My bathroom staple felt… off. The texture was wrong.
Turns out, CeraVe reformulated their Hydrating Facial Cleanser. No announcement, just a new bottle on the shelf.
A $16 drugstore cleanser. The promise was simple: clean without stripping. A no-fuss, ceramide-packed gel.
Texture
Went from a creamy lotion to a clear gel.
Lather
Still non-foaming, but now feels slightly slicker.
Packaging
Same iconic blue pump — a total Trojan horse.
Photo: Clearcut Derby / Unsplash
They kept the big three ceramides and hyaluronic acid. But the base formula shifted — more synthetic polymers, fewer emollients.
- Ceramides 1, 3, 6-II: Still there to support the skin barrier
- Hyaluronic Acid: For hydration
- Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate: A new cleansing agent — it’s the slickness
- Carbomer: A thickening gel agent — feels less substantial
Photo: ibnu ihza / Unsplash
It feels like spreading aloe vera gel — cool, clear, and it doesn’t vanish. You need a full rinse.
After two weeks, my skin felt… fine. Not better. The old version left a whisper of softness; this one just leaves damp skin.
Photo: Nataliia Rabinovych / Unsplash
It still cleanses. Zero tightness. But that post-wash “moisturized” feeling? Gone. It’s now purely functional.
It’s not a disaster — but it’s a downgrade. They fixed what wasn’t broken.