CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 for dry skin
3 Essential Ceramides
Sodium Hyaluronate
Avobenzone
Homosalate
Octocrylene
Superior
- HighDry Skin Fit
- SuperiorEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best sunscreens for dry skin.
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
- Excellent for your dry skin, this formula deeply moisturizes and supports your skin barrier with ceramides, cholesterol, and sodium hyaluronate, while broad-spectrum sunscreens protect against UV damage.
- Glycerin and pentylene glycol further enhance humectant action, ensuring lasting hydration and comfort for your dry or flaky skin.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.
How to apply
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen daily in your AM routine. Use it every morning as the final step of your skincare routine.
- Apply after your moisturizer and before putting on makeup. This ensures proper sun protection for your skin.
- Gently spread an even layer over your face and neck. Avoid rubbing too hard to keep your dry skin happy.
- Apply on completely dry skin for the best coverage and protection. Make sure your face is clean before application.
- Avoid the immediate eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.2Overall rating based on 85.0k+ reviewsThis moisturizer is a highly regarded, fragrance-free staple that offers effective hydration and sun protection, making it a favorite for sensitive and acne-prone skin. Based on a very large amount of data, it is frequently noted for its restorative ingredients like ceramides and niacinamide, and its excellent value. However, a significant number of users report issues with pilling, especially under makeup, and a noticeable white cast on darker skin tones. Some also find the texture greasy or experience eye irritation.
Highlights
Restorative ingredients Mostly Mentioned
- “contains essential ceramides”
- “niacinamide calms redness”
- “hyaluronic acid hydrates”
Pilling under makeup Mostly Mentioned
- “rolls off skin”
- “clumps under makeup”
- “flakes like eraser dust”
Effective sun protection Often Mentioned
- “prevents daily burn”
- “good everyday SPF”
- “peace of mind”
Gentle and non-irritating Often Mentioned
- “doesn't clog pores”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “no fragrance irritation”
Visible white cast Often Mentioned
- “leaves white residue”
- “ghostly appearance”
- “not for dark skin”
Value for money Sometimes Noted
- “affordable drugstore gem”
- “good price point”
- “lasts a long time”
Greasy finish Sometimes Noted
- “feels heavy/oily”
- “shiny face all day”
- “takes forever to absorb”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “stings my eyes”
- “burns when sweating”
- “makes eyes water”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, target.com, ulfa.com, walmart.com, cerave.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 one of the best fits for dry skin?
This moisturizer is one of the best fits for your dry skin because it deeply hydrates and strengthens your skin barrier with ceramides, cholesterol, and sodium hyaluronate, while glycerin keeps your face comfortable and protected all day. It also features broad-spectrum sunscreens that safeguard against UV damage without causing irritation.
Which ingredients make this lotion a good fit for dry skin?
This lotion is a great fit for dry skin because it contains ceramides and cholesterol to support your skin barrier, along with sodium hyaluronate and glycerin for lasting hydration. These ingredients help deeply moisturize dry or flaky skin while keeping the safety profile excellent with virtually no risk of irritation.
What do Ceramides do for dry skin?
Ceramides help lock in moisture and strengthen the protective barrier of dry skin, which reduces water loss and keeps the surface feeling smooth and comfortable. Using a moisturizer with ceramides improves skin hydration and helps protect against irritation.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2022Dermatologic Therapy, 2019
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for dry skin?
Hyaluronic acid draws moisture into dry skin, giving an immediate and lasting boost in hydration that helps smooth out fine lines and soften rough patches. It is very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation while improving overall skin smoothness and plumpness.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2021Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
Where does this lotion go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This lotion goes in the morning routine as your moisturizer and sunscreen step, after cleansing and any hydrating toner. Using a daily moisturizer helps improve visual dryness and keeps the skin barrier comfortable.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol by applying the retinol first, letting it absorb, and then following with this lotion to help keep your dry skin comfortable. Using a barrier-enhancing moisturizer with your retinoid routine helps your skin tolerate the treatment better while keeping it soft and smooth.
How often should I use this lotion?
You can use this moisturizing spf every morning as part of your daily routine. It helps keep your dry skin comfortable and protected throughout the day while supporting your skin barrier.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This lotion is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry skin, as it features a very safe formula with no harsh ingredients. Chemical sunscreens inside are also unlikely to cause skin irritation.
Is this lotion fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A 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, 2022A 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, 2017Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, and octisalate showed no to minimal risks of dermal irritation, sensitization, photo-allergy, and photo-irritation in human subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Topical 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, 2019Encapsulation of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane in lipid microparticles significantly reduced their in vivo human skin penetration compared to nonencapsulated filters.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011Microencapsulation of the BMDBM/HP-beta-CD complex in lipid microparticles significantly decreased the percutaneous penetration of the UV filter into the stratum corneum of human volunteers compared to the non-encapsulated sunscreen agent.
Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2011Following human skin application of an O/W emulsion containing 2% BMDBM loaded in lipospheres, 15% of the sunscreen accumulated in the uppermost layers of the stratum corneum without remarkably modifying skin permeation compared to unencapsulated sunscreen.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008Dermal application of a sunscreen containing 10% homosalate in four volunteers resulted in delayed elimination with terminal half-times around 24 h and a bioavailability of cis-homosalate a factor of 2 lower than trans-homosalate, while metabolite ratios supported using oral-route urinary excretion fractions for dermal exposure assessments.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024Homosalate exhibited the highest permeation among tested filters with a relative permeability rate of 4.2% and a depth of 60 um, and specific thickeners and emulsifiers successfully reduced its permeation without inhibiting the skin permeation of niacinamide.
Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2026An online-SPE-LC-MS/MS method successfully quantified specific urinary homosalate metabolites for up to 96 hours after dermal sunscreen application in a volunteer and detected metabolites exclusively in three German pilot participants who had used sunscreen within five days.
Analytica Chimica Acta, 2021Incorporating rosmarinic acid into sunscreens enhanced the in vivo SPF of octocrylene by over 157% and reduced lipid peroxidation in the human stratum corneum.
Antioxidants, 2025The application of a sunscreen formulation containing ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, and octocrylene does not significantly affect critical acne-related species such as Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, refuting the induction of facial dysbiosis in men.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Early application of sunscreen after ablative fractional skin resurfacing significantly increased the sensitization rate of the UV-filter, octocrylene, and the sunscreen compared to intact skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2015
Ingredients
Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Crosspolymer, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, T-Butyl Alcohol, 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
How does it fit your skin?
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