CeraVe

The mistake we see most often with CeraVe is someone buying the big tub of Moisturizing Cream for an oily face because it's the product everyone talks about. It's an excellent product. It's just not a face cream for oily skin. Almost everything else about the range is straightforward once you get the cream-versus-lotion thing right.

The tub isn't a bigger version of the bottle

Moisturizing Cream is thick and occlusive: dry skin, body, hands, winter, feet. Moisturising Lotion is the everyday one that works on face and body for most people. Oil Control Gel-Cream is the light one, and it's what oily and combination skin should be reaching for instead of the tub. See Moisturizers & Creams.

Three cleansers, and a fourth people forget

Foaming Cleanser for normal to oily skin. Hydrating Cleanser if your skin feels tight after washing. SA Smoothing Cleanser with salicylic acid for rough or bumpy texture. The forgotten one is Blemish Control Cleanser, which adds salicylic acid and niacinamide and is the better pick if you're actively breaking out rather than just oily. All four come in 236ml and most in 473ml — worth it if it's your permanent cleanser. More in Cleansers.

AM and PM: the difference isn't the time of day

People assume the two facial lotions are a day-and-night pair of the same formula. They're not. AM Lotion contains sunscreen, which is why it's the morning one. PM Lotion contains niacinamide and no SPF. If you already use a separate sunscreen you don't need AM at all, and plenty of people use PM twice a day quite happily.

The ceramides are the whole point

CeraVe is an American brand developed with dermatologists and now owned by L'Oréal, and what makes it different from any other drugstore moisturiser is three ceramides — 1, 3 and 6-II — plus hyaluronic acid, released slowly through the MVE technology it markets. Practically, that means it's fragrance-free and boring in the best way, which is exactly why dermatologists pair it with strong actives. If you're on retinol, acids or acne medication, this is the range that goes around them. See Ceramides.

Targeted, and sunscreen

Resurfacing Retinol Serum for post-acne marks, Eye Repair Cream for dark circles, and SA Smoothing Cream with 10% urea for the bumpy arms and thighs nothing else fixes. The Invisible SPF50+ range dries clear with no white cast, in a Dry Touch fluid for oily skin and a Hydrating one for everything else. See Post-Acne Marks, Keratosis Pilaris and Sunscreens.

Questions people actually ask

Which CeraVe cleanser for oily skin?

Foaming Cleanser as your daily. Blemish Control if you're breaking out too. SA Smoothing if it's texture and clogged pores rather than spots.

Can I use the Moisturizing Cream on my face?

On dry skin, yes, and it's great. On oily or combination skin it usually causes congestion within a couple of weeks.

How much is CeraVe cleanser in Egypt?

Prices are on each product above in EGP. The 473ml sizes cost more upfront but work out cheaper per wash if you use them daily.

Is CeraVe okay with retinol or acids?

That's the main reason it exists in most routines. Fragrance-free ceramide cleansers and moisturisers are what keep the barrier intact while actives do their work.

Foaming or Hydrating if my skin is oily but flaky?

Hydrating. Oily-and-flaky usually means a damaged barrier, not that you need a stronger cleanser — a foaming one will make it worse.

Not sure which combination suits you? Our team can help. Or start with the Foaming Cleanser and browse more in Skincare.