Hi friends!
While I haven’t spoken about any CeraVe products on here until now, I’ve had big love for this brand for quite a while. I first tried their Daily Moisturizing Lotion years ago after a dermatologist recommended it to treat an eczema flare-up I had on my hip at the time. Well, it cleared it right up and I’ve been using it on dry patches, little red bumps, or any angry/sensitive areas of my skin ever since.
Nothing in the line is scented. Their packaging is basic with no frills or fuss. It’s just good, effective product. Perfect if you have sensitive skin, I’d say.
I’ve always been keen to try more from them, so I picked up a mini bottle of the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser in the checkout line at Ulta last week. I have dry skin so I figured this could be perfect for me. I’ve been testing it out every night for a week now, so I’m ready to give you my thoughts.
If you live in the U.S., CeraVe is fairly easy to get in most drugstores and is generally on the higher-end of the price scale if you buy it at CVS or Ulta, for example. But as usual, you can always find drugstore items for cheaper the more you hunt. For example – for the 8 fl. oz bottle, Target retails it for $11.99, but for 12 fl. oz. bottle Rite Aid retails it for only $10.99!
Read this: Quick thoughts! The Ordinary Chia Seed Oil
WHAT IS THE CERAVE HYDRATING CLEANSER AND WHAT ARE ITS BENEFITS?
A hydrating cleanser can remove dirt, makeup and other debris. It’s important to choose a formula that won’t disrupt the skin’s natural protective barrier or strip the skin of its natural moisture. CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is a gentle face wash with ingredients like ceramides which reinforce the barrier and help the skin lock in moisture, along with hyaluronic acid that attracts hydration to the skin’s surface.
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser was developed with dermatologists to cleanse and refresh the skin without over-stripping it or leaving it feeling tight and dry. Featuring three types of essential ceramides to restore the skin’s barrier and hydrating hyaluronic acid, this non-comedogenic face wash is an effective yet non-irritating way to start off any skincare regimen for normal to dry skin—and it uses MVE Delivery Technology to supply the skin with a steady stream of nourishment throughout the day and night.
HOW I USE IT IN MY ROUTINE
Just a quick note first – for some reason on the mini or toiletry size of this product they dropped “Facial” from the title. So if you buy one of the larger sizes with the pump it will read “Hydrating Facial Cleanser.” Not sure why that’s the case, but there you go.
Anyways, my routine. Even though this cleanser claims to remove makeup I don’t use it for that purpose; I use this more as a second cleanse, I guess.
After removing most of my makeup using the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes, I take a small quarter-size amount of the CeraVe and massage it into my damp skin (it reacts with water of course). The texture on this is somewhere between a light cream and a gel, and it lathers up in a very gently pleasing way.
Read this: Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum – my experience
This is the amount I use all over my face.
Lather on dry skin. It will intensify on wet or damp skin.
Honestly I’m quite impatient, so I don’t stand there and massage for any longer than 30 seconds to a minute. I then take a damp cloth and gently remove the residue.
MY VERDICT
I like this a lot. After I remove the residue my skin feels incredibly soft and doesn’t feel dry or too tight. I don’t know if I’d go as far as to say my skin feels super hydrated, but it certainly doesn’t feel stripped in any way. No red blotches, break-outs, or weird reactions to report either. This definitely reinforces CeraVe’s high reputation in my book! I will certainly continue to use this, and would repurchase in a larger size in the future.
If you have more oily skin and are interested in trying out a CeraVe facial cleanser, check out their range here for other options.
Have you tried the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser before? What’s your favorite gentle cleanser? I’d love to know!
xo, Erica
PIN IT!
I use this cleanser and love it!!
I had a feeling I would like it because I really trust CeraVe as a brand. And I wasn’t let down!
I love the lotion that I tried by them, but had no idea there was a facial cleanser! I’ll have to try this.
It’s very nice! They have a few facial cleansers actually for all different skin types so have a look!
Is it a little like cetaphil cleanser as far as how it works? We are definitely into eczema season in our family so I am looking for anything that doesn’t dry out skin.
Hm, not sure because I’ve never used the one from Cetaphil. This definitely doesn’t dry out the skin but I would suggest following it up with a serum and/or moisturizer. In these months we need all the help we can get! And most, if not all, of the CeraVe products are approved by the National Eczema Association.
CeraVe skin products are high quality hands down!
I totally agree! Some of the best at the drugstore!
Oh this sounds interesting. Im glad you gave us the options to buy elsewhere for less.
It sounds really nice, ill be sure to check what else they offer.
This a really great drugstore option! Plus I believe they are CF too, but definitely check on that before you buy cause I’m not 100%.
I looked and they have a great range of skincare. They say they do not test on animals but they sell in mainland China 😞
Oh that sucks! I wonder then if there’s a difference between saying “we’re cruelty-free” as opposed to “we don’t test on animals”? Cruelty-free to me means there’s absolutely no testing anywhere in the world on certain products (even distributors). So perhaps “we don’t test on animals” means, we don’t but our distributors might? Not sure, maybe I’m complicating things…
Ok, so the way it works is that all cosmetics that are imported to mainland China are to be tested, by law. Not necessarily by China, but by a third party. Basically, cosmetics brands HAVE to consent to this, and that’s why most people don’t consider those brands CF, they’re knowingly consenting to animal testing.
Supposedly earlier this year, China had announced that it would end post-market testing on finished imported products and also those that are domestically produced. But the fact still remains that anything imported*, still has to undergo testing.
China approved two new non-animal test methods, for a total of nine. But that also doesn’t replace ALL testing methods on animals. The non-animal testing methods that China approved are apparently preferred for ingredients, but the final formulation still is to be tested on animals.
I know it’s confusing, and I just gave you a ton of information lol. I know that a lot of people really don’t care what they buy or who they buy from. It would be great if more people informed themselves a bit more. After all, brands have found this loophole to tell people “we are cruelty free” or “we do not test any of our ingredients or finished products on animals….[ unless where required by law ]”. That’s their loophole. And that’s why brands that claim to be cruelty free, MAY not fully be CF, since they sell in mainland China.
So you are correct. If they say they’re CF, it should be expected that they remain so regardless of where they sell their products. But China is one of those places where anything that is imported, is tested, and therefore, in my eyes, they lose their CF status.
Very interesting, thanks so much for being so thorough in your explanation! This is all very clear now. So CF brands really need to be saying, we’re CF and we don’t sell into Mainland China, for ultimate transparency. One last question – how do you check if they’re sold in China? For most of my previous CF-related posts, I checked sites like Logical Harmony, Cruelty-Free Kitty, Leaping Bunny, etc. But just wondering where you look personally.
No problem, my pleasure 🙂
And yes, they really do need to be very transparent. One of the reasons Wet n Wild was getting “cancelled” was due to their lack of transparency. Even after photos of their makeup stands in mainland China surfaced, they didn’t even apologize for it and insisted that they were CF.. But really, if you’re selling in China you’re financing the chance of animal testing.
To check if they sell in China, I check the same sites as you; Logical Harmony, Cruelty Free Kitty (which I highly trust), and Ethical Elephant. If I remember correctly, I was advised to not rely on Leaping Bunny as much for the simple fact that some brands may claim that they’re CF but they may not be LB certified, which I guess isn’t a big deal, but they wouldn’t appear in their list since it’s on a voluntary basis or something like that. I found it’s a bit harder when looking into K-Beauty brands but it seems that the majority are NOT CF, so I guess it’s a safe bet to assume they’re not until more research is made on a specific brand.
OK good to know I’m checking the same places as you! I remember when WnW made the statement after that photo surfaced. I read the comments underneath, and people weren’t having it!!
No they were not. I think they think people are so naive as to believe anything and everything they say. I mean, I looked and looked at different sites, vids etc with evidence or whatever before making up my mind like “yeah…maybe not as transparent as I’d like them to be” LOL
I wonder if they lost some business because of it…? I’d be surprised if they didn’t.
They did from some people, but by now it’s old news, people probably already forgot by now lol
So true!
I have never tried this brand. Thanks for the heads up!
Check them out! Their products are great if you’re looking for gentle skincare.
Definitely with rosacea I need gentle!
My eczema patches keep getting worse & worse with the cold weather. The stuff I was using in the summer isn’t strong enough. I wishwishwish CeraVe was cruelty-free. That lotion you mentioned in the beginning sounds exactly like what I need. 😭
I’m sorry about that! There’s gotta be something that’s CF that can help you. I’m not as knowledgeable on skincare as on makeup, otherwise I’d tell you myself!