CeraVe Vs. Cetaphil: Which Drugstore Brand Is Better for Sensitive Skin? I Tested Both to Find Out

As much as I love a double cleanse, I don't always want to actually use two cleansers. This oil-to-foam formula removes makeup and cleanses skin in one step. It's an oil when you massage it into your skin, but as soon as you add water, it froths up with a foamy lather. "I know everyone raves about Cetaphil's Daily Facial Cleanser, but people should be talking about this oil-to-foam option from the brand instead," says beauty director Lauren Balsamo. "I love using it on nights when I'm too tired to do a real double cleanse but still need to break down my SPF and makeup."

Vitamin C is a regular part of my daily skin routine, though I was never drawn to CeraVe’s formula partly due to the packaging. (I like a nice shelfie, sue me.) This might not be the most aesthetically pleasing tube, but you know what they say—never judge a book by its cover. The opaque packaging is actually a very important aspect of the serum. Vitamin C is notoriously unstable and degrades when exposed to sunlight and air, so the airtight tube keeps the 10 percent L-ascorbic acid as potent as possible for the best results.

After using this for a week, I questioned how I had passed over it for so long. The luxuriously smooth serum far outperformed many of the high-end vitamin C serums I’ve tried. The gel-like texture felt substantially hydrating—probably thanks to CeraVe’s trusty ceramides—yet absorbed into my skin on contact and left behind a subtly radiant finish. I didn’t have to wait to layer on my moisturizer over top (a bonus for someone who is chronically running late).

In comparison, I enjoyed the texture of the Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum, but the clear bottle and dropper application bothered me. Like I mentioned, vitamin C needs to be kept in an air-tight, dark bottle to maintain its efficacy, so I question how potent this formula truly is. Despite the packaging, Dr. Yadav says it’s one of the best vitamin C serums for sensitive skin. “It also includes anti-inflammatory niacinamide, which offers additional antioxidants, skin brightening, and hydrating benefits; along with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and sunflower seed oil to hydrate your skin," she says.

It’s no secret that your skin routine needs to change with the seasons—seriously, just ask your dermatologist! That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to add more steps to your skincare routine. Instead, make thoughtful swaps that address multiple concerns at once. This serum from CeraVe fights fine lines, boosts firmness, smooths texture, deeply hydrates, and brightens. Truthfully, there’s not much this formula can’t do. And assistant beauty editor Jasmine Hyman is obsessed with it.

“This serum is just what my skin needs at this phase of my life,” says Hyman. “I'm constantly dry (to the point of tightness) so CeraVe's beloved ceramides are perfect for adding extra moisture. It's also got loads of peptides and smoothing ingredients, so I can keep fighting off fine lines for as long as possible. It's the perfect extra dose of hydration my skin needs this winter.”

It was really difficult for me to pin the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream against each other (I enjoyed them both for different reasons). But in the end, Cetaphil came out on top. While my skin is pretty normal, it becomes drier as the seasons change. Because of this, I usually have to opt for extra thick, heavy creams to keep my complexion happy during the winter. This weightless moisturizer did the trick, ensuring my skin stayed bouncy, soft, and luminous. Truly, my skin drank this up, and it gave me a porcelain glass-like effect that lasted all damn day.

Now, if I were to have any extra dry patches, I think I’d go in with the more substantial CeraVe Moisturizing Cream—only at night, though. My biggest issue with this cream was how it pilled, even when I wasn’t wearing makeup. (And I layered it over other CeraVe products, so I don’t know what the issue was.) That’s the main reason I’d reserve it for nighttime use, though one plus is that it can double as body cream—the tub certainly holds enough to multitask.

I’m very particular about sunscreen. The formulas I regularly use must not leave a white cast, but also offer some sort of moisturization since my skin leans dry. And it has to be SPF 30 minimum—though, the higher, the better (I am a redhead, after all). This sunscreen satisfied those prerequisites and was actually enjoyable to wear—a tough feat for a sunscreen that’s designed for both face and body. The liquidy texture doesn’t require serious manpower to fully rub in, nor did it feel greasy. Plus, it left behind a soft dewy (non-greasy) glow.

Toward the end of my two and a half-week trial, I put this on half of my face and the Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 on the other half. Despite being labeled “sheer,” the Cetaphil formula left a noticeable white cast behind, even on my fair skin. It eventually dissipated as I rubbed it in, but it also left behind a shinier finish—so much so that I felt the need to powder my face. I will say that it did feel velvety yet weightless, which is much appreciated when many sunscreens still have a thick, goopy texture. But the CeraVe definitely is much easier to use day to day.

When you’re dealing with sensitive skin, you’d be hard-pressed to find options better than CeraVe and Cetaphil to soothe and moisturize. Both come highly recommended from dermatologists, and each brand creates simplistic formulas that are suitable for the most reactive skin types.

• Mona Foad​, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of MONA Dermatology​
• Geeta Yadav​, MD, is a board-certified dermtatologist and founder of Facet Dermatology.