
This month I’ll be highlighting skin care products from CeraVe, a most-excellent drugstore brand. It’s a CeraVe jamboree! Kicking off the series is a facial cleansing all star — Hydrating Facial Cleanser for Normal to Dry Skin.
Things that are common knowledge…
- The third cat is always — always — the gateway cat. ?
- The second bottle of CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is the gateway bottle.
I’m living proof of that second one, as this is my second bottle of CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser, and I just placed an order for a third and fourth!
In my defense, the fourth bottle will remain on standby for when the third one runs out… Yes, it’s that good. All I have to say to my dry skin is HA! Take that. ?

I have combo skin, so it’s dry in some spots and oily and acne prone in others. I also have quite a few anti-aging and anti-acne products around the house, so my skin is constantly being exfoliated by retinols, acids and benzoyl peroxide… It’s a lot, but this cleanser keeps my skin happy. With it, my skin never gets too dry and never feels painful due to all of the other business happening to it on a daily basis.
- WHAT IT IS: An unscented, hydrating, creamy and non-foaming facial cleanser for normal and dry skin.
- IT’S MAIN JOB: To keep the skin barrier (the outermost layers of your skin) happily hydrated using a time-released formula containing ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
- HOW IT HANDLES MAKEUP: It easily removes light layers of makeup, but I do a double cleanse (as in wash once with this product, then repeat again) just to be extra sure. As for removing long-wearing makeup and/or sunscreens, I recommend using an oil-based cleanser or eye makeup remover first before following up with CeraVe Cleanser.
- WHAT’S IT SIMILAR TO: If you’ve ever used Cetaphil cleanser and loved it, CeraVe’s is similar in the way it feels and how gentle it cleanses. That said, CeraVe’s cleanser is more moisturizing. With the Cetaphil cleanser, I always have to follow it up with a layer of moisturizer, which I don’t feel the need to do with the CeraVe one.
- WHO WILL LOVE IT: Someone with dry or combo skin, or someone who uses a number of anti-aging or anti-acne products.
CeraVe on sale at Ulta
A big 16-oz. bottle with a pump is $15.99 at Ulta, and right now they’re having a buy-one-get-one-40%-off deal.
Don’t sleep on this one, queen!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen

That’s a great deal! I always wish that CeraVe had a middle ground cleanser between the foaming and the hydrating. The foaming isn’t quite moisturizing enough for me but the hydrating seems to point a neon sign at my pores and increase the struggle with blackheads. It’s a bummer because, like you, I’m on the anti-aging/exfoliating train as well! I’m glad your skin likes it, though! 🙂 And I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I have some catching up to do!
I agree with Lauren try CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser. That’s what I’m using now.
Hi Kim,
They also have a lovely salicylic acid cleanser that you might like!
It’s been a while and I hope that your Christmas and New Years were both good.
Thanks! I did try the SA lotion and I liked it but my gator knees do a bit better with Amlactin (which I’m sure was also one of your recs!). 🙂 I’ll check out the wash!
I know – I almost never got on the computer or phone over break. We were all quarantined because of a big spike in our area and both the Hubs and I are now recovered covid victims. 🙂 The boys didn’t get it but that’s no surprise since we almost never see them outside of their natural habitat (their rooms). We’re totally fine and, for us, it was like a cold – we would never even have been tested. Anyway, we were all stuck in the house for 10+ days but weren’t allowed to mingle. We did have xmas dinner together and luckily have a big enough table to be able to distance. We were set free on NYE at midnight but only one of the boys bolted. The rest of us just hung out in our comfy clothes. 🙂 No complaints!!
This is the cleanser I use, I really like it. I have very dry skin, and this works great for it.
This line has so many great things for dry skin, doesn’t it?
The new cream to foam CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser is the bomb.
It fills that gap between the existing hydrating and foaming cleansers.
Removes make-up in one go and leaves my sensitive, dry skin happy and hydrated.
I am totally hooked; great product, great price.
Thanks, Lauren and Melody! I’ll check it out!! 🙂
I think I’ll be trying that one soon! It sounds like a good spring/summer cleanser for me. Thanks for the recommendation, Lauren!
Hmm, I’m in love with Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cleanser. But it’s $38 for 4 oz. Maybe I’ll give this one a try. Will look for it the next time I’m at the drugstore or when I run out of the KS.
I’ve heard great things about that Kate Somerville cleanser! One of these days I’ll get around to trying it.
I have mature, dry skin and CeraVe Hydrating cleanser is my go to morning cleanser and my follow up at night for my second cleanse (if I need to). Most times, I’ll just use it at night since I have not been wearing much makeup these days. I also recommended it to my son who sometimes has Excema outbreaks. The price point is great as well. I don’t spend money on a cleanser since it does not stay on the face very long.
Happy New Year! Hope it is a better one.
Happy New Year, Jane! I hope that this year is good to us all.
P.S. Is your son still at home with you guys?
I never tried anything from CeraVe, but this cleanser gets high praise everywhere. Ever since I started my Tretinoin journey, I use the gentlest cleanser available as well, anything else will make my skin upset.