CeraVe Healing Ointment
49.5% petrolatum with ceramides and no lanolin. The obvious swap if Aquaphor has ever irritated you.
Reviewed by Dr. Schwarz, MD · Dermatologist
A dermatologist’s take
Recommend.
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.
Pros
- No added fragrance
- Good fit for dry skin
Cons
- Leaves a shiny finish
- Can transfer onto clothing and bedding
Skin fit
Who is it best for?
Dry Skin
Good fitDry 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.
Eczema
Okay fitEczema-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
Okay fitHands 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
Okay fitLanolin, 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.
Acne
Poor fitPetrolatum at 49.5% is a heavy seal, and a popular slugging product. On an oily face it traps what is in the pore.
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Poor fitThe name suggests it works on the mark as well as the wound. It seals and protects.
No pigment active.
Feel & smell
What does it feel like?
Ointment
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.
Inside the formula
What do the main ingredients do?
More ingredient roles
How this formula works.
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.
Full clinical explanation
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.
Full ingredient list · 21 ingredients
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
All ingredient roles
Petrolatum
Forms a protective layer that helps reduce water loss from the skin.
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.
Sodium Hyaluronate
A form of hyaluronic acid. Its molecule is large, so it stays on the surface and holds water there.
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.
Carbomer
A thickener that gives the product its texture.
Water
The base the other ingredients are dissolved in. Most of it evaporates soon after the product goes on.
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
An emulsifier that helps hold the ceramides in the formula.
Tocopherol
Vitamin E, an antioxidant. Here it mainly keeps the oils in the product from going rancid.
Xanthan Gum
A thickener that keeps the texture even.
Use & results
How to use it.
How much
A thin layer, warmed first. It should look shiny, not white.
Careful
Do not seal it over an uncleaned wound or an active infection. Trapping bacteria is the one way this makes things worse.
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.
What to expect
Chapped lips and cracked patches feel better within hours and look better in two or three days.
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.
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.
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.
Intensive Moisturizing Cream
The richest cream. It sinks in rather than sitting on top.
Moisturizing Cream
The classic tub, enough for most dry skin.
Daily Moisturizing Lotion
The lightest. A pump lotion for normal skin.
More about the lineup
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.
Alternatives
If it didn’t work for you
Vaseline
Pure petrolatum, one of the shortest ingredient lists in skincare, for a few dollars. No ceramides, greasier.
Read the review →
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.
Read the review →Questions
Before you buy
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.
Sources
Sources and further reading
- Lanolin: The 2023 American Contact Dermatitis Society Allergen of the Year
- Effects of petrolatum on stratum corneum structure and function (J Am Acad Dermatol, 1992; DOI 10.1016/0190-9622(92)70060-s) 70060-s)
- Petrolatum: Barrier repair and antimicrobial responses underlying this 'inert' moisturizer (J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2015; DOI 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.08.013)
- Lanolin (Dermatitis, 2023; DOI 10.1089/derm.2022.0002)
- CeraVe Healing Ointment for Very Dry, Chafed & Cracked Skin
- DailyMed. CeraVe Healing petrolatum ointment, current US Drug Facts label. Confirms petrolatum 49.5% as a skin protectant.
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