CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream
A richer CeraVe night cream — with the two headline peptides listed below the preservative, meaning trace amounts.
Reviewed by Dr. Schwarz, MD · Dermatologist
A dermatologist’s take
Recommend.
A rich, well-made barrier cream, not a peptide treatment. The two peptides sit below the preservative on the ingredient list, under 1% and usually far under. Buy it for the ceramides and shea butter on dry skin. If you want an active at night, add a retinoid.
Pros
- No added fragrance
- Good fit for dry skin
- Good fit for damaged skin barrier
Cons
- Rich texture may feel heavy on oily skin
- Does not sit easily under makeup
Skin fit
Who is it best for?
Dry Skin
Good fitDry skin has lost water and the fats that hold water in. This cream covers both — hyaluronic acid pulls water into the dead outer layer, shea butter and triglycerides sit on top so it stays.
Put it on within a minute of washing, while skin is damp.
Damaged Skin Barrier
Good fitThe outer layer is a wall of dead cells held together by fats: ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. This carries all three, in roughly the ratio skin makes for itself.
That is why plain CeraVe keeps coming up for barrier repair while flashier products do not.
Sensitive Skin
Good fitIt is fragrance-free, which removes the most common contact allergen in skincare, and nothing else in it is a common stinger. It is rich, though.
If your skin is oily as well as reactive, the lighter CeraVe PM lotion suits you better and costs less.
Sun Damage
Poor fitThis is bought as the anti-aging step and there is no retinoid in it. It hydrates lines so they look softer.
Only a retinoid rebuilds collagen.
Hyperpigmentation
Poor fitThe peptides are at trace levels and none act on pigment. Dark marks need a real brightening active.
Acne
Poor fitRenewing here means barrier support. There is no acne active in it.
Feel & smell
What does it feel like?
Cream
A thick cream with shea butter in it. It feels substantial, takes a moment to sink in, and leaves a soft cushion.
That cushion is why it is sold as a night cream. On oily skin during the day it is too much, and makeup does not sit easily over it. It is fragrance-free, and 1.7 oz is a face-sized amount, not something for the body.
Inside the formula
What do the main ingredients do?
More ingredient roles
How this formula works.
A moisturizer has three moves: pull water into the bricks, replace the glue between them, or seal the wall so water cannot leave. This cream does all three. Hyaluronic acid pulls water in, three ceramides with cholesterol and fatty acids replace the glue, and shea butter with caprylic triglyceride seals the surface.
Full clinical explanation
A moisturizer has three moves: pull water into the bricks, replace the glue between them, or seal the wall so water cannot leave. This cream does all three. Hyaluronic acid pulls water in, three ceramides with cholesterol and fatty acids replace the glue, and shea butter with caprylic triglyceride seals the surface.
Discount the peptides on the front; the ingredient list proves why. Anything used above 1 percent must be listed in order of amount. Preservatives are used below 1 percent. The two peptides sit at positions 32 and 35 out of 39, below the preservative — under 1 percent and almost certainly far under. That is label decoration, not a dose.
None of that makes it a bad cream. It is a good, rich, fragrance-free barrier cream at a fair price. Just note that niacinamide sits nineteenth here against fourth in the cheaper CeraVe PM lotion, and the plain CeraVe tub carries much the same barrier lipids for a fraction as much per ounce.
Full ingredient list · 40 ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Saccharide Isomerate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Glycine Soja Sterols, Allantoin, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Tripeptide-1, Laureth-9, Citric Acid, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Dextran, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol
All ingredient roles
Glycerin
A small humectant. It moves into the outer layer of skin and holds water there.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
A light oil made from coconut oil and glycerin. It smooths and softens the surface.
Cetyl Alcohol
Another fatty alcohol. It softens skin and gives the product body.
Dimethicone
A silicone that smooths the surface and adds to the protective film.
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.
Cetearyl Alcohol
A fatty alcohol that softens skin and thickens the product. Despite the name, it is not drying.
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.
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.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
An emulsifier that also helps the product spread and feel smooth.
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
An emulsifier that helps hold the ceramides in the formula.
Phenoxyethanol
The preservative. It stops bacteria and mold from growing in the product.
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.
Ethylhexylglycerin
Helps the preservative work and softens the feel of the product.
Use & results
How to use it.
How much
A pea-sized amount for the face. More does not seal harder.
Careful
Do not buy it for the peptides. They sit below the preservative, which puts them under 1 percent and usually far under. Buy it as a rich barrier cream.
Layering
Last step. Serums and any retinoid first, then this on top, which also takes the edge off a retinoid.
What to expect
Tightness and dryness ease within a few days — it works while it is on, with nothing to build up to. Rough patches take a couple of weeks. It will not change your skin the way a retinoid does.
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.
Skin Renewing Retinol Serum
The strongest. Encapsulated retinol, at an undisclosed strength.
Skin Renewing Nightly Exfoliating Treatment
An acid night serum, a separate step from the cream.
Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum
Pure vitamin C, for tone rather than texture.
Skin Renewing Night Cream
Peptides and hyaluronic acid in a rich base. No active.
More about the lineup
CeraVe's Skin Renewing line is its anti-aging range. Despite the name, this product has no retinoid and no acid.
Alternatives
If it didn’t work for you
The Ordinary Buffet
Seven peptide technologies high in the formula for around $17. The peptides here sit below the preservative.
Read the review →
Medik8 Liquid Peptides
Ten peptides all high in the ingredient list, the strongest dosing signal in this group. It is $62.
Read the review →
CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
The lighter CeraVe night option, no peptide claim, cheaper per ounce.
Read the review →Questions
Before you buy
Is CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream fragrance-free?
Yes. Genuinely fragrance-free.
Do the peptides in CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream do much?
They sit below the preservative, so trace amounts only.
How does CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream compare to CeraVe PM lotion?
It is richer and better for dry skin, but much more per ounce for a similar base.
Is CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream good for oily skin?
It is rich, so oily skin may find it heavy. It suits dry skin.
Can I use CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream with a retinoid?
Yes. It layers on top to seal in a retinoid at night.
Sources
Sources and further reading
- Cosmetics Labeling Guide / FDA
- Topical supplementation with physiological lipids rebalances the stratum corneum ceramide profile and strengthens skin barrier function in adults predisposed to atopic dermatitis
- Efficacy Evaluation of a Topical Hyaluronic Acid Serum in Facial Photoaging
- Hyaluronic Acid in Topical Applications: The Various Forms and Biological Effects of a Hero Molecule in the Cosmetics Industry
- CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream ingredients (Explained) / INCIDecoder
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