CeraVe vs Cetaphil Cleanser: Hydrating, Foaming and Gentle Face Washes Compared

CeraVe vs Cetaphil cleanser: the short answer

Pick a CeraVe cleanser if you want ceramides and hyaluronic acid in the wash, or a salicylic acid option. Pick a Cetaphil cleanser if you want the shortest ingredient list and the lower price per ounce.

CeraVe and Cetaphil sell the same two shapes of face wash: a creamy, low-foam cleanser for normal to dry skin, and a gel that foams for normal to oily skin. The split is in what else is in the bottle. This is a label-and-data comparison, not a hands-on test. Ingredient lists come from cerave.com and cetaphil.com, and prices from Ulta, all read on October 13, 2026, because neither brand's site ties a price to a size.

Choose this if

• Choose CeraVe if you want ceramides in your cleanser. All three CeraVe washes here list ceramides NP, AP and EOP, plus hyaluronic acid.
• Choose Cetaphil if you want the plainest formula. Gentle Skin Cleanser lists ten ingredients and a single cleansing agent.
• Choose Cetaphil on price. Its 16 oz bottles cost $16.99 at Ulta, $2 less than CeraVe's 16 oz.
• Choose CeraVe for a salicylic acid wash. Renewing SA Cleanser is the only exfoliating cleanser in this comparison.

CeraVe Hydrating vs Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser: which is better for dry skin?

Both are creamy washes for normal to dry skin. CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser adds ceramides and hyaluronic acid, and Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is the shorter, cheaper formula that also works without water.

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser lists its three ceramides 7th to 9th and hyaluronic acid 14th. It has no classic foaming detergent at all, which is why it barely lathers. CeraVe also says it uses its MVE delivery system, which it describes as releasing ceramides slowly.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is the shortest formula in this comparison: water, glycerin, cetearyl alcohol, panthenol, niacinamide, pantolactone, xanthan gum, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium benzoate and citric acid. Cetaphil gives two sets of directions, one rinsed off with water and one wiped off with a soft cloth that leaves a thin film on the skin. Cetaphil says it is clinically proven to leave skin hydrated after cleansing but publishes no study details.

CeraVe Foaming vs Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser: which is better for oily skin?

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser adds niacinamide and ceramides to a three-surfactant gel. Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser costs $2 less for 16 oz but lists masking fragrance.

CeraVe says the Foaming Facial Cleanser removes dirt, makeup and excess oil for 12-hour oil control, with no study details. Cetaphil says Daily Facial Cleanser is clinically proven to remove 94% of impurities, also with no sample size or method. Read both as brand claims.

None of these cleansers lists sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate. Cetaphil's disodium laureth sulfosuccinate is a different, milder ingredient despite the similar name.

Does Cetaphil have a foaming cleanser for dry skin?

Yes: Hydrating Foaming Cream Cleanser, a cream-to-foam wash Cetaphil positions for normal to dry skin. It lists niacinamide, panthenol and aloe, with no fragrance listed. Ulta does not carry it, so it is not in the price tables. CeraVe's closest match is the Hydrating Facial Cleanser above, which barely foams.

What about a salicylic acid cleanser?

CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser is the one to compare, at $15.99 for 8 oz or $18.99 for 16 oz at Ulta. Renewing SA Cleanser pairs salicylic acid with gluconolactone, niacinamide, the three ceramides and vitamin D on the same three-surfactant base as the Foaming cleanser. CeraVe says it exfoliates gently for softer, smoother skin, and it does not print the salicylic acid percentage.

Cetaphil now sells a Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser, a foaming gel it says suits all skin types, but its product page shows no ingredient list, so we have not compared it here. If you use a retinoid or exfoliating acid elsewhere in your routine, our how often to exfoliate guide covers how not to overdo it.

Which is gentler for sensitive skin?

On the labels, Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, with ten ingredients and one cleansing agent, and CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser, with no foaming detergent. Neither lists fragrance.

The one label to read carefully is Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser. Its page shows a fragrance-free badge while its ingredient list includes masking fragrance, and Cetaphil's own FAQ explains that the cleanser comes in two versions, one with added fragrance. A separate Daily Facial Cleanser Fragrance Free bottle exists, so check which one you are holding. Masking fragrance covers the smell of other ingredients rather than scenting the product, but it is still a fragrance ingredient on the label.

Which is cheaper, CeraVe or Cetaphil cleanser?

Cetaphil, by $2 at the 16 oz size: $16.99 against $18.99, or $1.06 against $1.19 per ounce. The gap widens at 8 oz, where Cetaphil's cleansers cost $11.99 and CeraVe's $15.99.

These are Ulta's one-time list prices on October 13, 2026. Ulta's Replenish and Save subscription took 5% off most sizes, and drugstore sales move these numbers often.

Which moisturizer goes with them?

Both brands pair their washes with a moisturizer from the same line. Our CeraVe vs Cetaphil moisturizer comparison covers the two moisturizing creams, and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream vs Lotion helps if you are choosing between CeraVe's two textures.

What we would buy

• Dry or normal skin that wants ceramides in the wash: CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser.
• The plainest, cheapest creamy wash: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.
• Oily or combination skin: CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser, or Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser to save $2, in the fragrance-free version if fragrance bothers you.
• A wash that also exfoliates: CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser.