My bathroom staple for years just got a facelift. And not the good kind.
The new formula is noticeably thinner — it runs off your hands before you can even get it to your face. Feels cheap.
It’s still the $16 drugstore workhorse from CeraVe. Claims to cleanse without stripping. But the vibe is off.
New Pump
Takes three pumps to get the same amount of product as two of the old one.
Foam Factor
Now has a slight, almost imperceptible lather. The old one was pure lotion.
Scent Shift
Still fragrance-free, but has a faint, plasticky chemical smell the original didn’t.
Photo: ibnu ihza / Unsplash
They kept the big three ceramides and hyaluronic acid. The backbone is still there. But the texture agents changed — that’s why it feels like watered-down gel.
- Ceramides NP, AP, EOP: Repair skin barrier
- Hyaluronic Acid: Holds water in
- Glycerin: Basic humectant
- Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate: The new, lighter cleansing agent
Photo: Gabrielle Henderson / Unsplash
It feels slippery, not creamy. Slides around — doesn’t have that comforting, milky hug.
After two weeks, my skin felt fine. Not better. Just… fine. The magic was gone. It’s now just a cleanser.
Photo: Poko Skincare / Unsplash
No new breakouts. No new dryness. But that post-wash “bouncy” feeling? Gone. It leaves a film my towel catches.
It’s not a disaster. But it’s a clear step back. They fixed what wasn’t broken and lost the soul of the product.