CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser
by CeraVe · skin_care
Editor's Take
Gluconolactone and three ceramides in an acne cleanser, a rare pairing that treats breakouts without wrecking the barrier.
Four-pillar formula scores
- Performance: 7.8 / 10
- Innovative Ingredients: 7.5 / 10
- Clean Standards: 8.0 / 10
- Formula Sustainability: 6.9 / 10
The Verdict
This cleanser earns its Modern technology band (7.5) and Strong efficacy score (7.8) by pairing gentle PHA exfoliation with a biomimetic lipid system; Ceramides NP, AP, and EOP alongside Cholesterol and Niacinamide; that most acne washes skip entirely. The surfactant base is sulfate-free and legitimately mild, built around Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate and Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine. Clean chemistry sits at 8.0 (Strong), held back only by PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate and Tetrasodium EDTA, both functional-tier ingredients that keep this out of stricter green frameworks. Sustainability lands at 6.9 (Good) due to those same synthetic polymers and chelators, plus a 42% COSMOS alignment that reflects the deliberate choice of modern synthetics over natural alternatives. Worth it for acne-prone skin that can't tolerate the usual sulfate-ceramide-free drugstore options.
Full INCI list
WATER, SODIUM LAUROYL SARCOSINATE, COCAMIDOPROPYL HYDROXYSULTAINE, GLYCERIN, NIACINAMIDE, GLUCONOLACTONE, SODIUM METHYL COCOYL TAURATE, PEG-150 PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRASTEARATE, CERAMIDE NP, CERAMIDE AP, CERAMIDE EOP, CARBOMER, CALCIUM GLUCONATE, TRIETHYL CITRATE, SODIUM BENZOATE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SODIUM LAUROYL LACTYLATE, CHOLESTEROL, TETRASODIUM EDTA, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, HYDROLYZED HYALURONIC ACID, TRISODIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINE DISUCCINATE, XANTHAN GUM, HECTORITE, PHYTOSPHINGOSINE, BENZOIC ACID