CeraVe Moisturising Lotion for sensitive skin
Ceramide Np
Ceramide Ap
Sodium Hyaluronate
Phytosphingosine
Cholesterol
Average
- AverageNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 suitability for your normal skin, as glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide excellent humectant action to hydrate and plump the skin, addressing your redness and irritation. The formula lacks a richer emollient base for optimal nourishment, which could further enhance its benefits for your skin concerns.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
- It provides general skincare benefits, such as hydration and soothing, which are beneficial for your redness and irritation.
How to apply
- Use this soothing AM and PM routine every day to keep your normal skin calm. Always remember to apply SPF in the morning after your moisturizer.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner in the morning, and after your serum in the evening. This step locks in hydration and protects your skin.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer evenly across your face. Avoid rubbing to keep your sensitive skin happy and calm.
- You can apply this gentle formula on dry or slightly damp skin for the best comfort. It works wonderfully on clean skin to soothe redness and irritation.
- Do a patch test before your very first use to check your skin's reaction. Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes .
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 11.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently praise this lotion as a holy grail staple for its lightweight, non-greasy formula that effectively hydrates without clogging pores.
Highlights
Lightweight non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “Absorbs instantly”
- “Doesn't feel sticky”
- “Perfect under makeup”
- “Skin drinks it up”
Gentle fragrance-free Often Mentioned
- “No irritation”
- “Great for sensitive skin”
- “Safe for acne-prone skin”
Value for money Often Mentioned
- “Huge bottle lasts forever”
- “Affordable staple”
- “Better than expensive brands”
- “Great price point”
Effective barrier repair Sometimes Noted
- “Helped my damaged barrier”
- “Reduced redness”
- “Smoothed rough patches”
- “Skin feels stronger”
Versatile face body Sometimes Noted
- “Use it head to toe”
- “Great hand cream”
- “One bottle for everything”
- “Good for back acne”
Too thin for dry Sometimes Noted
- “Need the cream instead”
- “Not enough for winter”
- “Skin felt dry an hour later”
- “Too watery”
Basic experience Rarely Noted
- “No luxury feel”
- “Just a basic lotion”
- “Nothing special”
- “Dull packaging”
Packaging pump issues Rarely Noted
- “Pump arrived broken”
- “Hard to get last bit out”
- “Pump stops working”
- “Spilled in transit”
Pilling texture Rarely Noted
- “Pills under sunscreen”
- “Balls up if rubbed”
- “Doesn't layer well”
- “Left white residue”
Rare stinging Rarely Noted
- “Burned my face”
- “Stung on application”
- “Caused redness”
Sources: lovi.care, cerave.com, amazon.com, ulta.com, boots.com, superdrug.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does CeraVe Moisturising Lotion work for sensitive skin?
CeraVe Moisturising Lotion works reasonably well for sensitive skin, using glycerin and sodium hyaluronate to hydrate and calm redness without causing irritation. However, other products fit this skin better because it lacks a richer nourishing base. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients like fermented Centella Asiatica, Cica Ceramide, and nourishing oils to strengthen the skin barrier and provide optimal comfort.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for sensitive skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate make this cream a good fit for sensitive skin by providing hydration and soothing redness and irritation. To fit this skin type even better, a moisturizer of this type needs a richer nourishing base with soothing ingredients like fermented Centella Asiatica, cica ceramide, and nourishing oils.
What do Ceramides do for sensitive skin?
Ceramides help calm sensitive skin by strengthening the protective barrier, which may reduce discomfort and sensitivity over time. This type of product works best when it contains properly dissolved ceramides combined with soothing ingredients to support the skin without causing irritation.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2018Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2026
What does Ceramide AP do for sensitive skin?
Ceramide AP helps calm sensitive skin by strengthening the moisture barrier and locking in hydration to reduce dryness and irritation. It is unlikely to cause a reaction because it supports the natural lipids found in healthy skin.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2025
Where does it go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This moisturizer goes in the evening routine after your treatment step, and as part of your weekly routine after a nourishing mask. It works well for sensitive skin and hydrates effectively, but this skin type also needs a richer nourishing base to reach its best fit.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying the moisturizer first to help soothe your sensitive skin and reduce irritation, followed by your retinol treatment. This type of routine is unlikely to cause trouble because the formula is safe and free of harsh ingredients, though sensitive skin needs a richer softening base for optimal nourishment.
How often should I use it?
You can use CeraVe Moisturising Lotion daily to help hydrate and calm sensitive skin. Daily application is well supported for improving skin moisture and barrier function.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin, as it contains no harsh ingredients or heavy oils that typically trigger irritation. A moisturizer of this type needs a balanced blend of lightweight hydrators and gentle nourishing oils to keep pores clear while maintaining comfort.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizer around your eyes and on your body, as it is safe and gentle for sensitive skin. Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide good hydration, though a moisturizer of this type needs a richer nourishing base to give your skin the best results.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
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, 2017Emulsions containing ceramides 1 and 3 improved skin hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss in sodium lauryl sulfate-irritated skin of fifteen healthy Asian women compared to a control emulsion.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2008Topical 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, 2019Topical application of an emulsion containing a complete mixture of ceramides III, IIIB, VI, phytosphingosine, cholesterol, and linoleic acid significantly accelerated barrier recovery after SLS damage and improved skin hydration after acetone treatment in human volunteers compared to an emulsion containing only two types of ceramides.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2002Phytosphingosine demonstrates anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activity with excellent clinical results in acne vulgaris.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007Phytosphingosine increased filaggrin metabolism and skin hydration in human skin by stimulating filaggrin biosynthesis and degradation leading to natural moisturizing factor formation.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017Botulinum toxin-A encapsulated in phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol nanoliposomes delivered transdermally achieved a diffusion depth of 380 μm and showed a nonsignificant advantage in relieving post-acne scarring compared to hyaluronic acid hydrogel treatment in 12 facial patients.
Journal of Materials Science. Materials in Medicine, 2024Topical application of cholesterol sulfate increases stratum corneum thickness and inhibits protease-induced cell dissociation by competitively inhibiting serine proteases in mice and human stratum corneum.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 1998Topical lovastatin treatment impairs the recovery of cutaneous permeability barrier function and stratum corneum cholesterol levels after acetone disruption in mice, an effect normalized by simultaneous treatment with mevalonate or cholesterol.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1990
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Ceteareth-20, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Phosphate, Disodium Edta, Dipotassium Phosphate, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Ceramide Eop
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.