CeraVe Balancing Air Foam Facial Cleanser Dupes & Cheaper Alternatives
From 14 Reddit threads · Updated October 3, 2026
Salicylic-acid foam cleanser for oily, combination skin; low-key exfoliating. The catch: rosacea folks report it can make things worse. Here's what Redditors reach for instead.
The short answer
Best Overall AlternativeFragrance-free, soap-free, no actives · $9.97 · 236.6 ml
Best Cheaper AlternativeZero fragrance, zero drama · $9.00 · 150 ml vs $18.99 for the original
#1
Best Overall Alternative
- Size: 236.6 ml
- Price per ml: $0.04/ml (original $0.08/ml)
The why
One minus
Can leave dry skin tight and stripped
Good forSensitive Skin, Combination Skin, Oily Skin
The original, at a glance
- Why people love it
- Salicylic acid for light pore help
- Price
- $18.99 · 237 ml · $0.08/ml
#2
Best Cheaper Alternative
- Size: 150 ml
- Price per ml: $0.06/ml (original $0.08/ml)
The why
A foam cleanser with glycerin, sorbitol, panthenol, madecassoside, and green tea. It’s the kind of daily second cleanse r/skincareaddiction reaches for when tret or rosacea has skin feeling touchy. Dry or already-stripped faces sometimes find it tight or irritating.
One minus
Can feel stripping on combo and oily-dehydrated skin
Good forSensitive Skin
Other alternatives worth a look
Creamy, non-foaming texture · 547 mentions
Dry SkinCream Texture
Ceramides plus beta-glucan in a foaming wash · 490 mentions
Cream TextureLightweight
Fragrance-free and non-foaming · 252 mentions
Dry SkinGel Texture
Oily-skin staple for tret routines · 217 mentions
LightweightAcne
Browse more
Reddit's best cleansers by skin type
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