They changed it. The CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser bottle looks identical, but the formula inside is not.
The real issue? It now stings on compromised skin—the exact skin it was built to soothe.
Still ~$15. Still claims to cleanse without stripping. But the ingredient deck got shuffled.
New Preservative System
Swapped parabens for phenoxyethanol—a common irritant for some.
Texture Tweaks
Feels slightly more slippery, less creamy on the skin.
The After-Feel
Leaves a faint, almost waxy residue the old one didn’t.
They kept the ceramide and hyaluronic acid trio. But the base formula shifted—it’s less about repair, more about basic cleansing.
- Ceramides NP, AP, EOP: Still help maintain skin barrier
- Hyaluronic Acid: Binds water for hydration
- Phenoxyethanol: The new preservative causing the sting
- Carbomer: Thickening agent that might explain the residue
Pumps out the same. Spreads fine. But the second it hit a dry, flaky patch on my chin? A tiny, sharp tingle.
After two weeks, that tingle faded for me—but my skin never felt *more* hydrated after washing. Just…clean. It became boringly functional.
It cleanses. It doesn’t dehydrate. But the magic—that *therapeutic* feel—is gone for sensitive types.
It’s a downgrade for its core audience. They fixed what wasn’t broken and lost the gentle trust.