Best CeraVe products to buy: Hardworking skincare for less
From cleansers to serums, moisturisers and more, these are our pick of the best CeraVe products for all skin types
Some skincare brands are famed for their outrageously high prices, but the best CeraVe products have become cult favourites, proving that good skin doesn’t have to cost the earth.
The dermatologist-developed brand crossed the pond from the US to the UK in 2018. It’s loved by beauty editors and skincare insiders worldwide, becoming one of the fastest-growing brands in health and beauty, as consumers seek out high-performing, ingredient-driven skincare products at affordable prices.
However, with an ever-expanding range of products, where do you start? Following some rigorous testing, below you’ll find our list of the best CeraVe products to buy now, for the face and body. Before that, here’s a little more information on the brand to help you pick the best products for your skin type.
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Best CeraVe products: At a glance
- Best cleanser for acne-prone skin: CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser | £10
- Best CeraVe SPF: CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 50 | £16
- Best CeraVe moisturiser for body: CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream | £18
How to choose the best CeraVe products for you
How does CeraVe work?
With almost all its products available for less than £20, can CeraVe really compete with its pricier counterparts? Well, it turns out it can. As another no-frills brand focusing on results rather than fancy branding or packaging (think The Ordinary, Beauty Pie et al), the entire range is built on ceramides – lipids or fats naturally found in the uppermost layer of our skin, which are essential for protecting the skin barrier.
Thanks to the wonders of Multivesicular Emulsion technology (MVE), CeraVe products help to replenish the ceramides in our skin. Delivering uncomplicated but effective ingredients directly where they’re needed, the best CeraVe products promise long-lasting hydration after as little as one use.
Is CeraVe good for all skin types?
Since much of the range is formulated without fragrances or added sensitisers, you’ll find that almost all CeraVe’s products are great for even the most reactive skin. Designed to maintain a healthy barrier for a broad range of skin types, from normal to the very dry, some of its more targeted treatments – such as the Blemish Control Cleanser –contain ingredients such as salicylic acid and niacinamide, specially formulated for those with acne-prone complexions.
How we test CeraVe products
We put more than 20 face and body products from this much-loved beauty behemoth to the test over the course of eight weeks, incorporating them into our testers’ morning and evening skincare routines to whittle down numbers to the very best. We try everything from CeraVe’s cult cleansers to its moisturisers on a range of skin types, from acne-prone to dry, combination to dehydrated. The final list features the top performers worth a spot on your bathroom shelf.
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The best CeraVe products you can buy in 2023
1. CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser: Best cleanser for dry skin
Price: £12.50 | Buy now from Boots
If you’re someone who loves the nourishing feel of an oil but the effective cleanse of a foaming wash, the fragrance-free Foaming Oil Cleanser offers the perfect compromise. It has a great consistency and feels silky and luxurious to apply, and despite working up to a good foam, it doesn’t leave skin feeling stripped or tight like some other foaming washes.
It’s those key ingredients – ceramides – plus the addition of glycerin and hyaluronic acid that makes this cleanser perfect for drier skin types. That said, our tester has what she considers “normal” skin and loved using this as her daily morning cleanser, saying her skin felt “sinfully smooth” after every use.
Key details – Size: 236ml
2. CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 50: Best CeraVe SPF
Price: £16 | Buy now from Look Fantastic
Since life can be complicated enough, CeraVe’s attempt to help us consolidate the steps in our skincare routine by creating this moisturiser/sunscreen hybrid couldn’t be more welcome. This lightweight, fragrance-free formula delivers a real hit of hydration and SPF 50 protection – but without the white, streaky finish.
It contains vitamin E and repairing niacinamide to nourish your skin without leaving it feeling greasy. It’s also non-comedogenic and easily absorbed, so it won’t aggravate blemish-prone skin types. We thought it sat well under foundation, too.
Key details – Size: 52ml
3. CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser: Best cleanser for acne-prone skin
Price: £11 | Buy now from ASOS
When it comes to blemishes, your first line of defence should always be a gentle yet powerful cleanser – and this latest CeraVe launch could well be it. Containing 2% salicylic acid and niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3), it’s a gel-to-foam formula that gently exfoliates and effectively rids skin of pore-clogging nasties – including dirt and pollutant particles – without leaving it feeling tight or dry. It rinses easily, leaving skin feeling restored, clean and looking clear.
Over time, our tester said she felt it helped to control sebum production and prevented her skin from becoming shiny throughout the day. If your skin is on the oily side, this can be used both day and night.
Key details – Size: 236ml
4. CeraVe Micellar Cleansing Water: Best for makeup removal
Price: £11 | Buy now from Feel Unique
When it comes to makeup removal, this no-rinse formula attracts oil and impurities like a magnet. It’s also a particularly good choice if you’re someone who wears makeup every day, since the ultra-gentle ingredients won’t cause dryness, sensitivity or upset your skin barrier.
It feels cooling and refreshing to apply – and makes a nice pick-me-up post workout, too. We’d still recommend making this the first step in your evening routine by following up with your favourite wash-off cleanser, but there’s no denying the effectiveness of this micellar water – plus it’s packed with good-for-skin ingredients, including ceramides and niacinamide.
Key details – Size: 295ml
5. CeraVe PM Facial Moisturising Lotion: Best CeraVe night cream
Price: £15 | Buy now from Boots
A night moisturiser is essential for restoring the skin’s balance, as it repairs itself while you sleep. This intensely nourishing formula goes on like a light lotion and feels hydrating without being heavy.
While it doesn’t contain any corrective ingredients such as retinol, acids, or antioxidants (like most night creams will), it does contain moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid, making this a great option for sensitive skins, those who want to layer their products, or those who only want to apply their actives every other night.
Key details – Size: 52ml
6. CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum: Best for dehydrated skin
Price: £19 | Buy now from Feel Unique
Not just for when your complexion is feeling parched, hyaluronic acid is a great serum to use in your everyday routine for all-round radiance – so, understandably, you’ll want to find one that’s affordable.
This one goes on more like an ultra-light lotion than a gloopy serum, which means it doesn’t leave behind that tacky feeling that some serums can. It has a creamy, almost-gel-like texture that sinks into the skin quickly to instantly lock in hydration, delivering a plumping effect, while also boosting softness and elasticity. It also has a rather wonderful smoothing effect, which – when combined with your favourite moisturiser or SPF – makes a great canvas for makeup.
Key details – Size: 30ml
7. CeraVe Hydrating Cleansing Bar: Best for sensitive skin
Price: £8 | Buy now from Boots
Since they’re known for being especially drying, there aren’t many bars of soap that we’d recommend using on both your face and body, but this soap-free iteration from CeraVe is one of the few. As with any cleanser, the key lies in the ingredients, and this non-comedogenic bar contains hyaluronic acid, ceramides and 5% moisturising cream to hydrate and restore your skin’s barrier while effectively removing dirt and impurities.
It’s effective yet gentle on the skin at the same time. It has a somewhat neutral scent, but it boasts a decent lather and a hefty dose of moisture. It will last you a while, too.
Key details – Size: 128g
8. CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser: Best cleanser for combination skin
Price: £13 | Buy now from Look Fantastic
Whether you have dry skin that’s prone to roughness or a T-zone that’s partial to blackheads, this cult cleanser can help across the board. The key ingredient is salicylic acid, a BHA that will gently exfoliate dead skin cells without compromising the barrier. In addition to being an exfoliant, salicylic acid also has anti-inflammatory properties.
This fragrance-free cleanser has a clear gel consistency that lightly foams on contact with water, cutting through dirt, pollutants and SPF to leave skin feeling clean, soft, and refreshed. Most importantly, though, it doesn’t leave those drier areas feeling stripped or tight.
Following regular use (this is gentle enough for use both morning and night), our tester’s skin was left feeling smoother and more hydrated, with fewer clogged pores. The bottle lasts for ages, too, so both your skin and your bank balance will love it.
Key details – Size: 236ml
9. CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream: Best CeraVe moisturiser for body
Price: £18 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
Whether you want to soften dry knees and elbows or just slather your whole body post-shower, this softening daily moisturiser is a real treat. Formulated with salicylic acid, lactic acid, hyaluronic acid and 10% urea – a powerful moisturising humectant – it gently gets to work on dry skin and promises hydration for up to 24 hours.
It has a light texture, is fragrance-free, and absorbs into the skin in record time. Plus, when combined with the SA Smoothing Cleanser (above), it makes an effective treatment for keratosis pilaris – those rough, chicken-skin-like patches that are common on the upper arms.
Key details – Size: 340g
10. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser: Best value CeraVe cleanser
Price: £10 | Buy now from Boots
Another cult purchase taking over TikTok – this time it’s the brand’s Hydrating Cleanser. It’s designed for all complexions and has received rave reviews from acne sufferers to eczema-prone skin types. Unlike the brand’s other cleansing formulas, this creamy cleanser doesn’t foam; but it does melt away makeup and daily dirt to leave the skin feeling cool, ultra clean and restored. It glides on like silk, it’s a pleasure to use, and your skin will thank you for it when it needs a break from foam. Worth the hype? We think so.
Key details – Size: 236ml
