They messed with a good thing. The new CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser formula is here, and my bathroom shelf is in mourning.
The real issue? It now has hyaluronic acid—which sounds great—but the texture went from creamy lotion to weird, slimy gel. For a no-frills wash, that’s a big deal.
It’s still a $16 drugstore staple. The claim? Same gentle cleanse, now with “hydrating hyaluronic acid.” I tried it because my trust is cheap, but not free.
New Texture
Feels like a cross between hair gel and aloe vera.
Scent Change
Still fragrance-free, but has a faint, plasticky note from the tube.
Packaging
Same boring pump—thank god they didn’t “fix” that.
Photo: Lora Seis / Unsplash
They swapped some ceramide ratios for a big hit of hyaluronic acid. The ceramides are still there to support your skin barrier. The HA is supposed to pull water in during the 60 seconds it’s on your face.
- Ceramides 1, 3, 6-II: Still the skin-barrier repair crew
- Hyaluronic Acid: The new star, meant to hydrate during cleansing
- Glycerin: The old-school humectant holding it down
- Niacinamide: A quiet player for calming redness
Photo: kevin laminto / Unsplash
That first pump was a shock. Slick, almost sticky. It doesn’t melt into the skin the same way—it sort of slides around. Rinses clean, but leaves a distinct, damp film. Not a tightness, a… wetness.
After two weeks, my dry patches were fine. But my combo-zoned friend said it made her T-zone feel oddly congested. The surprise? It works better as a morning cleanse than a PM one—can’t cut through sunscreen well.
Photo: Rosa Rafael / Unsplash
My skin didn’t revolt. But it didn’t feel *better*. Measurable change? Zero. Just a different, slightly less pleasant experience for the same clean feel.
This is a lateral move that feels like a step back. They solved a problem that didn’t exist and made the experience slightly worse.