Women's Health June 23, 2026 0 Comments

I Put Clinique’s New Sensitive Skin Line to the Ultimate Test – Here’s What Shocked Me About My Reactive Skin!

Ever felt like your skin throws a full-blown tantrum at the mere hint of a new product? Yeah, been there—redness, dryness, mysterious bumps popping up like unwanted party crashers. When I was asked to test Clinique’s new Daily Calm line, crafted just for sensitive skin warriors like me, I thought, “Can this be the gentle game-changer my skin’s been begging for?” This isn’t just another skincare launch; it’s a carefully curated squad designed to soothe, protect, and pamper even the most reactive complexions. Join me as I dive into my personal rollercoaster of trying these products—and find out if Daily Calm truly delivers that much-needed peace in a bottle. LEARN MORE

6 min read

My skin has always been very reactive. Trying any new product can send my face into total tailspin—redness, dryness, acne, mysterious bumps. You name it, it’s happened to me at some point. So, when our beauty director Brian Underwood was looking for someone to test Clinique’s new Daily Calm line, he knew exactly who to tap.

Daily Calm, if you haven’t already surmised, is formulated specifically for those with sensitive skin. And, while a lot of people (myself included!) might self-identify as having the condition, Clinique tapped people who certifiably do according to the Burden of Sensitive Skin (BoSS) Survey. The result: a lineup that’s truly effective for even the most finicky of outer layers.

Like so many others, my relationship with Clinique runs deep. When I first wanted to start wearing makeup, my mom brought me to their counter at Nordstrom. I came home with a light coverage powder, mascara, and sample of Happy—a cannon event, as far as I’m concerned. Since then, I’ve turned to the brand for one of my favorite moisturizers of all time, a rare mascara that doesn’t irritate my eyes, and, of course, their famous black honey lipstick.

After testing out the Clinique’s Daily Calm line, I’m happy to say that some of the products have worked their way into my rotation now too.

Here’s my full review.

Shop the new Clinique Daily Calm line.

Meet Clinique Daily Calm.

Clinique’s Daily Calm line includes a cream cleanser, daily moisturizer, makeup balm, and lip and cheek tint. The products are all fragrance free, non-acnegenic, allergy-tested, dermatologist-tested, and clinically proven to be safe on very sensitive skin. (Yup, that’s a mouthful.)

The star of the show in each of the products is Uniflavon, a patented ingredient that was created to calm irritation. “That is really part of the powerhouse of this franchise,” says Ida Wong, Clinique’s vice president of product development. “It’s made up of two botanicals, Scutellaria and bamboo.”

The team also developed the line with a dermatologist who specializes in allergies. Skin sensitivity, like allergies, can involve a cascade of reactions, Wong adds. Basically, when your sensitive skin reacts to a product, it triggers inflammation. If that inflammation isn’t calmed, it can grow and grow, resulting in even more irritation. The idea behind Daily Calm is to act like an antihistamine would with allergies—that is, to interrupt what Clinique calls the upstream and downstream in the irritation reaction before it gets too out of control.

Shop the new Clinique Daily Calm line.

Meet the Clinique Daily Calm lineup.

I experimented with the line for nearly two weeks, so I feel comfortable saying that I’ve ran it through the wringer of my life. Here’s what I think of each product.

Daily Calm Gentle Cream Cleanser

This creamy cleanser doesn’t foam. Instead, it glides right on the skin—almost as if you’re not applying anything to your face at all. You are, of course: a glycerin and hyaluronic acid-based cleanser that cleans, soothes, and hydrates at the same time.

I love how delicate the cleanser feels. After I use it, my skin feels soft and clean, without any of the tightness that I associate with more stripping washes. It’s easily the most gentle cleanser I’ve used, but it still gets the job done, including removing the makeup from this line.

While I use water with the product, Wong mentions that you can actually use the cleanser sans H20, which can be a real game changer for people with sensitive skin. You can simply just massage the cream onto your skin, wipe with a tissue or cloth, and go. “We’ve heard it from the dermatologists who hear from the patients: Touching water or having even a splash of that tepid water can sometimes be very sensitive,” she explains. The cleanser’s thoughtful design cuts that step out entirely, giving you one less potential source of irritation.

Daily Calm Soothing Repair Cream

The Soothing Repair Cream is a daily moisturizer that’ll keep your skin plump and hydrated. It’s got hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides, with the goal being to support the skin barrier and build overall strength—so that you can be more resistant to future irritation.

Clinique makes one of my favorite moisturizers (their Moisture Surge hydrator), so the Soothing Repair Cream had a tough act to follow. While I would probably still go for their Moisture Surge, I do like this cream, and it’s definitely gentle on the skin if that’s a priority for you.

The consistency of this cream achieves Goldilocks status, landing somewhere between a lightweight moisturizer and something heavier—I’ve never really used one like it. This balancing act was all part of the plan for Clinique. “The formula is lush and cushiony, but it’s not occlusive. It’s not heavy because that’s a pain point for this consumer,” Wong says. “When they have very sensitive skin, they need almost like this cocoon-like comfort that envelops their skin.”

Daily Calm Makeup Balm

I’ve been using a liquid foundation lately, so switching to this balm has been a welcome way to shake up my routine. The sheer, creamy foundation melts when you dip your fingers into the pot. It’s super fun to dive into and really easy to apply.

You wouldn’t expect it from a makeup product, but this is something in the line that truly feels soothing to my skin and almost cool to the touch when I use it. When my skin is freaking out, I tend to avoid adding more product to the fire, but this is one that can help even out my skin tone without upsetting my face further.

Plus, you can control just how much you use. It’d work great to just cover certain spots as more of a concealer if you didn’t want to do your whole face. It’s also the kind of product you can totally apply with your fingers, but I’ve also been enjoying using a sponge. Either way, it glides on beautifully and gently and offers light yet buildable coverage.

Another major perk of the whole line, but especially this product, in my opinion: You can use all of Daily Calm under your eyes, according to Wong. My eyes are the most sensitive part of my face—to the point where I pretty much can’t put any product there. Now, I have a way to add some coverage to undereye circles without any bumps popping up the next day.

The balm comes in eight shades, multiple of which blended out on my skin, so each one can be pretty adaptable to different skin tones. However, even with that caveat, it does not come with many options for those on the deeper side.

Daily Calm Lip + Cheek Color

Just like the balm, the lip and cheek color is a fun addition. The multi-color pots are easy to apply (I use my fingers for these), and have a natural look to them. They come in six flattering colors and have a stickier, glossy consistency for some shine. The shades are all subtle on the skin, but just like the balm, can be built up for a more saturated punch. Meanwhile on the lips, they offer a sheer tint that feels hydrating but still like you’ve got almost nothing on.

And, though I try to not get too hung up on packaging, the packaging of these makeup products deserves a mention. Both the balm and the lip + cheek colors are meant to resemble river rocks, as part of Clinique’s natural and calming vibe for the line. I’d say that they do—and they’re super satisfying to hold in your hands, twist open, and dive right into.

The packaging is part of the 360-degree approach the team took in creating this line. “For that very sensitive consumer, oftentimes, they feel relegated to very functional products in basic packages,” Wong says. “We really looked at this franchise comprehensively.” The result: a luxurious-feeling line that also delivers on its goals.

Shop Clinique’s New Daily Calm Collection

Cream Cleanser

Clinique Daily Calm Gentle Cream Face Cleanser

Dermatologists unanimously name cream cleansers as the best type of face wash for all skin types, and this one is a worthy addition to the category. It contains the special Daily Calm ingredient blend of Uniflavon and magnolia to remove dirt and impurities without ovestripping skin.

Soothing Moisturizer

Clinique Daily Calm Soothing Repair Face Cream

Credit: Clinique

What would any line for sensitive skin be without a gently hydrating face cream? Here, a combination of glycerin, ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol fortifies skin’s protective barrier to ward off future bouts of irritation.

Foundation

Clinique Daily Calm Makeup Balm Foundation

Credit: Clinique

With blurring pigments, this buildable cream foundation glides over skin to instantly even its tone, all while working below the surface to calm blotchiness and redness.

Lip & Cheek Tint

Clinique Daily Calm Lip + Cheek Color

Credit: Clinique

When you’re having a bout of redness due to sensitivity, you may not be inclined to put on makeup—even when you’d like to. This lip and cheek duo makes it easy to dab on a bit of color without further irritating skin.

The Verdict: Is Clinique’s Daily Calm line worth it?

Yes! The cleanser and balm are the highlights for me, but I think all the products in the Daily Calm line have a place in someone’s routine. They’re all gentle, effective, and beautiful. Especially if you have sensitive skin, these products can deliver on that full, high-end makeup experience without adding any irritation—a win-win.

Shop the new Clinique Daily Calm line.

Olivia Luppino is an associate editor at Women’s Health. She spends most of her time interviewing expert sources about the latest fitness trends, nutrition tips, and practical advice for living a healthier life. Olivia previously wrote for New York Magazine’s The Cut, PS (formerly POPSUGAR), and Salon, where she also did on-camera interviews with celebrity guests. She recently ran the New York City Marathon.

Brian Underwood is beauty director at Women’s Health, where he oversees content strategy for the brand across all platforms, including digital, print, and social. Underwood previously served as beauty and wellness director at Oprah Daily and O, The Oprah Magazine. During his tenure leading beauty content for the Oprah brand at Hearst, stories Underwood commissioned were awarded the Skin Cancer Foundation Media Award and a Fragrance Award for Editorial Excellence (his second). He was the launch Beauty Director of Dr. Oz THE GOOD LIFE, and has held additional editorial positions at Fitness, Organic Style, Good Housekeeping, Life & Style Weekly, and Woman’s Day and has written for Self, Shape, Seventeen, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, and many more. Underwood previously served on the Skin Cancer Foundation’s gala committee and as partnerships director of the Trans Beauty Clinic, a New York-based charitable organization that provided beauty services and workshops to the city’s trans community.