CeraVe vs SkinCeuticals — side by side, no bias.
Our pick
C E Ferulic
9.2/10 · SkinCeuticals
| Resurfacing Retinol Serum | C E Ferulic | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | CeraVe | SkinCeuticals |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Editor Rating | 8.4/10 | 9.2/10 ★ |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Texture | Lightweight emulsion | Thin golden serum |
| Finish | Smoothed, even | Absorbed slightly tacky |
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| Verdict | CeraVe's encapsulated-retinol serum aimed squarely at post-acne marks and texture — niacinamide + licorice root extract (dipotassium glycyrrhizate) for tone evenness, three ceramides + cholesterol + phytosphingosine to keep the barrier intact through the retinization curve. The drugstore answer to The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% and Differin: encapsulation buffers the irritation that makes most beginners quit retinol after a week. | The benchmark vitamin C serum the entire industry measures itself against. 15% L-ascorbic acid + 1% vitamin E + 0.5% ferulic acid — the Duke University antioxidant patent that spawned a thousand dupes. $182 is painful, but the 20-year clinical dataset on photoaging reversal is unmatched. Every derm office in America has a bottle on the shelf. |
