Cetaphil Redness Relieving Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 40 for dry skin
High
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best sunscreens for dry skin.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2001
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Highly suitable for your dry skin as glycerin and allantoin provide moderate hydration and anti-inflammatory benefits, addressing your dry or flaky skin concerns.
- The inclusion of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide offers excellent sun protection, further supporting your skin's health.
- The formulation is safe for your dry skin, containing no harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen daily in your AM routine. Use it every morning as the final step of your skincare routine.
- Apply after your moisturizer and before putting on makeup. This ensures proper sun protection for your skin.
- Gently spread an even layer over your face and neck. Avoid rubbing too hard to keep your dry skin happy.
- Apply on completely dry skin for the best coverage and protection. Make sure your face is clean before application.
- Avoid the immediate eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.1Overall rating based on 800+ reviewsThe tint is frequently reported to be too dark or orange for very fair complexions, and some users find the finish greasy or shiny.
Highlights
Light coverage Often Mentioned
- “replaces my foundation”
- “natural light coverage”
- “evens out skin tone”
- “good for no-makeup days”
Redness reduction Often Mentioned
- “tones down my redness”
- “neutralizes the appearance of redness”
- “calms my flushed skin”
Tint too dark Often Mentioned
- “turned my face orange”
- “too dark for fair skin”
- “looked like a bad spray tan”
- “oxidized to a dark color”
Mineral sun protection Sometimes Noted
- “love the mineral SPF”
- “great daily sun protection”
- “SPF 40 is a bonus”
- “protects without chemical filters”
Non-irritating formula Sometimes Noted
- “doesn't burn my eyes”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “no stinging or irritation”
- “gentle on my face”
Difficult to blend Sometimes Noted
- “hard to spread”
- “streaky application”
- “sits on top of skin”
- “requires elbow grease to blend”
Greasy or shiny Sometimes Noted
- “leaves a greasy film”
- “too shiny for oily skin”
- “feels heavy and sticky”
- “makes me look oily”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “clogged my pores”
- “caused cystic acne”
- “broke me out immediately”
- “not for acne-prone skin”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, cetaphil.com, iherb.com, skinsort.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Cetaphil Redness Relieving Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 40 a great fit for dry skin?
Cetaphil Redness Relieving Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 40 is a great fit for dry skin because glycerin and allantoin provide moderate hydration to help soothe dry or flaky patches. Its mineral sunscreens offer strong protection while the gentle formula avoids harsh ingredients that may cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry skin?
Glycerin and allantoin make this cream a great fit for dry skin by providing moderate hydration and calming dry or flaky areas. Mineral sunscreens like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide also protect your skin safely without causing irritation.
What does Allantoin do for dry skin?
Allantoin helps dry skin by supporting skin barrier function and improving moisture retention. It is unlikely to cause irritation and is often included in formulations that aim to soothe and protect dry or sensitive skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2014
What does Vitamin E do for dry skin?
Vitamin E helps dry skin feel softer and smoother by increasing moisture, keeping hydration locked in, and improving overall skin barrier function. It may also calm redness and reduce roughness over time with regular use.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This moisturizer with sunscreen goes on in the morning as the last step before your day starts. Using a daily moisturizer helps improve hydration and smoothness while protecting dry skin from the sun.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
Apply this moisturizer after your retinol treatment in the evening, or use it in the morning before your sunscreen. Using a gentle moisturizer alongside your retinol helps keep your skin comfortable and supports your skin barrier as it adjusts to stronger ingredients.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream is suitable for daily use as part of your morning skincare routine to keep your dry skin protected and hydrated. Regular daily application helps improve skin moisture levels and supports overall skin barrier health.
Health Science Reports, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin as it contains no harsh ingredients and has a very low risk of breakouts. Reviewers mention minor complaints about it feeling greasy or shiny or being difficult to blend.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol).
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Topical application of micronised titanium dioxide results in no dermal absorption, with the particles being deposited solely on the outermost surface of the stratum corneum.
Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2001Replacing microsized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide with nanoparticles in sunscreens eliminates opaqueness and alters UV protection balance while inducing (photo)cyto- and genotoxicity and penetrating viable skin layers during long-term exposures.
Nanotechnology, Science and Applications, 2011Topical gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Microfine titanium dioxide does not penetrate human skin when formulated in an oil-in-water emulsion with the pigment dispersed in the aqueous phase, compared to oily dispersions and liposomal encapsulation which allow deeper skin penetration.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2000Microfine zinc oxide and titanium dioxide do not penetrate the stratum corneum of porcine skin in vitro, indicating that their use in sunscreens does not pose a health risk from internal exposure.
Toxicology in Vitro, 2006Hyaluronic acid-grafted titanium dioxide nanoparticles increased SPF from 13.3 to 19.1 while demonstrating low photocatalytic activity, exceptional thermal stability with >95% SPF retention, enhanced moisturization with >80% hydration retention, and minimal cytotoxicity with 88.5% cell viability in HaCaT keratinocytes compared to unmodified nanoparticles.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2025Topical 0.5% hyaluronic-ZnO nanogel applied twice daily reduced inflammatory-lesion counts by 58% at week four in human subjects compared to baseline without causing erythema.
Biomedicines, 2025Nels cream achieved a similar reduction in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesion counts compared to 5% benzoyl peroxide in acne vulgaris patients, but caused significantly fewer side-effects such as peeling and dryness.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2000Topically applied coated and uncoated zinc oxide nanoparticles under flexing and massage are retained in the stratum corneum with no significant penetration into the viable epidermis and no cellular toxicity in human skin.
Nanomedicine, 2016A topical cosmetic slimming product containing tetrahydroxypropyl ethylenediamine, caffeine, carnitine, forskolin and retinol significantly reduced body circumferences and improved skin aspect compared with placebo in 78 women over 12 weeks.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2011Topical sunscreen formulations containing caffeine combined with UV filters increased in vivo anti-UVB protection by approximately 25% and showed higher SPF values compared to caffeine-free sunscreen, while being well tolerated by the skin of healthy subjects.
Frontiers in Physiology, 2019Caffeine gel combined with choline geranate showed high skin permeation capacity and superior clinical results in cellulite treatment compared to caffeine gel without ionic liquid.
AAPS PharmSciTech, 2021
Ingredients
Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Allantoin, Benzyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caffeine, Caprylyl Methicone, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris Trimethylsiloxy Silylethyl Dimethicone, Ci 77288, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dimethicone, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Iron Oxides, Isohexadecane, Magnesium Sulfate, Methylpropanediol, Silica, Tocopherol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Trisiloxane, Water
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
-

Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-

Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-

Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-

Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-

Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-

Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-

Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-

Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.
