CeraVe
Three ceramides, hyaluronic acid, patented MVE delivery. Skincare at pharmacy prices, derm-approved.
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CeraVe is the dermatologist's clipboard recommendation that somehow became a TikTok viral moment. The formulations haven't changed much since 2005: three ceramides, hyaluronic acid, MVE timed-release technology. What's changed is how much the rest of the world caught up to what US dermatologists always knew — that boring, ceramide-forward, $15 skincare outperforms a lot of what sits on the Sephora shelf. Not glamorous. Works.
Strengths
- + three-ceramide formula with real barrier data
- + drugstore pricing
- + dermatologist recommended #1 in US
- + fragrance-free across most of the line
Weaknesses
- − packaging is pharmacy-brutalist
- − limited sunscreen range outside US
- − anti-aging offerings thinner than barrier line
The CeraVe Story
Founded in 2005 by a team working with Cleveland Clinic dermatologists, CeraVe was built around patented MVE (MultiVesicular Emulsion) delivery and a three-ceramide blend (1, 3, 6-II) that mimics the skin's natural lipid matrix. For 15 years it sat on US pharmacy shelves as a derm-quiet workhorse. Then TikTok discovered the Hydrating Cleanser and SA Smoothing Cream in 2020 and sales quintupled. L'Oréal acquired the brand in 2017 and has expanded distribution globally without watering down the formulas — the same boring ceramide-first philosophy that made the brand matter when nobody was looking.
Shop CeraVe by skin type
Curated picks from CeraVe's lineup, ranked for each skin type.
All CeraVe Products
21 products reviewed and rated.
Moisturizing Cream
The Tub. The 16-ounce icon of dermatology Twitter, post-tretinoin skin, eczema-flare moments, and overnight 'I have ruined my barrier' panic recoveries. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is heavy, occlusive, ceramide-rich, fragrance-free, and basically indestructible on every skin type that isn't acne-prone. Glycerin and petrolatum at the top of the INCI for serious moisture-retention; the three-ceramide stack underneath rebuilding the lipid layer. Use it on the body, the face (if not oily), the cuticles, the elbows, anywhere skin needs help. The price-to-volume ratio remains absurd — this is one of the best-value skincare products in existence.
Hydrating Facial Cleanser
The dermatologist's universal answer to 'what cleanser should I buy?' since 2005. CeraVe's Hydrating Cleanser is a non-foaming, ceramide-loaded creamy lotion that strips precisely nothing — the kind of product that stops being interesting because it just works on basically everyone. Three ceramides + cholesterol + fatty acids in human-skin-mimicking ratios, plus hyaluronic acid, plus a price under $20. The reason this is the hero of every dermatologist's recommendation list isn't because it's revolutionary — it's because it's reliable. If your barrier is compromised, retinoid-irritated, or just grown-up tired, this is the cleanser to come back to.
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