CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
by CeraVe · skin_care
Editor's Take
Ceramides at the top, ethoxylated emulsifiers in the middle , a dermatologist-grade barrier formula wrapped in legacy drugstore chemistry.
Four-pillar formula scores
- Performance: 8.2 / 10
- Innovative Ingredients: 6.8 / 10
- Clean Standards: 4.5 / 10
- Formula Sustainability: 6.9 / 10
The Verdict
This cleanser delivers genuinely impressive efficacy (8.2) through a well executed lipid-replacement system: three ceramides, cholesterol, and hyaluronic acid do real barrier work while you wash. The technology is modern enough (6.8) , a cationic gel network that deposits skin-identical lipids instead of stripping them , but the emulsifier toolkit is pure legacy pharmacy (PEG-40 Stearate, Polysorbate 20, phenoxyethanol). Clean score sits at 4.5 because of that ethoxylated plumbing. If you want non-foaming, fragrance-free repair and can live with conventional surfactants, this punches well above drugstore.
Full INCI list
Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Peg-40 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Phosphate, Disodium Edta, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tocopherol, Ceramide Eop