Product

CeraVe Healing Ointment: Dermatologist Review

49.5% petrolatum with ceramides and no lanolin. The obvious swap if Aquaphor has ever irritated you.
Last Updated: September 8, 2026
CeraVe Healing Ointment
Key Facts What It Is What It Treats Not the Best For Texture A Dermatologist’s ConcernsMore
How to Use It Where It Fits in Your Routine What It Does Number of Ingredients Full Ingredient List Price per Ounce The Rest of the Line Similar Products FAQ
Dermatologist's Verdict

This is what I recommend for anyone who reacts to Aquaphor — same job, no lanolin. At 49.5% petrolatum it nearly stops water escaping but adds none, so apply over damp skin or a moisturizer, never dry skin. If lanolin has never bothered you, Aquaphor spreads more easily.

Strongly recommendedRecommendedMixedNot recommendedAvoid

The cheat sheetKey Facts

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Key activePetrolatum 49.5%
TextureThick, non-greasy ointment
Best forCracked or chapped skin; anyone who reacts to lanolin
Approximate price$9–16 (by size)
FragranceNone
Essential oilsNone
Drying alcoholNone
LanolinNone

The short versionWhat It Is

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CeraVe Healing Ointment is a thick, fragrance free ointment for cracked, chapped and healing skin, sold in a tube or a tub. Use it on face, body or lips. It is a barrier product, not a treatment — nothing in it kills bacteria, and despite the name it heals nothing by itself.

It is 49.5% petrolatum, an occlusive that sits on the surface and slows water escaping rather than adding any. Mineral oil and waxes thin it into something spreadable. The rest is ceramides, cholesterol and phytosphingosine — the fats that glue surface cells together — plus hyaluronic acid to hold water under the seal. No lanolin.

Where it earns its keepWhat It Treats

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Eczema
Eczema
Works some
Eczema-prone skin does not make enough filaggrin, the protein that becomes the skin's own natural moisturizer, so water leaves faster than it can be replaced. An ointment is the heaviest seal you can buy without a prescription. Use it on the worst patches, over a cream, for as long as you need.
Hand Dermatitis
Hand Dermatitis
Works some
Hands crack because they are washed all day, and every wash strips the lipids holding the surface together. A thick ointment overnight under cotton gloves gives skin hours with no water loss and no detergent, which is when cracks close.
Contact Dermatitis
Contact Dermatitis
Barely works
Lanolin, the wool fat in Aquaphor, is a common contact allergen — the American Contact Dermatitis Society named it Allergen of the Year in 2023. This gets the same seal from petrolatum with no lanolin. If Aquaphor has ever left you redder than you started, this is the swap.
Dry Skin (Xerosis)
Dry Skin (Xerosis)
Good fit
Dry skin is short of a seal more than of oil. An occlusive cuts water loss sharply and the skin underneath rehydrates itself. Put it on damp skin — over dry skin it seals the dryness in.

Don't expect miraclesNot the Best For

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Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Doesn't work
The name suggests it works on the mark as well as the wound. It seals and protects. No pigment active.
Acne
Acne
Never use
Petrolatum at 49.5% is a heavy seal, and a popular slugging product. On an oily face it traps what is in the pore.

How it feelsTexture

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A thick, semi-solid ointment. Warm it between your fingers before it will spread.

It is noticeably less greasy than Aquaphor, but it is still an ointment. Skin looks shiny, it does not sink in, and it transfers onto pillowcases and sleeves.

No scent, and no sting even on broken skin, which is unusual. A little goes a long way; a thick layer only makes the transfer worse.

ointment texture
‹ HeavierLighter ›
Ointment · this one
Almost all oil, no water. Sits on top and seals.
Good for very dry, cracked or raw skin. Easiest to use at night. Too greasy for most faces during the day.
balm texture
‹ HeavierLighter ›
Balm
Waxy and solid until it warms in your hands.
Good for dry patches, lips and hands. Useful in cold, windy weather. Heavy on the face.
cream texture
‹ HeavierLighter ›
Cream
Thick blend of oil and water.
Good for normal to dry skin. Good in winter. May be too thick for summer.
oil texture
‹ HeavierLighter ›
Oil
All oil, but spreads far thinner than an ointment.
Good layered over a moisturizer on dry skin. Sinks in faster than an ointment. Some oils clog pores on acne-prone skin.
lotion texture
‹ HeavierLighter ›
Lotion
Mostly water. Pours and sinks in fast.
Good for normal skin and for large areas like arms and legs. Comfortable in summer. Often not enough for very dry skin.
gel texture
‹ HeavierLighter ›
Gel
Water based, no oil. Cool and slippery.
Good for oily and acne-prone skin. Good in heat and humidity. The alcohol in some gels stings broken skin.
serum texture
‹ HeavierLighter ›
Serum
Thin and watery. Absorbs in seconds.
Usually carries active ingredients rather than moisture. Layers under a moisturizer. Rarely enough on its own for dry skin.
spray texture
‹ HeavierLighter ›
Spray
A fine mist. Barely there.
Good for the back and other spots that are hard to reach. Easy in summer. Does little for very dry skin.

The house rulesHow to Use CeraVe Healing Ointment

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How much: A thin layer, warmed first. It should look shiny, not white.
Layering: Apply within a minute of washing, over damp skin or a moisturizer. It seals rather than adds water, so whatever is underneath gets trapped.
Careful: Do not seal it over an uncleaned wound or an active infection. Trapping bacteria is the one way this makes things worse.
What to expect: Chapped lips and cracked patches feel better within hours and look better in two or three days.

Where It Fits in Your Routine

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CeraVe Healing Ointment is the last step, morning or night. Everything else goes on first, because very little gets through it once it is on: cleanse, treat, moisturize, then seal. In the morning, sunscreen goes on before it, never over it.

This product is good for

What's insideCeraVe Healing Ointment: What It Does in the Skin

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Skin loses water to the air all day — transepidermal water loss. In cracked or eczema-prone skin it runs much faster than normal, which is why skin stays dry however much you drink. An occlusive adds no water; it lays down a film water cannot cross, so what is in the skin stays put and the tissue rehydrates from below.

Petrolatum is the reference occlusive, cutting water loss by over 98%, and this is 49.5% petrolatum. The ceramides, cholesterol and phytosphingosine put back a little of the glue, and hyaluronic acid gives the sealed layer something to hold.

Pick it over Aquaphor for what is missing. Aquaphor uses lanolin alcohol, a common contact allergen. This does the same job without it, for a little more money.

Tap an ingredient to see where it works

In the skin barrier

PULLS WATER INSEALS WATER INPULLS WATER INFILLS THE GAPSFILLS THE GAPSSEALS WATER IN

Small enough to sink into the bricks, where it swells them with water and holds it there for days.

Sits on top of the bricks so the water underneath cannot evaporate away. Nothing seals better.

Draws water in and calms the skin underneath while the wall repairs.

The part of the glue that keeps the fat mix flexible instead of brittle.

A building block your skin uses to make more of its own ceramides.

A plain, well-tolerated seal over the top of the wall.

The outermost layer, and the one every moisturizer is aiming at. It is dead — flattened cells stacked like bricks, with a mix of fats as the glue between them. That glue is what holds water in and keeps irritants out.

The outer layer, and the only one anything in a jar reaches. It renews itself constantly: a cell made at the bottom takes about a month to reach the surface and flake off. Most of what a skincare product does, it does here.

The living layer underneath, holding the blood vessels, the nerves and the collagen. It is where lasting change happens and it is hard to reach: most of what is sold for the skin never gets this far.

Short list or longNumber of Ingredients

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This is how many ingredients are on the label. The more a product contains, the more chances one of them bothers you. That matters most if you have sensitive skin, eczema, or a known allergy. If your skin tolerates most things, a long list is not a problem by itself.

This product has
22 ingredients
159

37 moisturizers reviewed, from Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly) (1) to Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream (59). Tap a dot to see which.

Full Ingredient List

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Active ingredients: Petrolatum 49.5% Inactive ingredients: mineral oil, microcrystalline wax, glycerin, paraffin, synthetic wax, ceramide NP, ceramide AP, ceramide EOP, carbomer, water, triethyl citrate, sodium lauroyl lactylate, sodium hyaluronate, cholesterol, tocopheryl acetate, tocopherol, caprylyl glycol, panthenol, phytosphingosine, xanthan gum, benzoic acid

The fine printA Dermatologist’s Concerns

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The preservative claim contradicts the label: CeraVe's own product page claims the ointment is "formulated without… preservatives" while the ingredient list on that same page includes phenoxyethanol and ethylhexylglycerin. Those are preservatives. Small thing, but exactly the kind of claim a brand should get right.

It is greasy and transfers onto fabric: thick, shiny, and it will transfer onto fabric.

A lawsuit questions the baby version: a class action filed in July 2026 alleges CeraVe's Baby Healing Ointment is functionally identical to the adult version while costing 20–30% more per ounce. The case is unresolved, but if you buy the baby version, read the two ingredient lists side by side.

It costs more than Aquaphor: more expensive than Aquaphor for a similar job.

What it runsPrice per Ounce

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CeraVe Healing Ointment costs $1.75 per ounce. That is cheaper than 30 of the other 36 moisturizers priced on Dermapedia, which run from $0.42 to $97 per ounce.

A thin smear of ointment covers a lot of skin, so a tub lasts far longer than a cream of the same size. Check the sizes before buying.

This product costs
$1.75 per ounce
$0.42 per oz
$1.25 per oz
$1.75–$1.78 per oz
CeraVe Healing Ointment · this one $1.75
Aquaphor $1.78
$3.19 per oz
$97 per oz
SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 $97
$0.42$97

37 moisturizers priced, from Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly) ($0.42) to SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 ($97). Priced on the 12 oz size at $20.99. The scale is logarithmic. Tap a dot to see which. Prices current as of September 2026.

Its siblingsThe Rest of the Line

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CeraVe's leave-on moisturizers run from an ointment to a light lotion, all with the same three ceramides. What changes is the seal they leave.

Heaviest & most sealingLightest
Healing Ointment
Healing Ointment
The heaviest. Petrolatum 49.5%, no lanolin, and the only one here with a Drug Facts panel. For cracked skin on small areas.
You are here
Intensive Moisturizing Cream
Intensive Moisturizing Cream
The richest cream. It sinks in rather than sitting on top.
Moisturizing Cream
Moisturizing Cream
The classic tub, enough for most dry skin.
Daily Moisturizing Lotion
Daily Moisturizing Lotion
The lightest. A pump lotion for normal skin.

Shop aroundSimilar Products

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These are the options if you want to spend less, or the plainest formula.

Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly)
Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly)
Pure petrolatum, one of the shortest ingredient lists in skincare, for a few dollars. No ceramides, greasier.
About the same
Aquaphor
Aquaphor
41% petrolatum to this one's 46.5%, and it contains lanolin alcohol — the American Contact Dermatitis Society named lanolin its 2023 Allergen of the Year. Cheaper and easier to find.
We recommend less
Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil
It may clog pores, and Malassezia feeds on its fatty acids, so it can worsen fungal acne. Not a substitute for an ointment on cracked skin.
We recommend less

Questions Patients Ask

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How is CeraVe Healing Ointment different from Aquaphor?

No lanolin, so it is the one to use if lanolin irritates you.

Is CeraVe Healing Ointment fragrance-free?

Yes.

Is CeraVe Healing Ointment greasy?

It is an ointment — thick and shiny — but less greasy than Aquaphor.

Does CeraVe Healing Ointment hydrate on its own?

It mainly seals. Apply it over damp skin or a moisturizer.

Can I use CeraVe Healing Ointment on my lips or hands?

Yes. It suits cracked or chapped skin anywhere.

References

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  1. Lanolin: The 2023 American Contact Dermatitis Society Allergen of the YearConfirms lanolin was named the 2023 American Contact Dermatitis Society Allergen of the Year and reports that 3.3% (1431/43,691) of NACDG patch-tested patients had a positive reaction, backing the roughly-3% figure.
  2. Petrolatum: Barrier repair and antimicrobial responses underlying this 'inert' moisturizer (J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2015; DOI 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.08.013)Peer-reviewed source documenting that petrolatum is a highly occlusive moisturizer that reduces transepidermal water loss by more than 98% while promoting barrier repair, supporting the >98% water-loss claim.
  3. Lanolin (Dermatitis, 2023; DOI 10.1089/derm.2022.0002)Review confirming lanolin is a recognized contact allergen with patch-test positivity that varies by population (e.g., 0.4% in the general European population, higher in at-risk groups), supporting the description of lanolin as a common contact allergen.
  4. CeraVe Healing Ointment for Very Dry, Chafed & Cracked SkinManufacturer page confirms the ointment is lanolin-free and formulated with petrolatum as the occlusive active plus ceramides and hyaluronic acid; note it lists the active as Petrolatum 46.5%, not 49.5%.