Have you heard? CeraVe has just hit the UK! You’ll no longer have to plan a trip to the States or ask your bestie on the other side of the pond to be your dealer to get your hands on some of the best skincare at the drugstore. Can I get an hallelujah? To celebrate the launch, I’m reviewing one of the brand’s staples, CeraVe Moisturising Lotion. Here’s what makes it so popular and why you should get a bottle too, especially if you have dry skin:
- Key Ingredients In CeraVe Moisturising Lotion: What Makes It Work?
- The Rest Of The Formula & Ingredients
- Texture
- Fragrance
- How To Use It
- Packaging
- Performance & Personal Opinion
- What I Like About CeraVe Moisturising Lotion
- What I DON’T Like About CeraVe Moisturising Lotion
- Who Should Use This?
- Does CeraVe Moisturising Lotion Live Up To Its Claims?
- Price & Availability
- The Verdict: Should You Buy It?
- Dupes & Alternatives
Key Ingredients In CeraVe Moisturising Lotion: What Makes It Work?
CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE TO MOISTURISE SKIN
I’ll keep this short and sweet. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is a mixture of coconut oil and glycerin. Both ingredients are super moisturising. Glycerin attracts moisture from the air into your skin, increasing its hydration levels, while coconut oil creates a barrier on the skin that keeps this moisture from evaporating.
The catch? Coconut oil is one of the most comedogenic ingredients used in skincare. A lot of people, especially those with oily and acne-prone skin, can’t use it without getting zits all over the place. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride comes to the rescue. It’s just as moisturizing as coconut oil, but not as thick and NON comedogenic. In other words, it gives you all the benefits of coconut oil without its side effects. Phew!
Related: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Coconut Oil In Skincare
CERAMIDES TO STRENGTHEN THE SKIN’S PROTECTIVE BARRIER
Ceramides are oily waxes (“cera” means wax in Latin) that make up the glue that holds skin cells together (together with fatty acids, cholesterol etc).
Their job is to strengthen and waterproof the skin’s protective barrier so that moisture stays in (where it needs to be to hydrate skin!) and germs, pollutants, and other germs stay out (no irritations!). A stronger protective barrier also helps skin better withstand the attacks of harsh weather, pollutants, and anything else that’s trying to harm it.
Talking about harm… You know when your barrier has broken down. All of a sudden, your skin becomes dry. Red. Flaky, even. Adding ceramides to your skincare routine can prevent this from happening in the first place – or nurse skin back to health if it’s already happened.
CeraVe Moisturising Lotion has 3 types of ceramides. Plus, cholesterol and Hyaluronic Acid, two more components of your skin’s natural barrier. Together, they make it as strong as it can be.
Related: The Complete Guide To Ceramides In Skincare: What They Are, What They Do, And How To Use Them
SODIUM HYALURONATE TO HYDRATE SKIN
Sodium hyaluronate is a form of hyaluronic acid that attracts and binds to the skin up to 1000 times its weight in water. Plus, it works well both in high and low humidity conditions.
When skin has that much moisture, it plumps up. This alone is enough to make your fine lines look smaller – temporarily. Hydration also makes skin soft and gives the complexion a dewy glow (think Korean skin).
P.S. Sodium Hyaluronate isn’t the only moisture magnet here. Glycerin does the same thing, but on a smaller scale.
Related: Why You Need Hyaluronic Acid In Your Skincare Routine, No Matter Your Skin Type
Struggling to put together a skincare routine that banishes dryness and makes your skin soft and supple again? Download your FREE “Best Skincare Routine For Dry Skin” cheatsheet to get started (it features product recommendations and right application order):
The Rest Of The Formula & Ingredients
NOTE: The colours indicate the effectiveness of an ingredient. It is ILLEGAL to put toxic and harmful ingredients in skincare products.
- Green: It’s effective, proven to work, and helps the product do the best possible job for your skin.
- Yellow: There’s not much proof it works (at least, yet).
- Red: What is this doing here?!
- Aqua/Water: The main solvent in the formula, it helps to dissolve other ingredients.
- Glycerin: A humectant that attracts and binds water from the air into your skin to keep it hydrated and plump for longer.
- Cetearyl Alcohol: A fatty alcohol with moisturising properties.
- Cetyl Alcohol: Another fatty alcohol that moisturises skin. It also helps thicken the texture of skincare products.
- Dimethicone: A type of silicone that fills in fine lines and wrinkles, so they look smaller to the naked eye. It also gives the texture a velvety soft feel and makes skin smoother to the touch. And nope, it doesn’t clog pores.
- Phenoxyethanol: A common preservative that inhibits the growth of germs and bacteria in your skincare products.
- Polysorbate 20: Oil and water don’t mix. This is an emulsifier that helps the watery and oily ingredients mix together, so the formula is a pleasure to use.
- Ceteareth-20: It prevents the oily and watery parts of a formula from separating into gooey layers.
- Behentrimonium Methosulfate: It’s an emulsifier, a fancy way of saying it helps the oily and watery ingredients blend together seamlessly, so the texture is a pleasure to use.
- Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate: It makes skin softer and helps emulsify oil and water mixtures, so they’re pleasant to use.
- Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate: Another emulsifier that also thickens the texture of skincare products.
- Ethylhexyglycerin: It softens skin and has emollient-like properties that make the product last longer.
- Potassium Phosphate: It helps to adjust the pH of skincare products.
- Disodium Edtae: A preservative that helps enhance the stability of skincare products.
- Dipostassium Phosphate: It adjusts the pH of water-based formulas.
- Cholesterol: It makes up part of the glue that holds skin cells together. It strengthens the skin’s protective barrier and moisturises skin. It works better when used with ceramides (this lotion is loaded with them).
- Xanthan Gum: It thickens the texture of skincare products.
- Carbomer: It enhances the texture of skincare products.
- Tocopherol: A form of Vitamin E that has antioxidant properties. Here, it’s mostly used to stabilise other ingredients and make the products last longer.
Texture
This lotion is a reamy and rich texture that takes a couple of minutes to fully sink in. I’m cool with that. My skin needs all the moisture it can take. If yours isn’t as dry, apply it sparingly.
Fragrance
It’s fragrance-free. Like all the best skincare products. Fragrance is one of the most irritating ingredients in skincare products. Yes, it makes them smell good, but if you have sensitive skin, they can also irritated it. I’ll take my skincare products without it, thanks.
How To Use It
You can use this lotion both on your face and body. On your face, it’s the last step of your skincare routine at night. On your body, just apply it after a shower or whenever you feel like your dry skin could do with some moisture.
Packaging
This lotion comes in a big, white blue and white tube with a pump applicator. It’s practical, easy to use, and will last you for a long time. It’s just not the most convenient tube to travel with, but you can always transfer some of the lotion in a small container. A little goes a long way.
Performance & Personal Opinion
CeraVe says the Moisturizing Lotion can be used both on face and body but I personally find it too rich for my face. It feels like it’s just sitting there while my super dry, dehydrated body skin laps it up quickly.
I put it on after my morning shower and go about my day without worrying about my legs (and arms, etc). The lotion keeps everything soft and smooth until bedtime. In the morning, I do it all again.
But I do wait a couple of minutes to get dressed after the shower. I just hate putting on my thighs when moisturiser hasn’t fully sunk in yet. Don’t you?
What I Like About CeraVe Moisturising Lotion
- Rich texture.
- Fragrance-free.
- Super moisturising, makes even the driest of skin softer and smoother.
- Long-lasting, its moisturising effects last the entire day (even if you have very dry skin).
What I DON’T Like About CeraVe Moisturising Lotion
- Too rich for oilier skin types.
- Takes a couple of minutes to absorb.
Who Should Use This?
This rich lotion is a godsend for dry and sensitive skin. Anyone else will find it too rich, especially on the face.
Does CeraVe Moisturising Lotion Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE |
|---|---|
| A lightweight moisturising body lotion that provides 24-hour hydration with 3 essential ceramides to help protect skin’s natural barrier. | It’s not the most lightweight lotion, but everything else is true. |
| Specifically formulated, lightweight formula to moisturise sensitive skin that is dry. | True. |
| Fragrance-free, non-irritating, non-comedogenic. | It’s fragrance-free and highly unlikely to cause irritations and acne. But everyone’s skin is different and no one can make these claims with 100% certainty for everyone. |
Price & Availability
$11.99/£9.50 at Boots, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, Stylevana, and Ulta
The Verdict: Should You Buy It?
If you have dry skin that’s also sensitive, this is a no-frills moisturising lotion that does the job without irritating skin. I highly recommend it.
Dupes & Alternatives
- Drunk Elephant Sili Body Lotion ($20.00): A rich lotion loaded with natural oils to moisturise dry skin and nourish it back to softness and suppleness. Available at Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, Sephora, Ulta, and Yes Style.
- Paula’s Choice Daily Replenishing Body Cream ($25.00): A rich lotion with natural oils, shea butter, and ceramides to deeply moisturise and nourish even the driest of skin types. Available at Paula’s Choice.
Ingredients
Aqua/Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Ceteareth-20, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ethylhexyglycerin, Potassium Phosphate, Disodium Edtae, Dipostassium Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Sodium Hylauronate, Tocopherol, Ceramide EOP.
I’ve been using the Hydrating Cleaner for several years, and love it.
It does a better job of removing makeup if you massage it on *dry* skin, then use a wet face cloth to remove it. I’ll admit, I don’t use heavy makeup, but it has no problem with sunscreen or my water-resistant mascara.
I don’t know if it’s in the UK, but the Face Lotion PM is an excellent light lotion, with all the good actives of the other products.
I have in-depth reviews of both on my blog.
Hilda, thanks so much for sharing your experience. I’m loving the Hydrating Cleanser too and I’m so happy it’s finally available here in the UK too. 🙂
I’ve been in love with the Hydrating Cleanser for years. The past couple years I’ve started using it as my step two product for a double cleansing routine, and it’s been great for that too (the step one product I’ve swapped out a few times, but CeraVe has stayed). Face Lotion PM is pretty good stuff too, although I wound up switching to Cetaphil Redness Relief after a while (my skin needed more moisture). CeraVe Moisturizing Cream can be used on your face or your body – it’s pretty thick, hardcore stuff, *perfect* for my son’s eczema and also good for my dry, sensitive skin if I’m having some particularly bad irritation issues.
Erin, thanks for sharing your experience. I find Cerave is one of those brands that makes basic but reliable skincare products you can always count on to help. And they’re so affordable too! I’ve given that lotion to a friend with eczema and he’s been loving it too. 🙂
Hi Gio
I am thinking of using the Facial Moisturizing Lotion for the sun protection. How much should you put on- is it like other sun creams- a tea-spoon for face and neck? Thanking you in advance. Thanks for all the hard work that you put into advising us.
Rebecca, I don’t recommend using moisturisers as sunscreen because you need to use a lot. But if you choose to, then yes, apply it like sunscreen, 2.0 mg/cm2. And don’t forget to reapply!
Thank you for your support!
Hi,I’ve tried all the products you can think of for my dry itching sensitive ski but none seemed to work,I recently bought cetaphil so I don’t know how is it gonna work but thank you for sharing cerave products but I don’t know which one to buy if I wanna buy one.thank you
Zandile, the moisturising facial lotion is a good one. It’s suitable even for eczema and very sensitive skin.
Hi Gio – can you do a review on the new CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum? Curious how you think it compares to higher end skin care brands. Thanks!
Bargainshopper10, will do!
In the meantime, I do prefer serums like NIOD MMHC and La Roche Posay Hyalu B5 because – unlike CeraVe – they have more than one form of hyaluronic acid. But CeraVe supplements with ceramides, which are strengthens the skin’s protective barrier in winter. So if your skin’s getting drier now, that’s a good option to consider.
I *love* the CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion! I use it morning and night. It’s moisturizing without being greasy. Works well for me with combination skin, and for my partner who has normal to dry skin. We both use it year round, and adjust the amount of moisturizer depending on the season. I like it better than more expensive moisturizers I’ve tried, and highly recommend it to others. Also, it’s a great value – its one of those best-kept-secret products!
Kristina, it’s one of the most underrated skincare products out there, isn’t it? So glad it’s working so well for both of you.
Hi Gio,
I’m contemplating trying the Cerave skin renewing line – specifically the retinol cream serum, and the peptide night cream. What are your thoughts in these products?
I’m new to retinol and using The Ordinary 0.2% in squalane. I’m not loving the feel of the squalane on my combination skin and have been investigating other formulations that you recommend. I was just about settled on the Skincuticals 0.3% cream, when I came across the Cerave retinol cream. Cerave doesn’t mention the retinol concentration on their website, so I’m not sure how it compares.
What are your thoughts on peptides in general – I read your post about peptides a while back, and it sounds like more research on benefits is needed? And how does the Cerave peptide cream stack up against other peptide products?
Thanks very much for your insight!
Kristina, it’s hard to compare as we don’t have the % of retinol in Cerave. What I can tell you is that the CeraVe cream is fairly moisturising too so there may be a slight chance it can feel too heavy for you in summer. You won’t know until you try it. Having said that, the moisturising base makes your skin better able to tolerate retinol.
I personally don’t use peptides in my skincare routine. 90% of the research on them was done by manufacturers in vitro. It’s promising, but until more independent research on real people comes out, I’d rather stick to tried and tested ingredients like retinol and vitamin C. If you have the money to spare and are curious to try them go ahead. But they’re by no means a must.
hi there !
Thanks for the blog. Finally, someone who reads the science!
I have a question about the Cereve cleanser, i have noticed that the ingredients list for the ‘Hydrating Celaners’ is different from the ‘Hydrating Facial Cleanser’. When i go to purchase them, the photos are used interchangeably between the two products. Does it really matter if you want to use it on your face but end up getting the one thats simply called ‘hydrating cleanser’ delivered?
Hydrating Cleanser Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Stearate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Potassium Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tocopherol, Ceramide EOP
Hydrating Facial Cleanser Ingredients: Water (Purified), Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methylsulfate/Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6 11, Ceramide 1, Hyaluronic Acid, Cholesterol, Polyoxyl 40 Stearate, Glyceryl Monostearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Phytosphingosine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
Thanks for your expert eye !
Volcanicrash, ingredient-wise, there’s not really much of a difference. Both will work well for you.
I tried the Cerave moisturising cream on my face. I was worried I would find it too rich but instead, no matter how much I put on, my skin would feel tight and dry almost immediately. It would also burn slightly.
Do you know what could be wrong with my skin? I want to repair the skin barrier.
Kat, does this happen with any cream or just CeraVe? If it happens with any cream, it’s because your skin’s protective barrier is broken and needs repairing. In this case, keep using the cream.
If it’s only the CeraVe cream, then there must be something in it that your skin doesn’t like, especially now that it’s this sensitive. Maybe an oil like jojoba or squalene would work best?
Hi Gio, I have just purchased Skinceuticals C + E Ferulic to use in the morning. Can I apply CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion afterwards?