CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion for dry sensitive skin
High
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for dry sensitive skin; a few moisturizers 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 as ceramides and sodium hyaluronate deeply hydrate and support your skin barrier, while niacinamide further soothes and strengthens it.
- Glycerin and cholesterol work synergistically to enhance moisture retention and reinforce your skin's natural defenses, addressing dryness and flakiness effectively.
- The formulation is safe for your skin, containing no harsh or irritating ingredients.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using this moisturizer 3 times a week and move to daily use if your dry skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toner in the morning, or after your serum in the evening. Always pair it with SPF in the morning.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing it harshly to protect your sensitive skin.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help with hydration absorption. This also works well for dry and flaky skin types.
- Do a patch test before your first use. Avoid the eye area to prevent any irritation.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 60.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this moisturizer is highly praised for its lightweight, non-greasy texture and its effectiveness in repairing the skin barrier without causing breakouts, making it a favorite for oily, acne-prone, and sensitive skin. While most users find it gentle and effective, a moderate number of users with very dry skin report it's not hydrating enough for nighttime use, and a low number experience mild stinging or have concerns about potential formula changes.
Highlights
Lightweight & non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “Sinks right into your skin”
- “Leaves no greasy residue”
- “Perfect under makeup”
Barrier-repairing ingredients Often Mentioned
- “Helped repair my moisture barrier”
- “Niacinamide calms my redness”
- “Great ingredients for the price”
Safe for acne-prone skin Often Mentioned
- “Never breaks me out”
- “The only moisturizer that doesn't clog my pores”
- “Safe for my acne-prone skin”
Fragrance-free & gentle Sometimes Noted
- “No strong scent”
- “Great for sensitive skin”
Not moisturizing enough Sometimes Noted
- “Not enough for winter dryness”
- “Need to layer it with something heavier”
- “Skin felt tight after an hour”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Pump stopped working halfway through”
- “Hard to open”
- “Bottle is too small for the price”
Reformulation concerns Rarely Noted
- “New formula is watery”
- “Used to be better”
- “Caused breakouts after they changed it”
Stinging sensation Rarely Noted
- “Burned my face instantly”
- “Stings around my eyes”
- “Caused redness and heat”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, ulta.com, walmart.com, target.com, cerave.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion a great fit for dry sensitive skin?
CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion is a great fit because ceramides and sodium hyaluronate deeply hydrate and support your skin barrier, while niacinamide further calms and strengthens it. Glycerin and cholesterol also work together to lock in moisture and reinforce your natural defenses, helping to address dryness and flakiness effectively.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Ceramides, sodium hyaluronate, and glycerin make this cream a great fit because they deeply hydrate and support your skin barrier, while niacinamide and phytosphingosine soothe and strengthen it. Cholesterol further enhances moisture retention, helping to address dryness and flakiness effectively.
What do Ceramides do for dry sensitive skin?
Ceramides help strengthen dry, sensitive skin by locking in moisture and repairing the outer barrier, which makes skin feel softer and less irritated. This type of care helps prevent dryness and keeps skin calm and comfortable.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2022Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
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
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This cream goes in the evening routine as a moisturizing treatment after your toner and before your final moisturizer. A consistent daily routine with a good moisturizer helps improve visual dryness and makes dry skin feel much softer.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying the cream before your retinol or as a final step to help calm and protect your skin against irritation. Using a barrier-supporting moisturizer alongside retinoids is safe and helps keep your skin comfortable while it adjusts.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment in the evening as part of your routine for dry and sensitive skin. Daily application helps improve skin moisture and supports the skin barrier.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This moisturizing treatment is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin. Its ingredients are selected to hydrate and soothe without heavy oils that typically block pores.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can safely use this moisturizing treatment on your body and around your eyes, as the formulation is gentle and has a very good safety profile. Its ceramides, sodium hyaluronate, and glycerin deeply hydrate and strengthen delicate skin.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Application of Body Lotion for 5 weeks on cosmetic dry skin improved barrier properties, increased levels of cholesterol, ceramides, and long-chain fatty acids, increased beneficial skin bacteria, and enhanced microbiome functional potential compared to baseline.
Scientific Reports, 2022Topical 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, 2002Topical 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, 2019A 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, 2017The 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, 2001Phytosphingosine 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, 2017Phytosphingosine inhibits melanin synthesis in cultured melan-a cells and a reconstructed human skin model by modulating MITF through suppression of gene expression and induction of protein degradation.
Journal of Dermatological Science, 2017
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Ceteareth-20, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta, Dipotassium Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, 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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