It is winter, folks—I like to call it CERAMIDE season! I’ll be reviewing a lovely ceramide cream from CeraVe today. I’ll ask you to stick around and read this if you have combination or sensitive skin and are on the hunt for a winter cream; if not, feel free to skim over it or perhaps check out the pros and cons and see if it’s right for you.
CeraVe recently started sales in India; I bet you’ve heard of it by now. Before it used to take a week or more to get it from particular retailers at exorbitant rates, or we’d have to ask friends and family to get it for us when they were traveling abroad (so much trouble for a cream! ), but now we can simply hop on Nykaa or Pharmeasy, place an order, and have it delivered to our doorstep in a day or two. Y’all, that’s development. But, but, but…
Surprisingly, CeraVe has only released its most basic stuff in India—what’s notable is that their “basic” products are also the most popular ones. But, because they have a wonderful selection of Ceramide and are well-liked by the masses, why not bring the complete range in? I presume that will happen eventually. Perhaps they are only testing the waters to see how the market responds and whether it will be profitable enough to sell here. And I digress, now back to the review.
First, let’s go over the product’s specifications.
Cerave Moisturizing Cream Ingredients:
Ingredient Analysis:
It has a pretty solid ingredients list, but we’ll look at the star ingredients here – mostly Ceramides and Hyaluronic acid.
What’s the big fuss about ceramides? To begin with, ceramides are right there; your skin is pretty much made of them, or at least half of it is. These natural ceramides are complex lipids, often known as fats (the essential fats). Their purpose is to protect your skin’s barrier, balance moisture levels, and keep your skin moisturized. However, they are not always available; aging affects the ceramide content of the skin, as do other skin sensitivities. They’re absolutely essential if you want to keep your skin healthy and glowing for a long time. So using synthetic Ceramides can help further strengthen the skin’s barrier.
Now, let’s talk about hyaluronic acid, the “water bomb,” if you will. Let’s not neglect this ingredient, because you won’t fully understand what hydration can do for your skin unless you try a great hyaluronic acid product. It can rapidly plumpen your skin, enhance hydration, make it look healthy, reduce fine wrinkles, make those dark circles look more human, and give you a more youthful appearance. I believe that is something that night owls should include in their routine.
And it also has some other good stuff; like Glycerine, which is a natural humectant that keeps your skin moisturized while also preventing dry, flaky skin areas and skin irritation.
And tocopherol- this is a form of Vitamin E. It also keeps your skin hydrated and silky. It assists the skin in reducing transepidermal water loss.
You can read about the other ingredients here. “CeraVe Moisturizing Cream ingredients (Explained)”
How to Use the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream?
The first step is to thoroughly clean the face.
Then pat your skin dry, keeping it slightly moist.
Toner and essence are optional.
Then, squeeze some cream into your hand and work it between your palms to warm it up slightly.
And then put it across your face. Finish with gentle tapping; this helps the skin absorb it quickly.
If you’re using it during the day, layer it with sunscreen, or conclude your evening routine with it.
Packaging:
The 50 product comes in a lovely little tube with a flip cap. The tube is sturdy and pretty travel-friendly. All of the important information is on the back. The design is simple; I think that it has the feel of a dermatologist-recommended product (because of the shade of blue—get it?).
Texture:
Folks, it is thick! But no, it’s not sticky or gooey. Despite its thickness, it doesn’t feel heavy at all, and it won’t pill either. It takes some time to settle down, but it does sink well. It also feels non-existent after a few minutes. And it does soften skin with regular usage.
Also, I find that damp skin holds moisture better than dry skin, and it is also simpler to use on damp skin. That being said, it spreads just as nicely on dry skin.
But if you use too much, it will feel slightly heavy and uncomfortable for a few minutes. So use a pea-sized amount of cream to cover your entire face and another pea-sized amount for your neck.
Fragrance:
This CeraVe product is fragrance-free, much like the other CeraVe products. Thus, this would be an excellent pick if you are sensitive to fragrances.
My take on the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
While abrupt temperature changes and an imbalance in your diet, workout routine, and way of life can also lead to skin irritation and inflammation, winters are particularly harsh for the skin. My skin has indeed suffered from my way of life—we pick our poison after all. And so I had to shift to wintery creams—rich emollient creams and ideally with ceramides in them.
And so, here we are with the -CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. It has really helped calm down my skin. Folks, the inflammation is long gone! And I am pleased to report that my skin has returned to normal after using it for a little over two weeks. If you detest thick creams that lay on top of your skin, this is an excellent option because of its insanely light texture. As I previously said, after a few minutes of application, all you have left is slightly softer skin- and no sign of cream.
That is also a bit of a drawback. Since it’s winter, we want our skin to be well-nourished and healthy while fending off dryness. And even though skin appears healthier after using this, it is not sufficiently moisturizing. It did help the dry patches around my mouth and eyes, but overall, my skin still needs a bit more nourishment, which it doesn’t provide.
My skin isn’t particularly dry—rather, it’s on the verge of being dry—but even so, this cream didn’t feel nourishing enough. I’m now waiting for spring because I think that’s when it’ll work best. I am also saving it for days when my skin is irritated; it worked wonders to return my skin to normal. And the fact, that it wasn’t ‘intense’ enough for me, can’t be held against it. But I’ll still suggest very dry skin to skip it or use it if you want to calm down skin irritation or redness. And it’ll make a stunning winter moisturizer for oily- combination skin.
I was worried about getting comedones when I started using it because of its thick texture. Thankfully, though, that didn’t happen. However some people have reported bumps and comedones caused by the cream, so if you want to use it, I would suggest you run a patch test first.
If slugging helps you, you could apply Vaseline on top of this cream to keep your skin smoother and more moisturized. That would help keep the dryness at bay.
Similar Products:
Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Baume:
This is the best when it comes to repairing and healing the skin that’s damaged due to exfoliants, retinol, and other harsh products. It’s extremely moisturizing and it soothes the skin in just a few uses. Perfect for dry and very dry skin types.
Minimalist Ceramide Moisturizer:
Extremely good at moisturizing, this minimalist moisturizer visibly smoothens the skin. Loaded with excellent ingredients, I enjoyed this product for its lightweight formula. Perfect for summers and oily skin.
Pros Of CeraVe Moisturizing Cream:
- Reduces TWL
- Calms skin irritation
- Extremely light texture
- Softens skin
- Affordable ceramide cream
- A little goes a long way.
- Will suit skin that is slightly dry and combination.
Cons Of CeraVe Moisturizing Cream:
- Doesn’t plump up the skin
- Not moisturizing enough for the winter
- Not recommended for extremely dry skin.
Does it cause comedones or acne?
It might. Its formulation is incredibly safe for those with acne, and it doesn’t contain any common triggering elements. Nevertheless, a few people have mentioned getting comedones on their skin. So if you want to use this, I’ll recommend patch-testing it behind your ear before use.
Is it safe to apply on the body?
Absolutely. If your skin is feeling dry and itchy, you can most certainly use it on your body. You can apply this to your back as well as other parts of your body to calm down inflammation. It will help calm down acne-prone skin.
Do I recommend it?
If you have irritated or sensitive skin- it’s perfect! And also if you’re looking for an inexpensive, basic ceramide moisturizer to keep your skin healthy, go get it! Although marketed for dry skin, this is a good CeraVe Moisturizing Cream For Oily Skin and Combination Skin.
This is it for the CeraVe cream review.
See you at the next one!
Sejal Jain is a passionate beauty content creator at TheBeautyInsideout. She believes that skincare is not just a superficial thing but more like an expression of self-love and respect for your body and yourself.
