CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream for dry skin
Urea
Salicylic Acid
3 Essential Ceramides
Niacinamide
Sodium Hyaluronate
High
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for dry skin; a few moisturizers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, 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 skin, this cream effectively moisturizes and smooths texture with urea and salicylic acid, which hydrate and gently exfoliate to support skin renewal and moisture retention.
- The inclusion of hyaluronic acid and ceramides further enhances humectant action and barrier repair, complementing the primary ingredients for comprehensive dry skin care.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your dry skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and work your way up to daily use.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner and before your sunscreen in the morning. At night, use it as the final step after your serum.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing to keep your dry skin happy.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra hydration. This is great for soothing dry and flaky areas .
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your first use .
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cream is highly effective for rough and bumpy skin conditions like Keratosis Pilaris, significantly improving texture and softness for most users. While many appreciate its fast absorption and long-lasting hydration, a moderate number of users find the scent unpleasant, and a low number report issues with texture, pilling, or mild irritation.
Highlights
Effective for KP Mostly Mentioned
- “Fixed my bumpy arms”
- “bumps started reducing in size and number”
- “97% bump-free”
- “best for KP”
Smooths and softens Mostly Mentioned
- “Leaves skin feeling silky soft”
- “smooths out rough patches”
- “skin feels incredibly smooth”
- “softens even the roughest textures”
Fast absorption Often Mentioned
- “Sinks into skin effortlessly”
- “no greasy residue”
- “absorbs straight away”
- “clothing over it with no problem”
Long-lasting hydration Often Mentioned
- “Hydration hits instantly”
- “skin feels soft all day”
- “locks in moisture”
- “intense hydration”
Unpleasant smell Sometimes Noted
- “Smells like chemicals”
- “tobacco-ey scent”
- “smells like medicine/panadol”
- “scent lingers briefly”
Insufficient moisture Rarely Noted
- “Not moisturizing enough”
- “mattifying look”
- “skin felt dry when I woke up”
- “too heavy but not hydrating”
Stinging or irritation Rarely Noted
- “Stung my face really badly”
- “experienced some reddening”
- “slight tingling on dry parts”
- “caused breakouts on back”
Texture issues Rarely Noted
- “Started to pill quite badly”
- “drags on the skin”
- “hard to apply”
- “too thick/heavy”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, lookfantastic.com, cocooncenter.co.uk, beautycrew.com.au, superdrug.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream a great fit for dry skin?
This cream is a great fit because urea and salicylic acid hydrate dry skin and gently smooth rough texture. Hyaluronic acid and ceramides add extra moisture and help repair your skin barrier with a very low likelihood of irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry skin?
Urea and salicylic acid make this cream a great fit by hydrating and gently exfoliating your dry skin to smooth rough texture and lock in moisture. Hyaluronic acid and ceramides also help by drawing in extra moisture and repairing your skin barrier.
What does Urea do for dry skin?
Urea helps dry skin by deeply boosting moisture, smoothing rough flakes, and repairing the outer skin barrier so it stays soft and comfortable. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated and safely improves hydration, scaling, and itching with regular use.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2021Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2016
What does Salicylic Acid do for dry skin?
Salicylic acid is generally not a good fit for dry skin, as it is meant to clear out pores and remove dead skin rather than hydrate. Because dry skin needs soothing and moisture rather than exfoliation, a product for dry skin needs nourishing ingredients like urea to lock in moisture and keep the skin soft.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This cream goes in the evening routine as a treatment step, after cleansing and before your moisturizer. It helps smooth dry skin texture while being very safe to use.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol, applying the retinol first and following with the cream to keep your skin soft and calm. This pairing helps prevent dryness and flaking while supporting your skin barrier, as ceramide- and hyaluronic acid-containing moisturizers are shown to improve skin tolerability during active treatments.
How often should I use it?
This cream is a great fit for your dry skin, so you can use it daily as part of your routine. Using it regularly helps keep your skin soft and smooth while supporting moisture retention and barrier repair.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2026
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin, as it has a very safe profile and contains no harsh ingredients. It may cause mild skin renewal due to gentle exfoliating ingredients, but significant irritation or breakouts are rare.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cream on your body to moisturize and smooth dry skin, but avoid applying it closely around the eyes. Its rich blend of urea, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid helps hydrate and repair the skin barrier effectively.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl alcohol and cetearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Urea is a safe and effective dermatologic therapy with wide-ranging clinical utility for various skin conditions and minimal, non-systemic side effects based on a review of the clinical literature.
Dermatology Online Journal, 2013Topical 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, 2022Hyaluronic acid extracts are safe and efficacious products for skin repair when used in tissue regeneration alone or in combination with herbal or Western medicine.
Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015A lipid mixture enriched by ceramide NP with fatty acids of diverse chain lengths significantly improved skin barrier recovery rate, stratum corneum integrity, and hydration compared to a vehicle cream in healthy adult male volunteers with corticosteroid-impaired skin.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022Topical 40% urea cream achieved improvement in less time and showed superiority over 12% ammonium lactate lotion in skin roughness, fissure reduction, thickness, and dryness at day 14 in patients treated for moderate to severe xerosis.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Topical treatment with K101 achieved a significantly higher mycological cure rate compared to placebo in patients with ≤50% nail involvement (27.2% vs 10.4%), while showing early visible improvements in nail appearance and no safety issues.
Mycoses, 2012Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A 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, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 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, Urea, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Butyrospermum Parkii Shea Butter, C12-13 Alkyl Lactate, Peg-100 Stearate, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Dimethicone, Triacetin, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Sodium Lactate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, 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
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