CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream for acne-prone skin
Ceramides
Peptide Complex
Niacinamide
Sodium Hyaluronate
Shea Butter
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 suitability for your combination skin as niacinamide and sodium hyaluronate provide essential hydration and support your skin barrier, though it lacks targeted ingredients for direct acne improvement.
- Glycerin and ceramides further enhance moisturizing and barrier-enhancing effects, which are generally supportive for acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your acne-prone skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components like niacinamide and ceramides.
How to apply
- Use your moisturizer twice a day in your AM and PM routines. Apply it daily to help keep breakouts under control.
- Apply after your cleanser and toner, and make sure to use your SPF right after in the morning.
- Gently spread a small amount of moisturizer over your face using soft motions. Let it absorb into the skin for a minute before getting dressed or applying makeup.
- Apply on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture. This keeps your combination skin balanced without feeling heavy.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use. Stop using if you feel any irritation.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 55.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently praise this cream for its ability to deeply hydrate and repair the skin barrier overnight without feeling overly greasy, making it a favorite for dry, sensitive, and aging skin. Many report waking up with softer, plumper skin and diminished fine lines, although a notable minority criticizes the small jar size and lack of a protective safety seal.
Highlights
Deeply hydrates skin Mostly Mentioned
- “woke up with plump skin”
- “eliminated my dry patches”
- “moisture lasts all night”
- “skin feels baby soft”
Non-greasy texture Often Mentioned
- “absorbs surprisingly fast”
- “rich but not oily”
- “doesn't leave sticky residue”
- “matte finish”
Soothes sensitive skin Often Mentioned
- “no stinging or redness”
- “great for retinol users”
- “gentle and fragrance-free”
Poor packaging design Often Mentioned
- “no safety seal included”
- “hate dipping fingers in jar”
- “box was unsealed”
- “prefer a pump bottle”
Small product size Often Mentioned
- “jar is tiny”
- “finished in two weeks”
- “wish it came in bigger tub”
- “too little for the price”
Great value Sometimes Noted
- “beats expensive luxury creams”
- “affordable drugstore gem”
- “high quality ingredients for price”
- “effective budget option”
Improves skin texture Sometimes Noted
- “smooths fine lines”
- “skin looks refreshed”
- “helped with crepey texture”
- “reduced tired look”
Texture too thick Sometimes Noted
- “hard to spread”
- “feels like paste”
- “tugs on skin”
- “too heavy for summer”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “clogged my pores”
- “caused cystic acne”
- “too rich for oily skin”
- “broke me out immediately”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, ulta.com, target.com, walmart.com, prevention.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream work for acne-prone skin?
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream works reasonably well for acne-prone skin, as niacinamide and ceramides help keep the skin calm and hydrated without causing irritation. However, because it lacks targeted ingredients for direct breakouts, a product for this skin needs specialized blemish-fighting ingredients alongside soothing agents to provide a better fit.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate, ceramides, and glycerin make this cream a good fit by providing essential hydration and supporting your skin barrier. To fit acne-prone skin even better, this type of product also needs ingredients that directly target breakouts and blemishes.
What do Ceramides do for acne-prone skin?
Ceramides help acne-prone skin by restoring a damaged water barrier, reducing dryness and redness from acne treatments, and lowering inflammation. Because acne-prone skin often lacks these key fats, products for this skin type need ceramides to soothe irritation and keep the barrier strong.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Archives of Dermatological Research, 1995
What does Peptide Complex do for acne-prone skin?
Peptide Complex helps calm acne-prone skin by reducing blemishes and supporting the skin barrier. It is unlikely to irritate your skin while it works to keep your face smooth and clear.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cream goes in the evening as a moisturizing treatment after cleansing and toning. It helps hydrate and calm acne-prone skin, though this skin type needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients to see better results.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol, and applying it after your retinol treatment helps calm and protect your skin. It is unlikely to cause irritation because it has soothing components and lacks harsh ingredients. To work best for acne-prone skin, this type of product also needs targeted ingredients for direct acne improvement.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Regular daily application helps keep your skin hydrated and supports your skin barrier without causing irritation. For acne-prone skin, this type of product also needs targeted ingredients for direct acne improvement.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause irritation for your acne-prone skin, though it may feel a bit too thick for some users and has a low chance of causing breakouts. To truly target acne, this skin type needs a product with specialized blemish-fighting ingredients and a lighter texture.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is safe to use around the eyes and on the body, as it has a gentle formula with soothing components that are unlikely to cause irritation. However, because skin varies significantly in thickness across different body areas, a richer or more targeted product may be needed to properly address specific concerns in delicate or thicker regions.
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
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 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 combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025
Why other moisturizers fit acne-prone skin better
Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023A 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, 2024A facial serum containing snail secretion filtrate, Calendula officinalis, and Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract significantly reduced inflammatory acne lesions compared to placebo in 66 participants with mild-to-moderate maskne over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Shea Butter, Dimethicone Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Saccharide Isomerate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Glycine Soja Sterols, Soybean Sterols, Allantoin, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Tripeptide-1, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Dextran, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol
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?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.