: there's no fragrance and no essential oils in it, the ingredient list is short (it's in the box at the top of this page), and in a patch test on 20 people with sensitive skin, none had a reaction.

If you have a diagnosed condition, show the list to your doctor or dermatologist and try it on a small area first. If it doesn't suit you, you get a full refund within 30 days and keep the bottle.

How long does a bottle last?

Used morning and night, the 50 ml pump bottle lasts roughly six to eight weeks.

What if it doesn't suit me?

Email us within 30 days for a full refund. You don't need to return the product.

Calm skin starts with fewer products.

The one cream we'd start with

Sensitive Skin Moisturiser

0 reactions in a patch test on 20 people with sensitive skin

Fragrance-free · Dermatologically tested · COSMOS Organic · 50 ml

Free shipping

30-day money-back · no need to send it back

Independent lab test · Dermatologically tested · Made in the EU

4.7 · 3 reviews

Full ingredient list

Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium PCA, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Isoamyl Laurate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aqua/Water, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter*, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose, Octyldodecanol, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

*Ingredients from organic farming