CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser

A good foaming cleanser for oily skin — and the one CeraVe cleanser that still contains parabens.

Reviewed by Dr. Schwarz, MD · Dermatologist

Cleanser

Gel-to-foamtexture / format

Ceramides + Niacinamide + Hyaluronic Acidmain ingredient

Oily Skin, Normal Skinbest for

$1.00 / ozprice

A dermatologist’s take

Recommend.

A solid daily wash for normal to oily skin. Three mild surfactants lift oil without stripping, and there is no acid or active to fight anything else in your routine. If your skin feels tight, make one of your two daily washes plain water. Dry or sensitive skin wants the hydrating version.

Pros

No added fragrance
Good fit for oily skin
Good fit for normal skin

Cons

Can leave dry skin feeling tight

Skin fit

Who is it best for?

Visible sebum shine and natural pores on the nose and cheek.

Oily Skin

Good fit

Sebum is an oil and water alone will not lift it, so oily skin needs a surfactant twice a day. This one has no sulfates, so it clears grease without leaving the face squeaky and tight.

Normal Skin

Good fit

A daily wash does not need to be clever. This one cleans, rinses off completely and leaves the barrier fats where it found them.

Acne

Okay fit

Washing does not cure acne, but it clears the oil and sunscreen sitting over your treatment.

This one removes sunscreen properly, which the CeraVe Hydrating version does not, and its ceramides offset some of the dryness acne treatments cause.

The front of one shin on pale skin. The surface is pink with fine white flaking and a few shallow cracks, and the skin around it is even in tone.

Dry Skin

Poor fit

Made to remove oil, and the two look almost identical on the shelf. Dry skin wants the Hydrating version.

Eczema

Poor fit

Foaming surfactants strip lipids from a leaky barrier. Use a cream cleanser during a flare.

Feel & smell

What does it feel like?

DenseLightweight

Gel-to-Foam

A clear gel that turns into a light, loose foam as you work it in. A dime-sized amount covers the face.

It rinses off and leaves no slip or film, the main difference from CeraVe's hydrating cleanser. It is fragrance free. Normal to oily skin feels clean rather than tight. Genuinely dry skin will feel tight — that is the foam doing its job, not a fault.

Cleansing

How Well Does It Cleanse?

More stripping

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Sodium Cocoate

In between

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)

Gentler

In this cleanser

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate

This formula: Moderate stripping potential

A mild surfactant blend for normal to oily skin. Choose the Hydrating version if your skin feels tight.

How to read this spectrum

Highlighted ingredients are in this cleanser; muted names are reference examples. These are broad ingredient tendencies, not a tested ranking. Families overlap. The formula estimate describes a dry, tight finish, not measured cleansing performance. The blend, concentration, pH, drying actives and how you wash affect dryness. Foam alone does not predict stripping.

Sources: Surfactant tolerability study · Mildness of surfactant blends

Inside the formula

What do the main ingredients do?

Glycerin mechanism diagram. Attracts and holds water: Glycerin acts as a humectant in the stratum corneum. Works within a formula: Emollients and occlusives help retain that water. — Open full-size diagram

More ingredient roles

How this formula works.

Cleaning skin is chemistry, not scrubbing. A surfactant has a water-loving end and an oil-loving end. The oil-loving end buries itself in sebum and makeup, and the whole parcel rinses away. Harsh cleansers take the skin's own glue along with the grease — that is what tightness after washing is.

Full clinical explanation

It uses three mild surfactants and no sulfates. Independent testing puts its pH around 5.5, close to skin's own.<sup><a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2494.2006.00344.x">1</a>, <a href="https://ijdvl.com/the-ph-of-skin-cleansers-for-acne/">2</a></sup> Traditional soap sits at pH 9 to 10, which swells the outer layer and dries it out. This is not soap.

The ceramides and niacinamide matter less here than in a moisturizer — a cleanser sits on the face for half a minute and goes down the drain. Take the ceramide marketing in proportion. The mildness is the real feature.

Full ingredient list · 24 ingredients

Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, [Niacinamide](/ingredients/niacinamide), PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Propylene Glycol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Disodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed [Hyaluronic Acid](/ingredients/hyaluronic-acid), Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum

All ingredient roles

Glycerin

A small humectant. It moves into the outer layer of skin and holds water there.

Ceramide NP

One of the main fats between skin cells in the outer layer. It helps refill gaps in the barrier.

Ceramide AP

A second skin ceramide. It works with the others to rebuild the barrier.

Ceramide EOP

A long-chain ceramide that helps the barrier fats stack into tight, orderly layers.

Cholesterol

A barrier fat that works alongside ceramides. The barrier needs both to repair well.

Phytosphingosine

A building block skin uses to make its own ceramides.

Water

The base the other ingredients are dissolved in. Most of it evaporates soon after the product goes on.

Carbomer

A thickener that gives the product its texture.

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

An emulsifier that helps hold the ceramides in the formula.

Disodium EDTA

Binds minerals in the water so the preservative works better and the formula stays stable.

Xanthan Gum

A thickener that keeps the texture even.

Use & results

How to use it.

Every day

How much

A dime-sized amount on wet skin, worked in for twenty to thirty seconds.

In a routine

Layering

It removes sunscreen, unlike the CeraVe Hydrating cleanser. Heavy or waterproof makeup needs an oil or balm cleanser first.

Over time

What to expect

Skin feels clean rather than squeaky. Oiliness barely changes — a cleanser only removes what is there now. If your face feels tight ten minutes later, you are washing too often or the water is too hot.

Price spectrum

Where does the price fall?

Paying more doesn’t guarantee better results. A good buy is a formula with the right ingredients, strength and texture for your skin. Use price per ounce to compare cost, then weigh it against the pros and cons above.

$0.81/oz

$1.00/oz

This product $1.48/oz

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser product packaging

$1.92/oz

$3.50/oz

The product line

Which CeraVe product should you choose?

CeraVe’s range includes basic moisturizers, cleansers and products with treatment ingredients. Ceramides are a recurring feature, but the formulas serve different purposes. Choose a plain cream for moisture, or a targeted formula when you also need an acne, roughness or other treatment active.

GentlestMost cleansing

Hydrating Facial Cleanser

The gentlest. No foam, no active, for dry skin.

This review

Foaming Facial Cleanser

Gel-to-foam for normal to oily skin. The one CeraVe cleanser with parabens.

Renewing SA Cleanser

Salicylic acid, but no Drug Facts panel and no stated strength.

Acne Control Cleanser

A real salicylic acid drug, with a strength on the label.

More about the lineup

CeraVe makes five main face washes, all with ceramides. What separates them is how much they strip.

Alternatives

If it didn’t work for you

If you want fragrance-free foam

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser

Sulfate-free and fragrance-free for oily skin, at a higher price. Worth knowing if you prefer to avoid parabens, though there is no health reason you need to.

If you want a 2% salicylic wash

CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser

Pick this instead if oiliness comes with breakouts. Same ceramide base, plus 2% salicylic acid.

If you want a cheaper foaming wash

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser

Cheap and effective for oily skin, but it carries a masking fragrance in a product sold for sensitive skin.

Questions

Before you buy

Is CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser good for acne-prone skin?

It has no acne actives like [salicylic acid](/ingredients/salicylic-acid) or [benzoyl peroxide](/ingredients/benzoyl-peroxide), but it is gentle and non-clogging, so it fits an acne routine alongside a real treatment.

Can I use CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser every day?

Yes. Oily and normal skin can use it morning and night; dry or sensitive skin once a day.

Does CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser remove makeup?

Light makeup and sunscreen, yes. For heavy or waterproof makeup, use an oil or balm cleanser first.

Can I use CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser with retinol or tretinoin?

Yes. It cleans gently and adds no actives, so it suits a [retinol](/ingredients/retinol) or [tretinoin](/ingredients/tretinoin) routine. Cleanse, let skin dry, then apply your retinoid.

Is CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser okay for sensitive or rosacea-prone skin?

Fragrance-free and gentle, but it foams, and very reactive or rosacea-prone skin often prefers a non-foaming cleanser. Patch test first.

Does CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser have fragrance?

No.

Is CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser non-comedogenic?

Yes. CeraVe labels it non-comedogenic, meaning it is made not to clog pores.

How is CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser different from the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser?

This one foams, for normal to oily skin. The [Hydrating Cleanser](/products/cerave-hydrating-facial-cleanser) does not foam and is creamier, for dry skin.

Sources

Sources and further reading

Dermapedia on YouTube