CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser for oily acne-prone skin
Ceramides
Squalane
Glycerin
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Sodium Hyaluronate
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 cleansing and hydration for your oily skin, with ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid providing essential moisture, while squalane and caprylic capric triglyceride offer emollient benefits without being overly heavy.
- The formula includes coco-betaine and peg-7 glyceryl cocoate for gentle cleansing, but it lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, as it contains soothing ingredients like squalane and ceramides and avoids harsh or prohibited substances.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it daily to help clear your breakouts.
- Apply this cleanser as the first step in the morning and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow it with your toner and moisturizer.
- Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help clean deeply and remove excess oil. This works best for oily skin types.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 3.2k+ reviewsMost users report a gentle, hydrating feel post-wash, with a light foam rather than a heavy lather. A significant number of reviews note that it does not perform like a traditional oil cleanser and may struggle with heavy makeup removal.
Highlights
Non-stripping & gentle Mostly Mentioned
- “Doesn't leave me dry and tight.”
- “Leaves my skin feeling super soft and clean.”
- “Very barrier respective cleanser.”
Effective for dry skin Often Mentioned
- “Saved my skin in winter.”
- “Holy grail for dry and flaky skin.”
- “Perfect for compromised skin barriers.”
Not a true oil Often Mentioned
- “This is water-based, not a real oil cleanser.”
- “Misleading name; it's just a gel wash.”
- “Does not remove waterproof mascara well.”
- “Struggles to take off heavy sunscreen on its own.”
Pleasant texture Sometimes Noted
- “Feels like a dream to apply.”
- “Lathers into a soft, milky foam.”
- “Glides over the skin easily.”
- “Oil-to-foam formula feels luxurious.”
Versatile usage Sometimes Noted
- “Great for both face and body.”
- “I use it to shave my legs too.”
- “Good for double cleansing as a second step.”
- “Safe for my baby's skin.”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Caused cystic acne after a week.”
- “Gave me whiteheads on my chin.”
- “My pores felt clogged after using this.”
- “Not safe for fungal acne.”
Paradoxically drying Rarely Noted
- “Actually dried my skin out more than the cream cleanser.”
- “Left my face feeling tight and red.”
- “Stung my sensitive skin.”
- “Felt like hand soap on my face.”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “Has a weird plastic smell.”
- “Smells like cooking oil.”
- “Fragrance-free but smells chemical.”
Sources: lovi.care, cerave.com, target.com, ulta.com, superdrug.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser work for oily acne-prone skin?
CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser works moderately well for oily acne-prone skin, providing gentle moisture and safe cleansing without feeling too heavy. However, it lacks specialized ingredients to actively target breakouts, so a cleanser for this skin needs soothing ingredients like niacinamide, salicylic acid, or probiotics to help clear blemishes and balance oil.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Life, 2023
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, squalane, and caprylic capric triglyceride make this cleanser a good fit by providing gentle moisture without feeling heavy, while ceramides help keep your skin calm and safe. Cleansers that fit this skin type best also need ingredients like niacinamide, salicylic acid, or probiotics to effectively target acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Life, 2023
What do Ceramides do for oily acne-prone skin?
Ceramides help restore the protective barrier of oily, acne-prone skin, which often lacks these vital lipids and suffers from moisture loss and irritation. Using products with ceramides supports skin hydration, calms redness, and improves overall texture while managing breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
What does Squalane do for oily acne-prone skin?
Squalane may help keep oily skin soft and smooth, but oxidized squalene can trigger inflammation in acne-prone skin. Because of this, oily acne-prone skin needs lightweight, non-greasy ingredients that balance moisture without clogging pores.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is used both morning and evening as the first step in your routine. It gently washes your face and keeps moisture balanced, but oily acne-prone skin also needs targeted breakout-fighting ingredients to stay clear.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in the same routine as your retinol, applying it first to gently wash your face before your retinol treatment. Using a gentle cleanser with ceramides helps keep your skin comfortable and supports your skin barrier while you use retinoids. Oily acne-prone skin needs a cleanser that offers gentle cleansing alongside specialized blemish-fighting ingredients to target breakouts effectively.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. It provides gentle cleansing and moisture without feeling heavy, though oily acne-prone skin also needs targeted breakout-fighting ingredients.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily acne-prone skin, as it has a very low complaint rate for causing blemishes and uses gentle ingredients. However, because it lacks specialized acne-fighting ingredients, oily acne-prone skin needs a cleanser that incorporates targeted active ingredients to effectively clear breakouts.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can safely use this cleanser around your eyes and on your body because its gentle formula provides mild cleansing and hydration without causing irritation. For the thin skin around the eyes and larger areas of the body, it helps maintain moisture with ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid while keeping skin soft.
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, 2017Topical application of an emollient emulsion containing 15.0% caprylic/capric triglyceride doubled the amount of urocanic acid isomers and increased skin hydration with reduced transepidermal water loss in healthy subjects, though it did not prevent ultraviolet-induced urocanic acid isomerization.
Life, 2023Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025The 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, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Topical 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
Why other cleansers fit oily acne-prone skin better
Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021A 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 novel emulsion containing niacinamide, lens esculenta seed extract, and white willow bark extract effectively improved acne, blackheads, and conspicuous facial pores in 30 subjects with oily skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Coco-Betaine, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Polysorbate 20, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Squalane, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Citric Acid, Capryloyl Glycine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Benzoic Acid, Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Ppg-5-Ceteth-20, Peg-6 Caprylic Capric Glycerides
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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