cerave Hydrating Cleanser
cerave CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser lists 24 ingredients on its label, 24 decoded. See what each one does, its irritancy and comedogenic tendency, and its status in national inventories.
Ingredients overview
Label order. Colour is our internal rating: green routine, yellow restricted or worth a look, red prohibited or high-risk, grey not yet decoded.
Ingredients are listed in label order; the order reflects the label only, not exact concentrations.
- Aqua/Water
- Glycerin
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Phenoxyethanol
- Stearyl Alcohol
- Cetyl Alcohol
- PEG-40 Stearate
- Behentrimonium Methosulfate
- Glyceryl Stearate
- Polysorbate 20
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Potassium Phosphate
- Disodium EDTA
- Dipotassium Phosphate
- Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- Ceramide NP
- Ceramide AP
- Phytosphingosine
- Cholesterol
- Sodium Hyaluronate
- Xanthan Gum
- Carbomer
- Tocopherol
- Ceramide EOP
Highlights
Free of alcoholFree of fragranceFree of parabensFree of siliconesFree of sulfatesFree of mineral oilFree of essential oilsFree of formaldehyde releasersContains PEGContains animal-derived
Formulation view O/W emulsion using fatty alcohols and sucrose esters for gentle cleansing. Core actives include three ceramides, phytosphingosine, and cholesterol to mimic skin lipids. Panthenol aids repair. Suited for dry, sensitive, or compromised skin barriers. Factory note: Long-term stability of the lipid complex in aqueous phases requires precise control of emulsification temperature and shear to prevent oil separation.
Key ingredients
- 溶剂
- Aqua/Water
- DENATURANT
- Glycerin
- SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT
- Cetearyl AlcoholStearyl AlcoholCetyl Alcohol
- ANTIMICROBIAL
- Phenoxyethanol
- SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING
- PEG-40 Stearate
- ANTISTATIC
- Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Other ingredients
Glyceryl StearatePolysorbate 20EthylhexylglycerinPotassium PhosphateDisodium EDTADipotassium PhosphateSodium Lauroyl LactylateCeramide NPCeramide APPhytosphingosineCholesterolSodium HyaluronateXanthan GumCarbomerTocopherolCeramide EOP
Skim through
| Ingredient | What it does | Irr. · Com. | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua/Water | 溶剂 | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Glycerin | DENATURANT, HAIR CONDITIONING, HUMECTANT, ORAL CARE, SKIN PROTECTING, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, PERFUMING, FRAGRANCE, SKIN CONDITIONING - HUMECTANT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, EMULSION STABILISING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, OPACIFYING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Phenoxyethanol | ANTIMICROBIAL, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/29 | 1 · 0 | Yellow |
| Stearyl Alcohol | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, EMULSION STABILISING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, FRAGRANCE, OPACIFYING, REFATTING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 3 | Green |
| Cetyl Alcohol | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, EMULSION STABILISING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, FRAGRANCE, OPACIFYING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 1 · 1 | Green |
| PEG-40 Stearate | SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 0 · 2 | Green |
| Behentrimonium Methosulfate | ANTISTATIC, HAIR CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 1 · – | Green |
| Glyceryl Stearate | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Polysorbate 20 | SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | DEODORANT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Potassium Phosphate | BUFFERING | 0 · – | Green |
| Disodium EDTA | CHELATING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Dipotassium Phosphate | ANTICORROSIVE, BUFFERING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate | SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ceramide NP | HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING - MISCELLANEOUS | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ceramide AP | HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Phytosphingosine | HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Cholesterol | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING, LIGHT STABILIZER, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Hyaluronate | HUMECTANT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Xanthan Gum | BINDING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, EMULSION STABILISING, GEL FORMING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Carbomer | EMULSION STABILISING, GEL FORMING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Tocopherol | ANTIOXIDANT, FRAGRANCE, SKIN CONDITIONING - MISCELLANEOUS, SKIN CONDITIONING - OCCLUSIVE | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ceramide EOP | HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
Ingredients explained
- Aqua/Water
- Solvent, formulation base; requires preservation, pure water is microbially prone.
- Glycerin
- Workhorse humectant at 3–10%; tacky at high levels, pair with occlusives
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Fatty alcohol emulsifier at 1-5%; non-ionic surfactant
- Phenoxyethanol
- Broad-spectrum preservative at ≤1%; may irritate sensitive eye areas, often paired with ethylhexylglycerin
- Stearyl Alcohol
- Stearic alcohol; fatty alcohol for emulsion thickening/structure, often blended with soaps, moderate comedogenicity.
- Cetyl Alcohol
- Cetyl alcohol for emulsification/thickening; high concentration >10% may irritate.
- PEG-40 Stearate
- Water-soluble emulsifier for O/W; mild cleansing, high levels may be comedogenic, caution for sensitive skin.
- Behentrimonium Methosulfate
- Cationic surfactant for conditioning and antistatic; be careful with anionic actives compatibility.
- Glyceryl Stearate
- Emulsifier at 1-3%; may require acid to prevent saponification
- Polysorbate 20
- Non-ionic emulsifier and cleansing surfactant; contains PEG, control microbial load.
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Mild conditioner and preservative booster at 0.5–1%; reduces preservative load, smooth feel
- Potassium Phosphate
- pH adjuster for buffering systems; 0.1-1%, avoid calcium and magnesium ions
- Disodium EDTA
- Chelating agent at 0.05–0.5%; sequesters metal ions for stability, boosts preservative efficacy
- Dipotassium Phosphate
- Buffer, pH control, non-irritating, non-comedogenic.
- Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- Mild emulsifier at 1–5%; suitable for sensitive skin, mind cationic surfactant compatibility
- Ceramide NP
- Ceramide N3 for barrier repair; lipophilic, needs oil phase or emulsion, avoid high standalone use.
- Ceramide AP
- Ceramide analog for barrier repair; best results when combined with cholesterol and free fatty acids
- Phytosphingosine
- Phytosphingosine barrier repair ingredient, 0.1–1%; water-soluble, good for dry skin.
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol; barrier repair lipid mimicking stratum corneum; often blended with ceramides, plant or fermentation source.
- Sodium Hyaluronate
- Potent humectant at 0.1–2%; different MW for penetration depth, high levels may draw moisture
- Xanthan Gum
- Natural thickener at 0.1–1%; provides gel texture, pH-stable, requires full hydration
- Carbomer
- Gelling thickener requiring neutralization; watch out for ion compatibility
- Tocopherol
- Natural antioxidant (vitamin E) at 0.1–1%; prone to oxidation, store protected from light
- Ceramide EOP
- Ceramide EOP, repairs skin barrier lipids; often blended with cholesterol and fatty acids.
Source: full ingredient list published on the product label, collected 2026-09-18. Ratings are our internal reading, not a regulatory conclusion. · Product page
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