CeraVe and Cetaphil are two of the most popular skincare brands. Both are sold online, and also at many drug stores and big box chains like Walmart.
But which brand uses cleaner ingredients? Which is a better value for the money? What was the author's personal experience testing both face washes for a month? And do we recommend either brand based on their formulations?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in the best-selling products from CeraVe and Cetaphil in two categories: face wash and moisturizer.
We'll also share our personal experience purchasing and testing both brands for a month, and compare them on price-per-serving to find out which is more affordable.
Key takeaways:
- CeraVe's face wash is better-formulated
- Cetaphil's moisturizer is better-formulated
- Both brands are similarly priced
Face Wash Comparison: Who Wins?
The ingredients in Cetaphil’s face wash, called Daily Facial Cleanser, are shown below:
image source: https://www.cetaphil.com/us/
This formulation has some research-backed active ingredients.
Panthenol is a type of B-vitamin that was shown in a 2011 clinical trial to improve skin moisture content.
Niacinamide is another type of B-vitamin that was shown in a medical review published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology to be effective “for use in disorders of epidermal barrier function, for ageing skin, for improving pigmentary disorders and for use on skin prone to acne.”
Unfortunately, it also contains two inactive ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
Sodium benzoate is a synthetic preservative (although a much safer one than some alternatives in our opinion), and fragrance may be harmful to human health according to a 2016 medical review.
The ingredients in CeraVe's face wash, called Hydrating Facial Cleanser, are shown below:
image source: https://www.cerave.com/
This formulation contains more active ingredients that we consider to be effective than Cetaphil’s face wash.
Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, and Ceramide EOP are part of a class of compounds called ceramides, which are clinically shown to support skin hydration and repair the skin barrier, as we documented in our DRMTLGY reviews article.
Cholesterol was shown to maintain skin hydration when applied topically, in a clinical trial published in the Experimental Dermatology journal.
Phenoxyethanol is a common synthetic preservative that was shown in a clinical trial to be toxic to human cells.
Ethylhexylglycerin is a synthetic preservative shown to potentiate the toxic effects of phenoxyethanol in a 2016 medical review.
That being said, we consider this combination less likely to be harmful than fragrance, and less likely to be harmful than the parabens included as preservatives in some of CeraVe's other face washes.
Overall, we consider CeraVe's face wash to be better-formulated from a safety and efficacy perspective than Cetaphil's face wash.
We Tested CeraVe vs. Cetaphil
As the author of. this article, I wanted to test both brands myself to share my thoughts on their effects and the overall product experience.
I tested both CeraVe and Cetaphil face washes:
I have dry skin, and in the past have used either coconut oil as a face wash, or cheaper drug store face washes.
The CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser was the winner in my experience. I typically have some flaking on my cheeks after washing my face, particularly in the winter, but this left my facial skin feeling more hydrated than any face wash I've used in the past.
There was no noticeable scent.
The Cetaphil face was was better-quality than the average drug store brand I've used as well, but wasn't as hydrating.
I also found the CeraVe wash to be an incredible value, even cheaper than lower-quality brands I've purchased in the past. I got that Value Size tub for under $16 with free shipping on Amazon, and it'll likely last me half a year.
I did not experience any side effects while using this product.
My face feels moisturized enough after using this face wash to not need a facial moisturizer, which is a further cost savings.
Moisturizer Comparison: Who Wins?
The ingredients in Cetaphil’s facial moisturizer, called Redness Relieving Night Moisturizer, are shown below:
image source: https://www.cetaphil.com/us/
There are a large number of active ingredients in this product we consider effective.
Shea butter can aid skin barrier repair, according to a medical review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Caffeine is clinically shown to protect the skin from UV damage when applied topically.
Sunflower seed oil can improve skin barrier function, as we documented in our Monat reviews article on another skincare brand containing this ingredient.
Sodium hyaluronate, ceramide NP, panthenol and niacinamide are all effective ingredients, as we documented in the previous ingredient analysis section.
This product only contains one inactive ingredient that we consider questionable.
BHT is a synthetic preservative, and one of the chemical compounds it’s broken down to in the body was described as a “tumor promoter” in a clinical trial published in the Carcinogenesis journal.
The ingredients in CeraVe’s moisturizer, called CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion, are shown below:
image source: https://www.cerave.com/
Glycerin can improve skin moisture content by around 15% according to a clinical trial published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science.
The remaining active ingredients in this formulation that we consider effective are the same as those in CeraVe’s face wash: ceramide NP, ceramide AP, ceramide EOP, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.
Phenoxyethanol and ethylhexylglycerin is the synthetic preservative combination we consider to be questionable from a health perspective.
Overall, we consider both products likely to be effective for moisturizing the skin, but we consider CeraVe to be better-formulated overall because we consider its preservative combination to be healthier than the BHT used by Cetaphil.
Is CeraVe or Cetaphil Better-Priced?
Below are the cheapest Amazon prices for all four of the products reviewed in this article, standardized per-ounce, at the time of updating this article:
Face Wash
CeraVe: $1.00 (link to official Amazon listing)
Cetaphil: $0.74 (link to official Amazon listing)
Moisturizer
Cetaphil Moisturizer: $5.64 (link to official Amazon listing)
CeraVe Moisturizer: $1.06 (link to official Amazon listing)
Cetaphil has the slight edge on the face wash pricing, but CeraVe's moisturizer is dramatically cheaper when servings are standardized.
Our Clean Skincare Pick
MindBodyGreen Best Skin+ is our top anti-aging skin supplement.
It contains orange extract which is clinically shown to increase skin moisturization, skin elasticity and skin radiance.
This supplement also contains astaxanthin which is clinically shown to cause "wrinkle formation reduction."
This supplement is free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
