CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser for oily skin

3 Essential Ceramides
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Amino Acids
Coconut Acid
Low
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A weak match for oily skin; the cleansers alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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
- Offers moderate cleansing and mild exfoliation for your oily skin due to ingredients like sodium methyl cocoyl taurate and salicylic acid, which help remove impurities and gently refine texture.
- Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide basic hydration, but the formula lacks stronger seboregulating ingredients to effectively manage oily shine.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh or prohibited ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin fresh. Always make sure to follow with a good SPF in the morning.
- Apply your cleanser as the first step in the morning or the second step in the evening before your toner.
- Gently massage a small amount onto your face using circular motions, then rinse well with water .
- You can apply this cleanser safely on damp skin for a refreshing and easy wash.
- Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes and stop use if irritation occurs.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 2.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with normal to dry skin frequently praise this cleanser for its effective makeup and sunscreen removal while maintaining skin hydration. A small number of users with sensitive or acne-prone skin reported experiencing burning sensations or breakouts.
Highlights
Effective makeup removal Mostly Mentioned
- “Melts makeup off”
- “Removes long-wear foundation”
- “No residue left”
- “Takes off sunscreen”
Non-stripping hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “Skin feels soft”
- “Not tight after washing”
- “Doesn't strip moisture”
- “Good for dry skin”
Pleasant texture Often Mentioned
- “Nice rich lather”
- “Creamy to foam”
- “Best of both worlds”
- “Luxurious feel”
Gentle formula Sometimes Noted
- “Fragrance-free”
- “Gentle daily wash”
- “Doesn't sting eyes”
- “Great for sensitive skin”
Burning sensation Rarely Noted
- “Eyes were swollen/burning”
- “Burning lips”
- “Stings sensitive areas”
- “Face felt on fire”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Caused cystic acne”
- “Whiteheads appeared”
- “Broke me out”
- “Clogged my pores”
Drying for some Rarely Noted
- “Felt tight after use”
- “Dried out my skin”
- “Not hydrating enough”
- “Flaky patches appeared”
Unpleasant smell Rarely Noted
- “Plastic smell”
- “Chemical scent”
- “Smells like glue”
- “Odd odor”
Sources: lovi.care, cerave.com, influenster.com, ulta.com, target.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser a weak match for oily skin?
This cleanser is a weak match for oily skin because it lacks stronger oil-controlling ingredients to effectively manage shine, even though it provides basic hydration and mild cleansing. Cleansers that fit oily skin better need strong oil-balancing ingredients and targeted agents to manage excess oil and promote a clear complexion without irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a poor fit for oily skin?
This cleanser is a weaker fit for oily skin because it lacks stronger oil-controlling ingredients to effectively manage daily shine. Oily skin of this type needs targeted oil-regulating ingredients and clarifying agents to properly manage excess oil and promote a clear complexion.
What do Ceramides do for oily skin?
Ceramides help keep oily skin balanced by strengthening the skin barrier and retaining essential moisture without clogging pores. When paired with ingredients like niacinamide, they may also help improve skin texture and reduce blemishes. To work well for oily skin, this type of product needs lightweight hydrators and pore-balancing ingredients.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps oily skin by reducing extra oil and sebum production without causing irritation. Clinical studies show it successfully balances oil levels while keeping the skin comfortable.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cleanser fits into both your morning and evening routines as the cleansing step. Oily skin needs a cleanser that offers stronger oil-controlling ingredients to effectively manage shine.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, applying the cleanser first on damp skin, rinsing it off, and following with your retinol treatment once your face is dry. This cleanser is a weak match for oily skin, so an oily skin type needs a cleanser with stronger ingredients to control excess shine.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleanser is a weak match for oily skin because it lacks stronger oil-controlling ingredients to effectively manage shine, meaning oily skin needs a cleanser that offers stronger oil control and purifying ingredients.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as it has a very low likelihood of causing breakouts and is safe for your skin. To properly manage oily shine, an oily skin type needs a product with stronger oil-controlling ingredients.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser can be used on your body, but it is a weak match for oily skin and lacks stronger shine-controlling ingredients like clay or charcoal to effectively manage excess oil.
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
Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020A 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 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, 2019The 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, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
Why other cleansers fit oily skin better
A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Combined ascorbyl palmitate and sodium ascorbyl phosphate treatment significantly reduced facial sebum secretions in healthy female volunteers compared to a placebo control over 90 days.
Drug Research, 2017
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Chloride, Pca, Ppg-5-Ceteth-20, Peg-100 Stearate, Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Peg-6 Caprylic Capric Glycerides, Peg-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Ci 77891 Titanium Dioxide, Aspartic Acid, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Sorbitan Isostearate, Carbomer, Glycol Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Oleate, Glycine, Trideceth-6, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Threonine, Sodium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Pca, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Serine, Sodium Benzoate, Valine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Proline, Isoleucine, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Alanine, Phenylalanine, Coconut Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Chlorphenesin, Disodium Edta, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Histidine, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-53, Polyquaternium-39, Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzoic Acid
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.

