Opened the new bottle and my heart sank. It’s water now.
The real crime? That iconic, milky slip that let you massage your face for a full minute without tugging — vanished. You just get sudsy water that runs straight to your elbows.
The reformulated CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser. Still ~$15. They claim it’s the same gentle, non-foaming formula. It is not.
New Pump
Tighter, requires more force. Feels cheaper.
Packaging
“Non-Foaming” is now in tiny, apologetic font.
The Vibe
Feels like they’re hoping you won’t notice.
Photo: The Design Lady / Unsplash
They kept the ceramide and hyaluronic acid trio. Good. But the texture shift is all about the base formula — the thickeners and emulsifiers they quietly changed.
- Ceramides 1, 3, 6-II: Still there to support your skin barrier.
- Hyaluronic Acid: Still for hydration.
- Glycerin: The workhorse humectant.
- The New Emulsifier Blend: The reason it’s so damn thin now.
Photo: Content Pixie / Unsplash
It feels like slightly viscous tap water. No luxurious glide. You have to work fast before it disappears down the drain.
After two weeks, my skin didn’t revolt — it’s still gentle. But the ritual is ruined. The sensory pleasure of a creamy cleanse? Gone. It’s now a purely functional step.
Photo: Josh Mackey / Unsplash
My skin felt clean, not stripped. That’s a win. But zero improvement in hydration or barrier feel over the old version. It just does the bare minimum now.
They fixed what wasn’t broken. It’s fine. It’s fine! But fine is boring, and the old version was a joy.