Moisturizing Cream — Reddit Reviews
by CeraVe
Updated October 31, 2026
Ceramides and petrolatum cushion dry, tret-treated skin; pore-clogging risk runs high.
What the community says
A thick, fragrance-free cream with ceramides, sodium hyaluronate, and petrolatum, built for dry skin and tretinoin routines. It shines for barrier resets and damp-skin application. Oily or acne-prone faces may find it greasy, congesting, or irritating.
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 cholesterol support barrier repair
- Excellent post-shower cream for eczema-prone dryness
- Fragrance-free retinoid-routine staple
Watch out for
- Thick, occlusive finish turns greasy on oily skin
- Breakouts, cysts, and closed comedones are common enough to take seriously
- Can sting or flare reactive, rosacea-prone skin
Product details
Use caution
Values
Product Traits
Key Ingredients
How to use it
From Reddit routinesWhat the science says vs. what Reddit says
Skin Barrier
Some evidence
Petrolatum: 13 studies tested it directly. See all 22 studies
On Reddit: Thick tub cream gets slathered on at night, often as the only step until irritation settles. 88 mentions
Both ingredients for skin barrier
Petrolatum Some evidence
- Most studies found it helped the skin barrier
- It often lowered water loss and helped skin hold more moisture
- It helped damaged skin recover faster and protected skin from some irritants
- It improved dry, itchy skin in some studies, including in older adults and babies
- A few studies found no clear extra benefit over a control or another moisturizer
Ceramides Some evidence
2 studies tested it directly. See all 15 studies
Eczema
Some evidence
Petrolatum: 6 studies tested it directly. See all 8 studies
On Reddit: Immediately after showers, slathering it onto damp skin helps keep eczema-prone dryness in check. 47 mentions
Both ingredients for eczema
Petrolatum Some evidence
- Most studies found petrolatum helped eczema or related skin changes
- Studies found it could lower how bad eczema was and reduce scaling
- It improved hand eczema symptoms, but was not better than another moisturizer
- It improved how much water the skin held, though another product worked better in some areas
- One study found another moisturizer helped eczema more than petrolatum
Ceramides Not proven yet
Few or mixed studies. This claim isn't established.
5 studies tested it directly. See all 13 studies
- The results were split, so there is no clear answer yet on whether ceramides help eczema
- Some studies found ceramide creams improved eczema symptoms
- Some studies found ceramides worked about as well as other moisturizers, not better
- One study found a ceramide moisturizer helped the skin hold more water
Dehydration
Some evidence
Hyaluronic Acid: 2 studies tested it directly. See all 3 studies
On Reddit: Tret peeling calls for a thick layer at night, with users saying it got them through the peeling phase. 15 mentions
Research context, not treatment advice. Studies are about the ingredient, not necessarily this exact product.
Real Reddit threads — 1,163 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
La Roche-Posay
Mentioned together in 39 threads
“Honestly what worked for me was cerave moisturizing cream on slightly wet skin for hydration and then LRP cicaplast”
CeraVe
Mentioned together in 18 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”