All scans / Moisturizers / CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream ingredients: is it worth it?
This is a very solid barrier moisturizer, not a glamorous treatment cream.
This is a very solid barrier moisturizer, not a glamorous treatment cream.
READ MORE
The efficacy score is driven by a strong humectant-and-occlusive base (glycerin, petrolatum, dimethicone) plus a genuinely useful barrier-lipid trio (ceramides, cholesterol, phytosphingosine), while the score stays below perfection because it is fundamentally a maintenance formula without high-evidence corrective actives or a more sophisticated delivery system.
We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Links never influence scores.
DemythSkin rates CeraVe Moisturizing Cream 4.6/5 for efficacy and 4.8/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (11)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Aqua / Water / Eau, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Petrolatum, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Aqua / Water / Eau
- solvent base
- Glycerin
- humectant hydration
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- emollient thickener
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- lightweight emollient
- Cetyl Alcohol
- emollient texture aid
- Ceteareth-20
- emulsifier
- Petrolatum
- occlusive moisture seal
- Potassium Phosphate
- buffering agent
- Ceramide NP
- barrier lipid
- Ceramide AP
- barrier lipid
- Ceramide EOP
- barrier lipid
- Carbomer
- gelling agent
- Dimethicone
- skin protectant
- Behentrimonium Methosulfate
- conditioning emulsifier
- Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- emulsifier support
- Sodium Hyaluronate
- water-binding humectant
- Cholesterol
- barrier lipid
- Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
- Disodium EDTA
- chelator
- Dipotassium Phosphate
- buffering agent
- Tocopherol
- antioxidant support
- Phytosphingosine
- barrier-supporting lipid
- Xanthan Gum
- thickener
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- preservative booster
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Ceramide NP: Official CeraVe product page lists three essential ceramides in the formula.
Glycerin: Official CeraVe product page and retailer listings identify glycerin as a top-listed humectant.
Petrolatum: Official CeraVe product page highlights petrolatum as a key moisturizing and barrier-supporting ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate: Official CeraVe and INCIDecoder ingredient lists include sodium hyaluronate for hydration.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream: common questions
Is CeraVe Moisturizing Cream worth it?
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream scores 4.6 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Gold Standard) and 4.8 out of 5.0 for safety (Very Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. This is a very solid barrier moisturizer, not a glamorous treatment cream.
What are the key active ingredients in CeraVe Moisturizing Cream?
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream contains no gold-standard actives. Its formula is built on supporting and base ingredients rather than clinically transformative actives.
Does CeraVe Moisturizing Cream contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin's analysis found no flagged irritants in CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. It scores 4.8 out of 5.0 for safety.
How is CeraVe Moisturizing Cream scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
Free scores for every product in the database, or see them on Sephora, Ulta and Amazon with the Chrome extension.