CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser for dry skin
3 Essential Ceramides
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Amino Acids
Coconut Acid
Average
- HighDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry skin; other cleansers fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015
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
- Offers moderate cleansing benefits for your dry skin, as sodium methyl cocoyl taurate and coco-betaine effectively remove impurities without stripping essential moisture, supported by glycerin and sodium hyaluronate for hydration.
- Ceramides and sodium hyaluronate provide excellent barrier support and humectant action, which is beneficial for dry or flaky skin.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin clean. Start using it daily right away since your skin is not sensitive.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow with your toner and moisturizer afterwards.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your face using soft circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry with a clean towel.
- Apply this cleanser on slightly damp skin for a comfortable and refreshing wash. This helps maintain your skin's natural moisture while cleansing away dirt.
- Avoid getting the cleanser directly into your eyes to prevent any irritation. Do a simple patch test before your first use to ensure your skin likes it.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 2.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with normal to dry skin frequently praise this cleanser for its effective makeup and sunscreen removal while maintaining skin hydration. A small number of users with sensitive or acne-prone skin reported experiencing burning sensations or breakouts.
Highlights
Effective makeup removal Mostly Mentioned
- “Melts makeup off”
- “Removes long-wear foundation”
- “No residue left”
- “Takes off sunscreen”
Non-stripping hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “Skin feels soft”
- “Not tight after washing”
- “Doesn't strip moisture”
- “Good for dry skin”
Pleasant texture Often Mentioned
- “Nice rich lather”
- “Creamy to foam”
- “Best of both worlds”
- “Luxurious feel”
Gentle formula Sometimes Noted
- “Fragrance-free”
- “Gentle daily wash”
- “Doesn't sting eyes”
- “Great for sensitive skin”
Burning sensation Rarely Noted
- “Eyes were swollen/burning”
- “Burning lips”
- “Stings sensitive areas”
- “Face felt on fire”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Caused cystic acne”
- “Whiteheads appeared”
- “Broke me out”
- “Clogged my pores”
Drying for some Rarely Noted
- “Felt tight after use”
- “Dried out my skin”
- “Not hydrating enough”
- “Flaky patches appeared”
Unpleasant smell Rarely Noted
- “Plastic smell”
- “Chemical scent”
- “Smells like glue”
- “Odd odor”
Sources: lovi.care, cerave.com, influenster.com, ulta.com, target.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser work for dry skin?
This cleanser works well for dry skin by gently washing away dirt with mild ingredients while adding moisture with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate. It also includes ceramides to support your skin barrier without causing irritation. A cleanser for dry skin needs extra hydrating and soothing ingredients, like natural oils and rich butters, to keep your skin soft and smooth.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for dry skin?
This cleanser is a good fit for dry skin because it includes ceramides, glycerin, and sodium hyaluronate, which help keep the skin hydrated and support its barrier. Dry skin needs cleansers that combine gentle cleansing agents with rich hydrating ingredients and soothing components to clean effectively without stripping away essential moisture.
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 cleanser go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine, used as the first step in the morning and after a makeup remover in the evening. For dry skin, this cleanser type needs extra barrier-supporting ceramides and rich hydrating ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid to keep skin soft and prevent moisture loss.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by applying the cleanser first, followed by your retinol treatment, and finishing with a moisturizer. Because this product provides moderate cleansing without stripping essential moisture, it works for dry skin, though dry skin generally needs a cleanser that adds extra rich nourishment and barrier-protecting oils.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day in your morning and evening routines to clean your skin gently while keeping moisture locked in. Dry skin of this type needs cleansers packed with skin-repairing ceramides and moisture-holding ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate to stay soft and smooth.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry skin, as negative reviews about breakouts are low and it contains gentle cleansing ingredients. To prevent any dry feeling, dry skin needs a cleanser that adds extra rich hydrators and barrier-protecting ingredients like natural oils, butters, or extra ceramides.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body and around your eyes, as it cleans impurities gently without harsh ingredients. Dry skin needs cleansers loaded with extra moisturizing oils, butters, and richer barrier-repairing ingredients to keep it soft and comfortable.
Is this cleanser 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, 2017Hyaluronic acid extracts are safe and efficacious products for skin repair when used in tissue regeneration alone or in combination with herbal or Western medicine.
Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015A facial cream containing Centella asiatica leaf extract, ceramide NP, and panthenol reduced mean SS-10 scores by 66% and 76% after 2 and 4 weeks in Chinese females with sensitive skin, providing effective soothing and barrier-repairing properties with mild adverse events.
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, 2012
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Chloride, Pca, Ppg-5-Ceteth-20, Peg-100 Stearate, Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Peg-6 Caprylic Capric Glycerides, Peg-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Ci 77891 Titanium Dioxide, Aspartic Acid, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Sorbitan Isostearate, Carbomer, Glycol Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Oleate, Glycine, Trideceth-6, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Threonine, Sodium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Pca, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Serine, Sodium Benzoate, Valine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Proline, Isoleucine, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Alanine, Phenylalanine, Coconut Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Chlorphenesin, Disodium Edta, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Histidine, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-53, Polyquaternium-39, Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzoic Acid
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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