L’Oreal Revitalift Day Cream Is Now Available In A Fragrance-Free Version For Sensitive Skin: Should You Try It?

Last Updated on January 18, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

Have you heard? L’Oreal Revitalift Day Cream is now available in a fragrance-free version that even the most sensitive skin types can use to moisturise skin and fight premature aging. Rumour has it, this moisturiser uses a mix of pro-retinol and probiotics extracts to help skin stimulate its “natural lifters” for firmer, smoother skin. While checking for L Oreal Revitalift Moisturizer reviews, I couldn’t get a straight answer, so I put it to the test. And while I was at it, I’ll give you the scoop on other new moisturizers and serums in the Revitalift range (because whether L’Oreal does or doesn’t overdeliver, I always do 😉). Here’s everything you need to know about L’Oreal Revitalift Moisturiser…

Struggling to put together a skincare routine that minimises wrinkles, prevents premature aging, and gives your complexion a youthful glow? Download your FREE “Best Anti-Aging Skincare Routine” to get started (it features product recommendations + right application order):

What’s In L’Oreal Revitalift Day Cream Fragrance-Free?

GLYCERIN TO HYDRATE SKIN

Let’s start with the basics – and main active ingredient. Glycerin is in pretty much ALL skincare products for a reason. It’s a wonderful humectant: that’s a fancy way of saying it draws moisture from the air and locks it into your skin. Once there, this extra moisture softens, plumps, and brightens your skin. That’s the base you want to build the rest of your skincare routine on.

Related: The Ultimate Guide To Glycerin In Skincare

PREBIOTICS AND PROBIOTICS EXTRACTS TO HEAL SKIN

Did you know that your skin is home to a wide range of microorganisms that protect it from harm? Together, they’re known as the microbiome. I know, it’s gross to think you have bacteria on your skin. It’s even grosser not to have them. Here’s why.

When your skin’s microbiome is well-balanced, everything just works. Until sun damage, pollution, harsh skincare products (all the usual culprits) kill too many of the good bacteria. Then, all hell breaks loose. Your skin gets dry and sensitive. Everything you put on it irritates it. You get acne and breakouts. It’s not a pretty picture. L’Oreal Revitalift Day Cream Fragrance-Free contains a bunch of probiotics to help restore a healthy microbiome.

The highlights are:

• Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide: A prebiotic that stimulates the proliferation of good bacteria – but NOT of bad bacteria.
• Yeast Extracts: They contain beta-glucan, a powerful skin-soother that creates a protective barrier to moisturise and protect skin from harm.

Related: The Truth About Probiotics In Skincare: Do They Work?

DIMETHICONE TO MINIMISE FINE LINES

Dimethicone is a heavy silicone. No, it doesn’t suffocate skin or clogs pores. What it does is make wrinkles look smaller. Dimethicone fills every nook and cranny in your skin, a trick that blurs out pores and makes fine lines look less obvious – for a while. As soon as you wash it off, they’re still there. While it’s at it, Dimethicone also gives slip to a product and makes the texture silky smooth.

Related: Are Silicones Bad For Skin?

PRO-RETINOL TO SLOW DOWN PREMATURE AGING?

Pro-Retinol is skincare lingo for “all forms of Vitamin A that can turn into Retinoic Acid”. Huh? Retinoic Acid is the only skin care ingredient proven to reduce the wrinkles you already have. But, it’s so harsh, it’s available by prescription only. OTC skincare products use derivatives that turn into Retinoic Acid in the skin. One of the most effective is retinol. But you won’t find a drop of it here.

Instead, the pro-retinol L’Oreal uses is Retinyl Palmitate, the WEAKEST form of Vitamin A. It can turn into Retinoic Acid, but it’s so weak, it’ll take forever to do so and make even the smallest dent in your wrinkles. I only recommend Retinyl Palmitate to women with skin so sensitive, they can’t tolerate any other form of Vitamin A. Everyone else, stick to retinol.

Related: What Form Of Vitamin A Is Right For You?

The Rest Of The Formula & Ingredients

• Aqua / water: Every single moisturizer needs a base to hold all the other ingredients and water is cheap and effective so that’s what they use. 
• Caprylyl methicone: This is a type of silicone. I know everyone freaks out about silicones because they read some blog post about how they’re evil, but honestly they’re fine for most people. It creates this smooth, silky feeling on your skin without being greasy or heavy like oils can be. It helps the product spread easily and evenly across your face.
• Zea mays starch / corn starch: It absorbs excess oil from your skin so the moisturizer doesn’t just sit there looking shiny and greasy. If you have oily skin you’ll probably love this because it gives you more of a matte finish. If you’re already dry though it might make things feel a bit powdery or tight. It also helps thicken the formula so it’s not too runny.
• Isopropyl isostearate: This is a synthetic ester that works as an emollient, which just means it softens and smooths your skin. It helps the product spread easily and makes your skin feel conditioned and nice. It’s on the richer, heavier side so if you’re super oily or very acne-prone you might want to watch out for this one, but for normal to dry skin it’s great. It mimics the feel of natural oils but it’s more stable and less likely to go rancid.
• Propylene glycol: Oh man people HATE this ingredient because they read somewhere that it’s antifreeze or whatever but that’s such BS. Yes it’s used in some antifreeze formulations but it’s also used in food and medicine and skincare and it’s generally recognized as safe. It’s a humectant so it helps your skin retain moisture, and it also helps other ingredients penetrate better and dissolve properly in the formula.
• Oxidized starch acetate: This is cornstarch that’s been chemically modified to work better in skincare formulas. It acts as a thickener to give the product the right texture, and it also absorbs oil so you don’t end up looking greasy.
• Octyldodecanol: This is a fatty alcohol that works as an emollient. Don’t let the word alcohol scare you, this is totally different from the drying alcohols like ethanol. This one actually moisturizes your skin and makes it feel soft and smooth. It’s derived from natural fats and oils and it helps give the product that luxurious, rich texture. Your skin likes fatty alcohols because they’re similar to the natural lipids in your skin barrier.
• Cetyl alcohol: Another fatty alcohol and again, NOT the bad drying kind. This one moisturizes and conditions your skin while also thickening the formula so it’s creamy.
• Behenyl alcohol: Same family as cetyl alcohol, another fatty alcohol that moisturizes and thickens. This one is derived from plant oils usually. 
• Butylene glycol: This is a humectant that attracts and holds water in your skin. It also works as a solvent which means it helps other ingredients dissolve and stay stable in the formula. It makes the product less sticky and helps it absorb better into your skin. It’s also a penetration enhancer so it helps other active ingredients get deeper into your skin where they can actually do something. You’ll find this in like 90% of all skincare products because it’s so useful and well-tolerated.
• Capryloyl salicylic acid: This is a derivative of salicylic acid but it’s gentler and works a bit differently. Regular salicylic acid is great for exfoliating and getting into pores but it can be pretty irritating. This version is lipophilic which means it loves oil, so it can penetrate into your pores and exfoliate from the inside out without being as harsh on the surface. It helps with clogged pores, rough texture, and breakouts but it’s way less likely to irritate your skin than regular BHA. Too bad there’s not much of it here.
• Hydroxyacetophenone: This is an antioxidant that protects your skin from free radical damage caused by pollution, UV rays, all the environmental crap your skin deals with every day. It also works as a preservative booster which means it helps keep the product from going bad and growing bacteria. 
• Polymnia sonchifolia root juice: This is a prebiotic, from a plant root. It feeds the beneficial bacteria on your skin just like the alpha-glucan oligosaccharide does. 
• Salicyloyl phytosphingosine: This is a compound that’s both anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. 
• Triethanolamine: This is a pH adjuster. Every skincare product needs to be at the right pH or it won’t work properly and might irritate your skin. 
• Trisodium ethylenediamine disuccinate: This is a chelating agent which sounds complicated but basically it grabs onto metal ions that might be in the formula (from water or raw ingredients) and neutralizes them so they don’t cause problems. 
• Caprylyl glycol: This is a humectant that helps your skin hold onto moisture, and it also works as a preservative booster which means it helps keep the product from growing mold and bacteria. It conditions your skin too so it’s doing multiple jobs at once.
• Cetearyl alcohol: Yet another fatty alcohol. This one is actually a blend of cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It moisturizes, emulsifies (keeps oil and water mixed), and thickens the formula. 
• Cetearyl glucoside: This is an emulsifier made from cetearyl alcohol and glucose (sugar). It keeps the oil and water parts of the formula from separating into two gross layers. 
• Maltodextrin: This is a carbohydrate made from starch, usually corn or potato starch. In skincare it’s used to encapsulate and stabilize other ingredients, especially actives that might degrade or become less effective over time.
• Myristic acid: This is a saturated fatty acid found naturally in coconut oil and palm oil. In skincare it helps create the right texture and consistency, and it also works as a mild surfactant which means it can help clean your skin a little bit. It contributes to that smooth, creamy feel you want in a moisturizer. 
• Palmitic acid: This is another fatty acid and it’s actually one of the most common fatty acids in your skin’s natural sebum. When you apply it topically it helps reinforce your skin barrier because your skin recognizes it as something it already makes. It’s moisturizing, helps repair barrier damage, and makes the product feel rich and emollient. 
• Peg-100 stearate: This is an emulsifier made from stearic acid and polyethylene glycol. It keeps everything mixed together so your cream doesn’t separate.
• Pentylene glycol: Another humectant that attracts moisture to your skin. It also boosts the effectiveness of preservatives so you need less of them, and it has some antimicrobial properties on its own. It helps other ingredients penetrate better too. 
• Poloxamer 338: This is a synthetic polymer that works as a surfactant and emulsifier. It helps blend everything together smoothly and creates that silky texture that makes products easy to spread. It helps the product absorb better into your skin too. 
• Sodium polyacrylate: This is a synthetic polymer that acts as a thickener and texture enhancer. It’s what gives the cream that gel-cream texture instead of being too thin and watery.
• Stearic acid: This is a saturated fatty acid found in animal fats and plant oils. It’s one of the main ingredients used to thicken and stabilize creams and lotions. It also works as an emollient which means it softens your skin. 
• Tocopherol: This is vitamin E and it’s an antioxidant that protects your skin from free radical damage. Vitamin E also helps preserve the product itself by preventing the oils and other ingredients from oxidizing and going rancid. 
• Xanthan gum: This is a natural polysaccharide made by fermenting sugar with bacteria. It’s used as a thickener and stabilizer in tons of products, not just skincare but also food. It gives products body and that smooth, consistent texture you want.
• Polysilicone-11: This is a type of silicone that forms a breathable film on your skin. It creates that smooth, silky finish and velvety feel that makes your skin feel amazing right after you apply it. The film it forms helps lock in moisture and protect your skin but it’s breathable so it’s not suffocating your pores or anything. It makes your skin look and feel smoother immediately, though obviously that effect washes off, it’s not permanent.

Texture

This face moisturizer on the thicker side when you scoop it out but don’t worry it sinks in quickly. No residue left behind either which is honestly the best part because thick creams usually just sit on your skin being all oily but this one actually absorbs. You get that rich feel while you’re applying it but then it just disappears into your skin.

Fragrance

It’s fragrance-free which is great if your skin hates perfume or you just don’t want to smell like fake flowers all day. Fragrance causes irritation in so many people so leaving it out is smart. It probably smells a tiny bit like the raw ingredients but nothing strong and it goes away fast anyway so who cares.

How To Use It

In the AM you use this after your serum but before sunscreen. The correct order is, your actives go on first when your skin can actually absorb them, then this moisturizer seals everything in, then sunscreen goes last because it needs to sit on top to protect you properly. At night you can use it as the last step after all your treatments and serums. If you’re using strong actives at night maybe wait a minute or two before putting this on so they can sink in first but honestly most people can just slap it on right after.

Packaging

A see-through jar with a white and red cap. It’s ok for the price. Like, it’s not the most glorious thing on your vanity, but it’ll do. And yes, it’s not the most hygienic, so wash your hands well or use a spatula. But hey, there’s nothing really that can spoil here, so we’re good. It’s a drugstore product, so it’s not like you’re spending a lot of money on fancy packaging, know what I mean?

Performance & Personal Opinion

I dig the texture of L’Oreal Revitalift Day Cream Fragrance-Free. It’s thick enough to keep my dry skin soft and moisturised all day, and yet so lightweight it absorbs in seconds without leaving a greasy residue behind. Still, if your skin is oily or acne-prone, it may be too heavy for you.

The cream delivers on the moisture. When your skin has all the moisture it needs, it plumps up so fine lines and wrinkles look smaller; its texture gets softer to the touch; and your complexion takes on a subtle, dewy glow. In other words, your skin just looks healthy.

It also soothes skin. All those probiotics calm down irritations and make sure your skin’s microbiome is balanced and keeping everything working as it should. BUT, this moisturiser CAN’T lift skin. No skincare products can. Once skin has sagged, only a facelift can unsag it. But you already knew that, right?  And the over the counter retinol used here is way too weak to do a difference in the anti-aging department, even after weeks of use. This is for hydrating and soothing, nothing else.

What I Like About L’Oreal Revitalift Day Cream Fragrance-Free

• The texture is thick and rich but absorbs in seconds so you don’t have to walk around with a greasy face
• It keeps dry skin moisturized all day without needing to reapply
• It’s fragrance-free so it won’t irritate sensitive skin or make you smell like a perfume counter
• The probiotics actually do something useful by calming irritation and balancing your skin’s microbiome
• It plumps up your skin so fine lines look smaller and your complexion gets that healthy dewy glow, so you get visible results
• It makes your skin feel soft and smooth to the touch

What I DON’T Like About L’Oreal Revitalift Day Cream Fragrance-Free

• The retinyl palmitate is so weak it’s basically useless for anti-aging even if you use it for weeks
• It can’t lift skin, fix smile lines, nor solve any other skin concerns 
• It might be too heavy for oily, acne-prone, or even combination skin even though it absorbs quickly

Who Should Use It?

This is for you if you’ve got dry skin or normal skin that needs serious hydration that lasts all day. It’s also good if your skin gets irritated easily and you need something fragrance-free that won’t piss it off. The probiotics make it great for anyone dealing with redness or sensitivity or just wants to keep their skin barrier happy and balanced.

But if you’re oily or acne-prone this is probably gonna be too thick and heavy for you even though it absorbs fast. And if you’re buying this thinking it’s gonna give you best results for anti-aging results or lift your skin forget it, you need stronger actives or actual procedures for that. This is a solid hydrating soothing moisturizer and that’s all it is.

Does L’Oreal Revitalift Day Cream Fragrance-Free Live Up To Its Claims?

Price & Availability

£14.99 at Boots

Do You Need It?

If you have dry and/or sensitive skin, this is one of the best non-comedogenic moisturizers to consider at this price point.

What Are My Favorite Skincare Products From L’Oreal Revitalift Line?

• L’Oreal Revitalift Laser Triple Action Anti-Ageing Day Cream: This has Pro-Retinol, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C, and Pro-Xylane which is L’Oreal’s fancy patented ingredient. But honestly the retinol is retinyl palmitate which is the weakest form of vitamin A so it’s not doing much for anti-aging. And there’s barely any Vitamin C in here. Still, the texture’s pretty thick and super hydrating, so it’ll keep your skin soft and supple all day long.  It’s a good option for your dry skin routine. You can always use separate anti-aging serums to delay the appearance of fine lines.
• L’Oreal Revitalift Filler 8H Oil Control Hyaluronic Gel Cream: Made specifically for oily skin, it hydrates skin without adding more oil to it. It’s got hyaluronic acid for hydration  and plumping (it minimises the look of wrinkles) and a derivative of salicylic acid to unclog pores. But yeah, it’s not going to work as well as the real thing, salicylic acid, so I still recommend you use a separate serum. The texture is lightweight gel that absorbs really fast and doesn’t leave any residue which is great if you hate feeling sticky. 
• L’Oreal Revitalift Filler Renew Day Cream: Out of the all the entire line, this has the most forms and higher concentration of Hylayornic acid. The texture is this luxurious soufflé thing that feels rich but still absorbs pretty well. No retinol or vitamin C in this one, it’s purely focused on hydration and plumping. Has fragrance so not great for sensitive skin and it’s got those optical blurring pigments that make your skin look smoother right away but obviously that’s just makeup tricks not actual results. Still, it gives you good results in the moisturising department.
• L’Oreal Revitalift Anti-Aging Eye Cream: FYI, you don’t need an eye cream. If you use gentle, fragrance-free products (which you should), you can use them on the eye area too. But if you want a separate product, this uses a mix of silicones and hyaluronic acid to plump up crow’s feet so they look smaller. Despite it anti-aging name, this Revitalift anti-wrinkle product can only make them look smaller to the naked eye, not treat them.