CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser for oily skin
Ceramides
Squalane
Glycerin
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Sodium Hyaluronate
Low
- LowOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
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 for your oily skin, with coco-betaine and peg-7 glyceryl cocoate gently lifting dirt and oil, but the presence of glycerin and sodium hyaluronate may provide excessive hydration for oily skin types.
- While the cleanser offers general hydration and cleansing benefits, it lacks specialized ingredients to effectively control oil production, which is your main goal.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, as it contains no harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like glycerin and hyaluronic acid.
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 3.2k+ reviewsMost users report a gentle, hydrating feel post-wash, with a light foam rather than a heavy lather. A significant number of reviews note that it does not perform like a traditional oil cleanser and may struggle with heavy makeup removal.
Highlights
Non-stripping & gentle Mostly Mentioned
- “Doesn't leave me dry and tight.”
- “Leaves my skin feeling super soft and clean.”
- “Very barrier respective cleanser.”
Effective for dry skin Often Mentioned
- “Saved my skin in winter.”
- “Holy grail for dry and flaky skin.”
- “Perfect for compromised skin barriers.”
Not a true oil Often Mentioned
- “This is water-based, not a real oil cleanser.”
- “Misleading name; it's just a gel wash.”
- “Does not remove waterproof mascara well.”
- “Struggles to take off heavy sunscreen on its own.”
Pleasant texture Sometimes Noted
- “Feels like a dream to apply.”
- “Lathers into a soft, milky foam.”
- “Glides over the skin easily.”
- “Oil-to-foam formula feels luxurious.”
Versatile usage Sometimes Noted
- “Great for both face and body.”
- “I use it to shave my legs too.”
- “Good for double cleansing as a second step.”
- “Safe for my baby's skin.”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Caused cystic acne after a week.”
- “Gave me whiteheads on my chin.”
- “My pores felt clogged after using this.”
- “Not safe for fungal acne.”
Paradoxically drying Rarely Noted
- “Actually dried my skin out more than the cream cleanser.”
- “Left my face feeling tight and red.”
- “Stung my sensitive skin.”
- “Felt like hand soap on my face.”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “Has a weird plastic smell.”
- “Smells like cooking oil.”
- “Fragrance-free but smells chemical.”
Sources: lovi.care, cerave.com, target.com, ulta.com, superdrug.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser a weak match for oily skin?
This cleanser is a weak match because it lacks specialized ingredients to control oil production and may provide excessive hydration for oily skin types. An oily skin routine needs ingredients like Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, and Ceramides to manage oily shine and support skin health without irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a poor fit for oily skin?
This cleanser is a weak match for oily skin because ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate may provide excessive hydration while lacking oil-controlling agents. For this skin type, a cleanser needs ingredients like Niacinamide, ceramides, salicylic acid, and probiotics to manage shine and support skin health without irritation.
What do Ceramides do for oily skin?
Ceramides help balance and strengthen oily skin by supporting the natural barrier and keeping moisture locked in without feeling heavy. They may also help calm irritation and reduce blemishes when used as part of a regular daily routine.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004
What does Squalane do for oily skin?
Squalane helps keep oily skin soft and smooth without feeling heavy, though oxidized forms may sometimes trigger irritation. To work well for oily skin, this type of product needs lightweight, non-clogging ingredients that balance moisture without adding excess grease.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cleanser is used both morning and evening as the cleansing step in your daily routine for oily skin. It is a weak match because it lacks oil-controlling ingredients and may provide more hydration than oily skin needs, meaning oily skin types require a cleanser with oil-controlling ingredients to manage shine.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, applying it before your retinol step to gently wash your face without harsh ingredients. Cleansers with ceramides and glycerin help keep your skin comfortable, though oily skin ultimately needs specialized ingredients to control oil production.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily as part of your morning and evening routine, though it is only a weak match for oily skin because it lacks oil-controlling ingredients. Oily skin of this type needs a cleanser with ingredients that help manage excess oil production.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to cause harsh reactions or breakouts, but it lacks ingredients to control oil and may provide excessive hydration for oily skin. To properly care for oily skin, a cleanser of this type needs specialized oil-controlling ingredients.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can safely use this cleanser on your body and around the eyes, as it contains no harsh ingredients. This type of product works well on the body and the thin skin around the eyes by providing gentle cleansing and soothing hydration.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying 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 hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025The 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, 2012Topical application of an emollient emulsion containing 15.0% caprylic/capric triglyceride doubled the amount of urocanic acid isomers and increased skin hydration with reduced transepidermal water loss in healthy subjects, though it did not prevent ultraviolet-induced urocanic acid isomerization.
Life, 2023Topical 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
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, 2019A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Coco-Betaine, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Polysorbate 20, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Squalane, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Citric Acid, Capryloyl Glycine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Benzoic Acid, Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Ppg-5-Ceteth-20, Peg-6 Caprylic Capric Glycerides
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?
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