DewscopeMoisturizers & Cleansers3 min read
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser Review: Gentle, Cheap, Not a Makeup Remover
A fragrance-free, ceramide-containing cream cleanser at $15.99 that suits dry and sensitive skin. It handles a light day of sunscreen but needs a first cleanse for heavy makeup.
Our verdict
A gentle, fragrance-free cream cleanser that does what a daily wash for dry or sensitive skin should, at a fair price. It will not dissolve waterproof makeup or heavy sunscreen on its own, so pair it with a first cleanse if you wear those.
Best forDry, sensitive or eczema-prone skin and a simple routine
What we liked
- Fragrance-free with three ceramides and hyaluronic acid
- Carries the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance
- Non-foaming cream that does not leave skin tight
- From $15.99 with larger bottles that cost less per ounce
What held it back
- Not enough alone for waterproof makeup or heavy sunscreen
- Oily skin will likely find it under-cleansing
- Ceramide benefits are limited in a rinse-off product
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is one of the cheapest sensible face washes you can buy, and for dry or reactive skin it is hard to beat. It is also not a makeup remover, whatever the front of the bottle suggests. That one gap decides whether this is the only cleanser you need or half of a routine.
What is in the bottle
CeraVe sells this as a cream-to-lotion cleanser for normal to dry skin. The ingredient list we read on the brand's site starts with water, glycerin and cetearyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol that gives the lotion its body. Three ceramides (NP, AP and EOP) appear next, followed by sodium hyaluronate and cholesterol. Phenoxyethanol is the preservative.
Two points are worth knowing. The list we read shows no sulfate cleansing agent, which is why the wash does not foam and does not leave skin squeaky. And the formula is fragrance-free, carries the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance, and is labelled non-comedogenic.
CeraVe also describes an "MVE" delivery system that releases the ceramides gradually. That is the brand's own technology claim. Ceramides in a rinse-off product spend about a minute on your face, so we would not buy this cleanser expecting it to rebuild a barrier. What it does well is avoid damaging one.
