CeraVe Foaming Cleanser Bar for combination skin
3 Essential Ceramides
Niacinamide
Kaolin Clay
Glycerin
Sodium Hyaluronate
High
- SuperiorCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for combination skin; a few cleansers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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
- Excellent suitability for your combination skin is provided by niacinamide and zinc PCA, which help regulate sebum production and minimize pores, addressing your oily shine.
- Kaolin effectively absorbs excess sebum, further enhancing the cleansing and mattifying benefits for your skin.
- The formula is safe for your skin, containing no harsh ingredients and including soothing components like niacinamide and ceramides.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM as part of your daily routine. Start 3×/week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your skin using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
- For the best results , apply the cleanser directly onto slightly damp skin to help lift away excess oil.
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
People Say
★4.3Overall rating based on 1.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this solid cleanser is widely praised by users with oily and acne-prone skin for effectively removing excess oil without stripping the moisture barrier, often described as a gentle yet effective alternative to the liquid version. While historically a favorite for its longevity and eco-friendly format, recent reviews highlight significant consistency issues with some bars failing to lather.
Highlights
Gentle & non-stripping Mostly Mentioned
- “doesn't dry skin”
- “no tight feeling”
- “skin feels soft”
- “gentle on sensitive skin”
Effective oil control Often Mentioned
- “clears acne breakouts”
- “reduces midday shine”
- “balances oily T-zone”
- “leaves skin matte”
Long-lasting value Often Mentioned
- “lasts for months”
- “saves money”
- “better value than liquid”
- “bar never ends”
Eco-friendly & travel-safe Sometimes Noted
- “no plastic waste”
- “great for travel”
- “no liquid spills”
- “compact for gym bag”
Key ingredients Sometimes Noted
- “love the niacinamide”
- “kaolin clay helps”
- “fragrance-free formula”
- “good for sensitive skin”
Inconsistent lather Sometimes Noted
- “doesn't lather at all”
- “bad batch”
- “formula changed”
- “feels like wax”
Drying for some Rarely Noted
- “too drying”
- “skin felt tight”
- “caused flaking”
- “need moisturizer after”
Messy storage Rarely Noted
- “gets mushy quickly”
- “leaves residue”
- “needs soap dish”
- “dissolves if wet”
Poor makeup removal Rarely Noted
- “doesn't remove mascara”
- “need double cleanse”
- “struggles with foundation”
- “not for heavy makeup”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, walmart.com, target.com, ulta.com, walgreens.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes CeraVe Foaming Cleanser Bar a great fit for combination skin?
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for combination skin?
This cleanser is a great fit for combination skin because it contains niacinamide and zinc PCA, which help control oily shine and minimize pores. Kaolin clay also absorbs extra oil to leave your skin feeling fresh and clean, while ceramides soothe and protect without feeling harsh.
What do Ceramides do for combination skin?
Ceramides help keep combination skin balanced by supporting the skin barrier to lock in moisture without feeling heavy. They are a good fit because they help protect dry areas while keeping oily zones calm and comfortable. This type of skin needs lightweight hydrators and skin-repairing ingredients to keep the barrier strong across both oily and dry areas.
What does Niacinamide do for combination skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily areas by reducing excess shine and pore size while keeping dry patches hydrated and smooth. It also works to calm redness and even out skin tone, making it very suitable for combination skin.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This cleanser is used in both your morning and evening routines. Using a mild cleanser daily as part of your routine helps clean your skin and manage oil.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in your routine before applying retinol, as its gentle formula helps keep your skin calm while cleansing. Using a barrier-supporting cleanser with active treatments like retinol is unlikely to cause irritation and helps maintain your skin barrier.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. A daily skincare routine using a gentle cleanser helps improve overall skin condition and safely maintains clean, balanced skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for combination skin. It features kaolin clay, niacinamide, and zinc PCA, which help absorb excess oil and keep pores clear without harsh ingredients.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use this cleanser on your body, but you should avoid applying it directly around your eyes. The formula is safe and gentle, but the thin skin around the eyes requires extra care that a foaming body and face bar is not specifically designed to protect.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Vectorization of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid with clay enabled its penetration into deeper skin layers and led to a significant clinical reduction in fine lines in the crow's feet area compared to placebo after 28 days.
Skin Research and Technology, 2024Twice-weekly use of a clay mask over 4 weeks in 75 adults with oily or combination skin improved acne-related outcomes, sebum content, skin evenness, hydration, and reduced dryness and irritation.
Skin Research and Technology, 2023Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012A 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, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019
Ingredients
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Water, Sodium Isethionate, Ci 77891 Titanium Dioxide, Kaolin, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Zinc Pca, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Ceteareth-20, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta, Dipotassium Phosphate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Ethylhexylglycerin
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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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.