In this Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser Review, I am sharing everything, the good and the bad.
I purchased this cleanser a while ago and will share with you not only my first impressions and overall results after emptying two bottles.
Let’s get started!
About The Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser
Cerave has cleansers for different skin concerns. In my case, I have oily skin.
But I guess anyone could benefit from this review because Cerave’s products contain the same base ingredients.
These ingredients are three types of different ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
In the case of oily skin, it also contains niacinamide that controls sebum and can balance the oily skin.
On the bottle, it says this cleanser gets rid of oleosity without altering the protective skin barrier.
It provides a gentle cleanser, containing niacinamide that helps calm the skin.
This non-comedogenic, fragrance-free foaming cleanser is supposed to remove excess oil, dirt, and makeup.
We are going to talk more about all that later, on my personal considerations about this cleanser.
Read Also: Cerave vs Cetaphil: I Tried Them, Here’s The Winner!
Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser Key Ingredients
Cerave is also known to keep their formula basic, having just enough products to do what they promise the product will do.
With this, I have heard many influencers saying that if you buy a cleanser, expect it to cleanse only.
After using this cleanser for quite a while, It seems to be true. We will talk more about that later on.
Even though I am not going to talk about all the ingredients, as it may change and get updated from time to time, it is still possible to touch on the key ingredients of this formula.
The following information is provided by the official Cerave’s website.
As a characteristic of Cerave’s products, it contains three types of ceramides that are already present in 50% of our skin composition.
Ceramides form our natural skin barrier and work as a bond that keeps the cells together.
Once this skin barrier is formed, it helps keep the skin moisturized and sealed.
Three Essential Ceramides
By adding three types of essential ceramides, Cerave is promising powerful hydration is on the way.
Apart from that, they are promising a powerful skin restoration and protection.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is going to keep your skin moisturized, balanced, restored, and revitalized.
This will only help improve skin texture, attract and retain water leaving it super hydrated.
Niacinamide
I noticed that the cosmetic industry is using niacinamide a lot, especially for oily skin products.
Niacinamide, which is also known as vitamin B3, is responsible for soothing and restoring the skin.
But the benefits don’t stop there, as it is a great ingredient that treats acne, excess of sebum, hyperpigmentation, eczema, rosacea, and discoloration.
Consistency, Smell & Texture
The Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser counts with a lightweight gel-like texture.
Even though I cannot feel any particular smell, I cannot say it is fragrance-free.
It is actually listed as fragrance-free but I can still smell something very light and far away.
The product is really easy to spread throughout the face and it lathers a little bit.
Not too much but it lathers enough for those who like to have the foaming feeling.
In the image above, it’s me demonstrating how this cleanser foams. It is not too much, but it is still enough if you like some lathering.
Down below is it is me again 🙂 after rinsing out the product, bare face, without adding any serum or moisturizer.
How To Use The Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser
It is really simple. The brand says you just apply the product on a wet face and rinse it out normally.
I like to use a silicone brush in a circular motion for at least 30 seconds and rinse it out with cold water to close the pores.
Read Also: Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser Review | Is It Good?
The Promises
Cerave is very on point when defining what to expect from this cleanser. I didn’t see them promising the world.
Here’s what they stated this cleanser does:
“CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser was developed with dermatologists to deeply cleanse, remove excess oil, and refresh the skin without over-stripping it or leaving it feeling tight and dry.”
On their website there is a section where they state an extra list of benefits and here’s what they say:
- It is refreshing
- Cleanses and remove oils without tightening or disrupting your skin barrier
- Helps restoring skin barrier
- Keeps natural skin moisture
- Calms the skin
- Non irritating
- Developed by dermatologists
However, as it contains 3 types of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide, we assume we should get the following benefits:
- Hydration
- Skin restoration and texture improvement
- Sebum control / oleosity control
Do They Put Up With Their Promises?
For most of the time yes they do. I am explaining more in detail in the next lines.
Keep on reading the first impressions section and the review after continuous usage.
Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser First Impressions
As I mentioned I got this cleanser to write my Cerave vs Cetaphil, where I tested different products from these brands.
I was not expecting too much, but I was surprised by how I felt using this cleanser.
Starting from the beginning, I liked how the product felt and how it lathers.
You cannot expect it will lather a lot but it is enough for a pleasant cleansing experience.
The product is easy to spread but not so easy to rinse out as you need to repeat the process a few times to totally wash the cleanser away.
In the end, I felt the skin was clear and soft, and most important, it kept its main promise.
My skin didn’t feel tight at all afterward, as many other similar products do.
My Report After Continuous Use
First impressions were great and my favorite part of this cleanser is how it washes my face without leaving my skin tight.
This is for real and that fact won me since the first time I used it.
But what were the benefits over time? Does it really improve skin texture, or get rid of control?
What about skin restoration and elasticity? Let’s talk more about it now.
Well, from my own experience, I didn’t notice any radical improvement in my skin.
I normally use this cleanser in the morning because I don’t feel it takes off all the makeup as it should.
But I do believe this is a great product for those days that I go out a bare face or in my morning skincare routine.
Cerave is very direct, on their website they do not promise too many things but they assure it cleanses the skin without leaving it too tight.
And that’s what this cleanser does but I also noticed that it keeps the skin hydrated as well.
For example, If I wash my face and for some reason don’t apply moisturizer after, I can still think my skin stays somewhat hydrated.
What about Acne And Oil Control?
I had some acne while using it and I don’t think it resolved this problem.
So I guess, this is not really a product to treat or prevent acne.
In relation to oil control, I have to agree it works to some extent, which is great.
The majority of the so-called oil control products I have tried did not pass this test.
Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser Review Conclusion
In this Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser Review, I shared with you my real review based on continuous usage.
Overall this is a great product for cleansing without leaving your skin overly dried.
I don’t feel my skin tight after using it, but in the same way, I didn’t feel a major skin improvement after using it for a few months.
Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser Review Disclaimer
Before you go, I’d like to say that I did not receive this product from Cerave.
I bought it with my own money and this review is based on real life experience.
The entire internet is talking about Cerave, everywhere on the TV you can find some sort of advertising.
There is also a great discussion online comparing Cerave products with Cetaphil, which are known to be very similar products.
Encouraged by this discussion, I purchased various products from both brands to write about each product and also to compare them.
Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser is one of the products that I thought about while writing a review.
I have also written a review about the Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser if you want to know more about it.
By the way, take a look at the article where I compare Cerave and Cetaphil’s products!
Read Also: Cerave vs Cetaphil: I Tried Them, Here’s The Winner!
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