Moisturizing Cream — Reddit Reviews
by CeraVe
Updated November 10, 2026
Ceramide-rich cream for barrier repair and tretinoin dryness; breaks acne-prone skin out.
What the community says
A thick, fragrance-free cream built around ceramides, cholesterol, glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, dimethicone, and petrolatum. It suits dry, eczema-prone skin and tretinoin routines, though oily or acne-prone users frequently report clogged pores, cysts, and heat-trapping heaviness.
What this means for you
Backed by 28 threads from r/SkincareAddiction, r/30PlusSkinCare and 4 more.
Read the threads ↓What people love
- Three ceramides plus hyaluronic acid support the moisture barrier
- Reliable tretinoin buffer for peeling and dryness
- Fragrance-free head-to-toe workhorse
Watch out for
- Clogs pores and triggers cystic acne for some
- Too thick, greasy, or heat-trapping for oily skin
- Can sting or flare reactive skin
Product details
Use caution
Values
Product Traits
Key Ingredients
What TikTok says
From 8 TikTok videos5 sponsored, marked with outlined numbers
Sponsored creators say the cream's ceramides and hyaluronic acid support the skin barrier and lock in moisture 12345. Sponsored creators say it feels soft and hydrating without greasiness, is fragrance free, and suits very dry skin on the face and body 245. One unsponsored creator uses the CeraVe lotion instead, finding the tub cream too thick to spread 6. In a sponsored comparison, one creator says it suits hydration plus barrier repair more than Cetaphil's simple, gentle approach 1.
Sponsored means the creator disclosed a brand partnership or the video ran as a paid ad.
Videos open on TikTok in a new tab.
How to use it
From Reddit routinesWhat the science says
Petrolatum has some evidence for helping the skin barrier hold water and lowering water loss, though it did not clearly fix every barrier problem 1. Ceramides have some evidence for strengthening the barrier, as both studies that tested them directly found moisture benefits 2. For eczema, petrolatum has some evidence of reducing symptoms and scaling, though a lipid moisturizer did about as well in one comparison 3. Ceramides for eczema are not proven yet, because the studies disagreed and the evidence is thin 4.
- Petrolatum for skin barrier Some evidence · 22 studies
- Ceramides for skin barrier Some evidence · 15 studies
- Petrolatum for eczema Some evidence · 8 studies
- Ceramides for eczema Not proven yet · 13 studies
Research context, not treatment advice. Studies are about the ingredient, not necessarily this exact product.
How we grade researchFull ingredient list · 24
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream ingredients
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
Listed in label order, highest concentration first. Linked ingredients have their own page.
Real Reddit threads — 1,278 mentions across 28 threads
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream on Reddit, in one place — 28 threads from r/SkincareAddiction, r/30PlusSkinCare and 4 more, summarized.
“O'Keeffe's Healthy Feet topped with CeraVe in the tub.”
Positive
“CeraVe helps it stay.”
Positive
“I use Cerave in the tub and at work I got a pump of Aveeno with colloidal oatmeal.”
Positive
“CeraVe moisturing cream”
Positive
“AM 🌳 Wash with water 🌳 CeraVe moisturing cream”
Positive
“Only moisturiser and sunscreen go on my under eyes.”
Positive
“Moisturizer: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream”
Positive
“Wait 10-20 minutes after tretinoin application before applying moisturizer.”
Positive
“Hydrates and repairs the skin barrier overnight.”
Positive
“May I ask what you were told and what you've noticed about Vanicream vs. CerAve Moisturizing Cream?”
Mentioned
“CeraVe destroyed my skin, but so many people live and recommend it.”
Cautionary
“Cerave broke me out in the cheeks for a year.”
Cautionary
“Seconding the CeraVe wrecking skin--I had the worst breakouts during the few weeks I tried it.”
Cautionary
“thank god for cerave cream”
Positive
“Me using differin every other night thank god for cerave cream”
Positive
“i dove right in and my skin is A1 now lol”
Positive
Dupes & Alternatives
Often paired with
Products Redditors use alongside this one
CeraVe
Mentioned together in 23 threads
“Cera Ve Moisturizing Cream (in the big 453g tub), applied gently to the entire face. Wait 5 mins to allow it to absorb, then apply Cera Ve Healing Ointment”
— r/eczema
Differin
Mentioned together in 15 threads
“I only use one active ingredient, and that is differin gel. Other than that, hydrating with cerave moisturizing cream has helped immensely.”
— r/acne
CeraVe
Mentioned together in 12 threads
“AM: CeraVe foaming cleanser, 15% AZA, cerave moisturizing cream, la roche posay sunscreen, touch of vaseline”
La Roche-Posay
Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Facial Cleanser
Mentioned together in 12 threads
“Otherwise I use La Roche Posay hydrating cleanser. I use the La Roche Posay moisturizer as bottom layer of sandwich and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream as top layer”