My bathroom shelf felt different. The new CeraVe bottle looked the same, but the formula inside? A betrayal.
The real issue? It now leaves a weird, almost waxy film. The old one rinsed clean — this one just sits there.
It’s still a $16 drugstore cleanser. The claim? “Non-foaming” and “hydrating” for normal to dry skin. The reality is murkier.
New Texture
It’s thinner, almost slippery, not creamy.
The Lather (Lack Of)
Still no foam, but now it feels like it’s evaporating on your face.
Post-Wash Feel
That signature soft finish is gone. Replaced by a vague residue.
Photo: Hoi An and Da Nang Photographer / Unsplash
They kept the big three ceramides and hyaluronic acid. Good. But the base formula changed — the texture tells you that before the ingredient list does.
- Ceramides 1, 3, 6-II: Still repairing your skin barrier
- Hyaluronic Acid: Still pulling in water
- Glycerin: The workhorse humectant
- Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Sebacate: The new emulsifier likely causing the film
Photo: Poko Skincare / Unsplash
It pours out like slightly thickened water. Spreads too easily — you use more to feel like you’re covering anything. Rinsing is the weird part. Your skin doesn’t squeak; it just feels… muted.
By week two, my dry patches were fine, but my nose felt oddly congested. Not broken out, just not clean. A first for any cleanser I’ve used.
Photo: Rosa Rafael / Unsplash
My barrier wasn’t wrecked. But it didn’t feel fortified either. It just maintained a strange, neutral state of “not dirty.”
Photo: averie woodard / Unsplash
This is a step back. They fixed what wasn’t broken and lost the magic — that perfect clean-yet-comfortable feeling. I’m hunting for a new drugstore staple.