CeraVe vs The Ordinary — side by side, no bias.
Our pick
Foaming Facial Cleanser
8.8/10 · CeraVe
| Foaming Facial Cleanser | Glycolipid Cream Cleanser | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | CeraVe | The Ordinary |
| Category | cleanser | cleanser |
| Editor Rating | 8.8/10 ★ | 8.4/10 |
| Category | cleanser | cleanser |
| Texture | Lightweight gel-to-foam | Creamy emulsion |
| Finish | Squeaky-clean, not stripped | Soft, comfortable |
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| Verdict | The CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser's oily-skin sister. Same three-ceramide barrier philosophy, gel-to-foam texture, and an added kick of niacinamide. Removes excess oil without the squeak-and-tightness of harsh sulfate cleansers. The reason it works for oily skin where most foaming cleansers don't: the ceramide/cholesterol/fatty acid stack rebuilds the lipid barrier as the surfactants strip the surface oil, so you finish washed but not stripped. Pair with the Hydrating Cleanser as PM-AM if you have combination skin — this is why the CeraVe duo is the most-recommended cleanser pairing in dermatology. | Deciem's biosurfactant cleanser — a 16-ingredient deck built around glycolipids (sugar-derived microbial surfactants produced via biotech fermentation) instead of the classic sulfate or amphoteric trio. The result is one of the gentlest cream-to-milk cleansers on shelf: behenyl alcohol + polyglyceryl-2 stearate at the top of the deck give it the rich emollient texture, then glycolipids at #4 do the actual lifting work without stripping. Pentylene glycol and glyceryl stearate add a humectant + lipid layer, while the formula skips fragrance, dyes, and essential oils entirely. Marketed for makeup removal — and yes, it dissolves SPF and light foundation in one pass — but the real story is sensitivity-tier biocompatibility at $13/150ml. The kind of cleanser dermatologists end up recommending after the third rebuild attempt at a damaged barrier. |
