CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser for dry sensitive skin
Niacinamide
Sodium Hyaluronate
Ceramide Np
Ceramide Ap- Ceramide Eop
High
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for dry sensitive skin; a few cleansers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, 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 and sensitive skin, this cleanser effectively addresses dryness and flakiness with niacinamide and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, which provide essential hydration and support your skin barrier. Glycerin and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid act as humectants, while ceramides and cholesterol work to repair and strengthen your skin's natural defenses.
- The formula's gentle cleansing agents, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate and cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, ensure thorough pore cleansing without compromising your skin's delicate nature.
- This product is safe for your skin, as it contains no harsh or irritating ingredients and is suitable for sensitive skin.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your face fresh. Start slowly once a day if your dry skin feels sensitive at first.
- Apply your cleanser first thing in your routine before any toner or moisturizer. Follow the usual steps for your AM or PM daily routine.
- Gently massage the cleanser onto your face using soft circular motions. Avoid harsh rubbing to protect your dry skin.
- Apply the cleanser to slightly damp skin to help it clean gently without stripping moisture. This method is very safe for sensitive and dry skin types.
- Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and avoid the delicate eye area. Always do a patch test before using the product for the first time.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 27.8k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with normal to oily skin widely praise this cleanser for effectively removing excess oil and dirt without disrupting the skin barrier, often crediting the ceramides and niacinamide for calming acne-prone areas. While most find it refreshing and gentle, a minority of users experience tightness or dryness after use, suggesting it may be too stripping for those with drier or more sensitive skin types.
Highlights
Effective oil control Mostly Mentioned
- “dialed back oiliness”
- “leaves skin oil-free”
- “great for oily t-zone”
- “removes excess sebum”
Gentle & non-stripping Often Mentioned
- “clean but not dry”
- “doesn't strip face”
- “gentle on sensitive skin”
- “refreshing feel”
Great value Often Mentioned
- “reasonably priced”
- “bottle lasts months”
- “great value for size”
- “affordable staple”
Beneficial ingredients Sometimes Noted
- “love the niacinamide”
- “contains ceramides”
- “hyaluronic acid plumps skin”
- “restores skin barrier”
Helps clear acne Sometimes Noted
- “cleared my acne”
- “minimizes pores”
- “stopped cystic acne”
- “helps prevent blemishes”
Can be drying Sometimes Noted
- “face feels stripped”
- “incredibly dry after use”
- “left skin tight”
- “too harsh for winter”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused horrible breakouts”
- “started breaking out”
- “gave me cystic acne”
- “skin purged”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “stung my eyes”
- “made eyelids itch”
- “burned my eyes”
- “irritating to eye area”
Struggles with makeup Rarely Noted
- “doesn't remove mascara”
- “need a separate remover”
- “leftover eyeliner”
- “not for heavy makeup”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “smells like plastic”
- “weird chemical smell”
- “scent like old celery”
- “medicinal odor”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, ulta.com, target.com, cerave.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes CeraVe Foaming Cleanser a great fit for dry sensitive skin?
CeraVe Foaming Cleanser is a great fit because it uses niacinamide, glycerin, and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid to bring back moisture and ease dryness and flakiness. Ceramides and cholesterol help strengthen your skin barrier while gentle cleansing agents wash away dirt without irritating sensitive skin.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate, ceramides, and glycerin make this cleanser a great fit by providing essential hydration, supporting the skin barrier, and strengthening natural defenses without causing irritation. These ingredients help improve skin moisture and reduce dryness while being very safe for delicate skin.
What does Niacinamide do for dry sensitive skin?
Niacinamide helps dry sensitive skin by calming irritation and keeping moisture locked in so your face feels soft and smooth. It works to build up your skin barrier and calm redness while being very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2013
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for dry sensitive skin?
Hyaluronic acid is a great fit for dry, sensitive skin because it brings a large boost in hydration, making the skin feel soft and smooth while improving barrier function. It helps calm tightness and dryness, and is unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Dermatology and Therapy, 2021
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser is used both in the morning and evening as the first step to clean your skin gently without drying it out. Using a mild cleanser as part of a regular daily routine helps improve dryness and keeps your skin barrier comfortable.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, applying the cleanser first to clean your skin gently before your retinol treatment. This cleanser contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid, which help maintain skin moisture and reduce irritation that may come with retinol use.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day in your morning and evening routine, as part of a gentle daily regimen that helps keep dry and sensitive skin clean without stripping away moisture. Using a mild cleanser regularly supports hydration and helps maintain your skin barrier.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for your dry sensitive skin, since it uses gentle cleansing agents that clean thoroughly without upsetting your delicate skin. Reviewers rarely mention breakouts with this product, and its safe formula avoids harsh ingredients.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, this cleanser is gentle enough for the thin skin around your eyes and suitable for use on your body. Its mild cleansing agents and hydrating ingredients clean thoroughly without stripping moisture or causing irritation.
Is this cleanser 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, 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, 2008Profhilo treatment led to significant improvements in superficial skin hydration and transepidermal water loss over time in Chinese females, while demonstrating good product tolerability.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2026Topical 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, 2005Topical 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
Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Niacinamide, Peg-6 Caprylic Capric Glycerides, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Propylene Glycol, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Disodium Edta, Propylparaben, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium Edta, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum
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.