Product

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream: Dermatologist Review

About a dollar an ounce, fragrance-free, and what most dermatologists recommend. Its one flaw is the tub.
Last Updated: September 8, 2026
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
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

An excellent basic moisturizer for dry, sensitive and eczema-prone skin. Ceramides and hyaluronic acid hydrate, petrolatum prevents water loss. Buy the pump rather than the tub. For extremely sensitive skin I usually recommend Vanicream, and for oily skin a lighter lotion.

Strongly recommendedRecommendedMixedNot recommendedAvoid

The cheat sheetKey Facts

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Key activeCeramides + hyaluronic acid + petrolatum
TextureThick cream
Best forDry skin, eczema-prone skin, face and body
Approximate price$16–$20
FragranceNone
Essential oilsNone
Drying alcoholPhenoxyethanol
LanolinNone

The short versionWhat It Is

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CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is a thick, unscented cream for dry skin, sold in a tub or a pump. It is a plain moisturizer, not a treatment — nothing in it targets acne, wrinkles, or dark spots.

It is built around ceramides, the fats that hold the outer layer together, with hyaluronic acid to draw water in and petrolatum to seal it there. That is why it is thick.

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 its own natural moisturizer, so it has to be replaced daily. This is bland enough for that, on large areas, indefinitely.
Normal Skin
Normal Skin
Good fit
A daily moisturizer for face and body. No skin concern required.
Dry Skin (Xerosis)
Dry Skin (Xerosis)
Good fit
It seals as well as hydrates, so the water it adds stays in. Apply over damp skin, out of the shower.
Sensitive Skin
Sensitive Skin
Good fit
Nothing in it is a common stinger. For the most sensitive skin Vanicream is better, and for red, burning skin, plain Vaseline beats Aquaphor.

Don't expect miraclesNot the Best For

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Acne
Acne
Barely works
No acne active here, and the cream is rich. It feels heavy on oily facial skin, though it partners well with a drying acne treatment.
Keratosis Pilaris
Keratosis Pilaris
Doesn't work
This tub gets recommended for rough, bumpy arms. It softens around the bumps but does not dissolve the plugs. Urea, lactic or salicylic acid does that.

How it feelsTexture

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A thick cream, thicker than most face moisturizers.

It sinks in but leaves a slight cushion. On oily skin that is too much by day.

It sits under makeup only in a thin layer, and only if you wait. At night there is no issue.

ointment texture
Ointment
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.
‹ HeavierLighter ›
balm texture
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.
‹ HeavierLighter ›
cream texture
Cream · this one
Thick blend of oil and water.
Good for normal to dry skin. Good in winter. May be too thick for summer.
‹ HeavierLighter ›
oil texture
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.
‹ HeavierLighter ›
lotion texture
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.
‹ HeavierLighter ›
gel texture
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.
‹ HeavierLighter ›
serum texture
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.
‹ HeavierLighter ›
spray texture
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.
‹ HeavierLighter ›

The house rulesHow to Use CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

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How to use: Apply within a minute of washing, while skin is still damp. It seals rather than adds water, so it traps whatever is already there.
What to expect: Dryness and tightness ease within a few days. Rough or flaky patches take a couple of weeks. It works while it is on, and it will not change your skin the way a retinoid does.

Where It Fits in Your Routine

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If you are confused by skincare, you are not alone. Dermatologists generally like short, simple routines. Pick your skin type and what you want to work on, and this shows where it fits, morning and night.

This product is good for

What's insideCeraVe Moisturizing Cream: What It Does in the Skin

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A moisturizer has three moves, and only three: put water into the bricks, replace the glue, or seal the wall. Most creams manage one or two. This one does all three, using the reference-standard ingredient for each job rather than a token amount of something fashionable.

That is why a cheap drugstore tub holds its own against creams costing ten times as much. A randomized trial found an over-the-counter moisturizer as effective as prescription barrier creams in children with eczema, and much cheaper.

Tap an ingredient to see where it works

In the skin barrier

PULLS WATER INSEALS 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.

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 silicone that spreads into a thin film over the bricks. A lighter seal than petrolatum, and what makes a cream feel silky rather than greasy.

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
24 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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Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Petrolatum, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin

The fine printA Dermatologist’s Concerns

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May trigger acne: small clogged bumps under the skin, closed comedones, are the most common complaint. None of the usual pore-clogging ingredients are in it, and petrolatum does not clog pores on its own. Suspicion falls on cetearyl alcohol and ceteareth-20, the thickeners, which leave a waxy film that can trap oil in a pore. Not proven. If bumps show up in the first month, stop for a few weeks and see. On the body it is rarely a problem, and “non-comedogenic” means nothing — no one regulates the term.

May be too much for very sensitive skin: the list runs to 24 ingredients, and every one is a chance to react. Even the gentle-sounding ones sting some people, hyaluronic acid included. If you react to almost everything, Vanicream has a shorter list and plain Vaseline is a single ingredient.

May react on broken skin on your legs: cetearyl alcohol sits third on the list. True allergy is uncommon, under 1% of people patch tested, but it climbs in people who put cream on leg ulcers or stasis eczema every day. If it will not settle, ask about patch testing.

May feel heavy on the face: a thick cream that leaves a slight cushion. On oily skin during the day a lighter lotion sits better, and it goes under makeup only in a thin layer with time to sink in.

The tub is easy to contaminate: you are dipping fingers into a water-based cream for months. CeraVe sells the same formula in a pump. Buy that one.

What it runsPrice per Ounce

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CeraVe Moisturizing Cream costs $1.25 per ounce. That is cheaper than 32 of the other 36 moisturizers priced on Dermapedia, which run from $0.42 to $97 per ounce.

This comes in a body-sized tub, and most people use it on arms, legs and torso as well as the face. Large areas get through cream fast, so tub size matters more than price per ounce.

This product costs
$1.25 per ounce
$0.42 per oz
$1.25 per oz
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream · this one $1.25
$1.75–$1.78 per oz
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 16 oz size at $19.99. 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.

Heaviest & most sealingLightest
Healing Ointment
Healing Ointment
The heaviest. 46.5% petrolatum, and the only one with a Drug Facts panel. For cracked skin on small areas.
You are here
Intensive Moisturizing Cream
Intensive Moisturizing Cream
Richer than this one, with urea and shea.
You are here
Moisturizing Cream
Moisturizing Cream
The middle of the range, and the one that suits most dry skin.
You are here
Daily Moisturizing Lotion
Daily Moisturizing Lotion
The lightest. Oil-free, for normal skin or warm weather.
You are here

Shop aroundSimilar Products

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These are the options if this is too heavy for your face, or if it gives you small bumps.

Vanicream Moisturizing Cream
Vanicream Moisturizing Cream
Also cheap and fragrance-free, free of the common allergens. The one to reach for when skin is already irritated.
About the same
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Moisturizer
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Moisturizer
Ceramides and niacinamide, fragrance-free, in a lighter texture for the face. It costs more per ounce.
About the same
Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream
Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream
A big, cheap, fragrance-free ceramide cream for face and body. Harder to find in US stores.
About the same

Questions Patients Ask

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Is CeraVe Moisturizing Cream good for your face?

Yes, for face and body. If you are oily or break out easily, you may prefer a lighter lotion on your face.

Does CeraVe Moisturizing Cream repair the skin barrier?

It helps for as long as you keep using it. It supplies three ceramides and cholesterol — fats the outer layer is partly built from — plus petrolatum to slow water loss. Skin that has been dry a long time needs it every day.

Does CeraVe Moisturizing Cream have fragrance?

No. There is no masking fragrance in the ingredient list.

Does CeraVe Moisturizing Cream clog pores or cause breakouts?

It can, despite the non-comedogenic label. Small bumps (closed comedones) are a common complaint, likely from the rich base. The term is not regulated and brands do not test it the same way. If you notice bumps, switch to a lighter moisturizer.

Is CeraVe Moisturizing Cream good for psoriasis?

It helps with the dryness and scale but does not treat psoriasis. A moisturizer softens plaques and eases itch, and dermatologists often pair one with a prescription. The psoriasis itself needs a medicated treatment — a steroid, a vitamin D cream, or a pill or injection for widespread disease.

Do dermatologists recommend CeraVe Moisturizing Cream?

Often, yes. Fragrance-free, inexpensive, sold nearly everywhere and built around ceramides, which covers most of what a basic moisturizer needs to do. The “developed with dermatologists” line on the box is marketing; the recommendation is real regardless.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream tub or pump — which is better?

The pump, since you are not dipping fingers into a water-based cream for months.

Can you use CeraVe Moisturizing Cream with retinol or tretinoin?

Yes. Apply your retinoid first, let it absorb, then the cream on top to reduce dryness and irritation.

References

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  1. Role of Topical Emollients and Moisturizers in the Treatment of Dry Skin Barrier DisordersSupports the mechanism claim that a moisturizer works in three ways: humectants draw and hold water in the stratum corneum, petrolatum has an immediate barrier-repairing/occlusive effect, and a ceramide-dominant lipid mixture decreases transepidermal water loss.
  2. Ceramide-Containing Adjunctive Skin Care for Skin Barrier Restoration During Acne Vulgaris TreatmentRandomized controlled trial showing a ceramide-containing cleanser and moisturizer kept transepidermal water loss significantly lower than control and restored skin barrier function, supporting the efficacy of ceramides as an active.
  3. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (official product page)Confirms the product is labeled fragrance-free and that the ingredient list contains ceramides (NP, AP, EOP), hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate), and petrolatum, backing the fragrance-free claim, the three key actives, and its affordable price point.