Cetaphil Ceramide Serum for oily skin
High
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best moisturizers for oily skin.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 excellent moisturizing for your oily skin due to the presence of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin, which hydrate and enhance barrier resilience without exacerbating oiliness.
- While supportive for oily skin, the humectant action of glycerin and hyaluronic acid does not directly address concerns about oily shine.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with allantoin and panthenol providing soothing benefits and no harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine every day to keep your face fresh.
- Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toning, but right before your SPF in the morning.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and let it absorb fully.
- Apply on clean, slightly dry skin to help control that oily shine.
- Avoid the eye area and do a quick patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 400+ reviewsUsers with dry, sensitive, and combination skin praise this serum for its ability to repair the moisture barrier and calm redness without causing irritation. The lightweight, fragrance-free formula is frequently noted for improving skin texture and providing long-lasting hydration, though some users with oily skin find it leaves a slight tackiness.
Highlights
Lightweight & non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “absorbs beautifully without feeling greasy”
- “lightweight yet deeply hydrating”
- “silky smooth feel”
- “no sticky or heavy feeling”
Effective hydration Often Mentioned
- “dry patches disappearing”
- “locks in moisture”
- “skin feels plump and balanced”
- “wonderful drink of hydration”
Soothing & gentle Often Mentioned
- “instantly feels calm and refreshed”
- “zero irritation”
- “great for reactive skin”
- “soothing blue daisy complex”
Improves skin texture Sometimes Noted
- “skin tone looking more even”
- “smoother and softer”
- “restores radiant appearance”
- “decreased roughness”
Price vs. size Sometimes Noted
- “volume is too small”
- “pricey for the size”
- “wish they released a larger size”
Insufficient for very dry Rarely Noted
- “need a heavy cream on top”
- “not enough for winter dryness”
- “wanted more intense hydration”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “tricky to get the last bits out”
- “dropper doesn't pick up enough”
- “hard to dispense near the end”
Slight tackiness Rarely Noted
- “slightly tacky finish”
- “sticky initially”
- “feels a bit tacky on the neck”
Sources: lovi.care, cetaphil.com, ulta.com, iherb.com, target.com, walmart.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Cetaphil Ceramide Serum a great fit for oily skin?
Cetaphil Ceramide Serum is a great fit for oily skin because it hydrates and strengthens the skin barrier using ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin without making oiliness worse. It is safe for your skin, and ingredients like allantoin and panthenol help calm irritation without harsh additives.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?
Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin make this serum a great fit because they hydrate and strengthen your skin barrier without making it feel more oily. Ingredients like allantoin and panthenol also help calm your skin safely.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
What do Ceramides do for oily skin?
Ceramides help balance and strengthen oily skin by supporting the natural barrier and keeping moisture locked in without feeling heavy. They may also help calm irritation and reduce blemishes when used as part of a regular daily routine.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps oily skin by reducing extra oil and sebum production without causing irritation. Clinical studies show it successfully balances oil levels while keeping the skin comfortable.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after your cleansing toner and before your moisturizer, keeping your steps simple and safe around sun exposure.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying it before your retinol at night to help keep your skin calm and hydrated. Barrier-supporting ingredients like ceramides and panthenol make this routine combination safe and help reduce the dryness that retinol may cause.
How often should I use this serum?
This serum is used in your evening routine. Daily application helps keep your skin hydrated and supports its natural barrier without feeling heavy or greasy.
Health Science Reports, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This serum is a great fit and is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on oily skin, as it provides lightweight hydration and soothing care without heavy, pore-clogging ingredients. Its blend of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin helps keep skin smooth and comfortable without adding excess oiliness.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Can I use this serum around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can safely use this serum on the thin skin around your eyes and on your body because its gentle formula provides reliable hydration and soothing benefits. It is unlikely to cause irritation, and ingredients like panthenol help keep sensitive areas calm while supporting moisture.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Is this serum 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
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 dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic 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, 2019The 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 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, 2002Phytosphingosine 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, 2017Botulinum toxin-A encapsulated in phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol nanoliposomes delivered transdermally achieved a diffusion depth of 380 μm and showed a nonsignificant advantage in relieving post-acne scarring compared to hyaluronic acid hydrogel treatment in 12 facial patients.
Journal of Materials Science. Materials in Medicine, 2024Topical application of cholesterol sulfate increases stratum corneum thickness and inhibits protease-induced cell dissociation by competitively inhibiting serine proteases in mice and human stratum corneum.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 1998Topical lovastatin treatment impairs the recovery of cutaneous permeability barrier function and stratum corneum cholesterol levels after acetone disruption in mice, an effect normalized by simultaneous treatment with mevalonate or cholesterol.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1990
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, 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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