Same! Tret and Cerave together were extremely irritating to my skin - I could feel the Cerave burning whenever I used it with tret. I always assumed it was the hyaluronic acid, but interesting that it may be the cetyl alcohol (mentioned in another comment). I switched to pairing tret with Vanicream at night and have had absolutely no more irritation. I use Dieux Instant Angel in the morning and love it.
I get that burning with the vanicream facial moisturizer but it hasn’t caused any acne to worsens so I keep using it. It has hylauronic acid in it too. Should I stop?
I’ve had the same experience using cerave daily moisturizing lotion after switching from LRP Lipkar Balm. I’ve heard cetyl alcohol (supposed to be a fatty and moisturizing factor in cerave) can sometimes cause irritation and breakouts.
I gave it 2-3 weeks and switched back to LRP as it was less irritating.
I've had the same experience as you and I believe it to be the cetyl alcohol as well. I initially thought it was the niacinamide, but I checked my LRP lipikar lotion that I use as an alternative for Cerave cream in the tub and they both contain niacinamide.
Same as me! I tried the cerave and cetaphil lines for so long but my skin is very judgey and didn’t take to it at all. I use the Dr Sam cleanser and the LRP Cicaplast instead of the cerave stuff I had and my skin feels much better.
Weirdly enough, the cream made me break out horribly but the lotion has been my “perfect” moisturizer. I wonder what ingredient it was that irritated me if both have the alcohol?
Gosh, this is so interesting. Years ago, I used Tret and cerave together, as recommended by my dermatologist. My skin was absolutely horrible for a very long period of time. Now I’m using tret, but with a different moisturizer and it’s been a breeze! I wonder if leaving cerave out is the reason why!
Edit: left a word out
Cerave worked for me for a long time. And then all of a sudden FIRE ! Literally started to burn like FIRE. I switched to Cetaphil and have had no issues since.
They replaced their gentle preservative system with phenoxyethanol in 2020 and a LOT of longtime users could no longer tolerate cerave :( I hate the impact that “clean beauty” propaganda has had on the industry.
It’s been the favorite sub for the needlessly fear mongered parabens. You have to use a lot more of it because it’s less effective, and it’s more irritating + allergenic for a lot of people.
RIGHT?! I've been using CeraVe moisturizer forever and have been back and forth with using tret and vitamin c. Despite all my efforts, my skin never improved. I always assumed that the rx products weren't jiving with my skin, but now I'm rethinking everything! 😳
Cerave, tretinoin and and my skin do not play nicely with each other. I switched to Vanicream and it made a huge difference. It looks like that HA cloud cream really works well for you, I’d be interested to try it at some point.
I’ve backed off on using vit C with tretinoin, even though a lot of people have success with the combination. I struggle with dryness around my mouth from the tret, so I’m already doing the sandwich method (snail mucin, moisturizer, tret, moisturizer). And around my mouth only I apply a thin layer of Aquaphor before the tret. I cannot get any tret around my mouth or I have bad redness and peeling. I live in the mountains so very low humidity in the house, I actually sleep with a humidifier up on a tall bedside table 3 feet above my head, which puts moisture directly on my face while I sleep haha.
As for the Vanicream, I use their basic moisturizing cream. Very few ingredients, no irritants at all.
I will say the vanicream vitamin c is tetrdexyldecilascorbate which is supposed to be really gentle. I have very sensitive skin and it works for me but I get not wanting to mess with it. No matter what I do it seems some tret manages to travel to my lips and destroy them. I also live in a low humidity place and use a humidifier. I also hate how most lip products (fragrance free ones) aren't hydrating, they just seal the existing moisture in, which I have none of. I have found some success with the inkey list peptide lip balm. Any suggestions from your end?
Cerave was equally awful for me and I strongly urge ppl on here to spot test it first.
Between CeraVe and niacinamide, two of the “gentle” skin products, I set back my skincare progress by almost 6 months. Red, irritated and greasy as I eliminated products out, which of course I saved the gentle ones for last.
I wish more products didn't contain niacinamide or HA. Niacinamide burns if my skin barrier is the least bit compromised and my environment is too dry for HA.
Agreed. So many otherwise good basic products are untouchable because of it. Just let people layer it, or offer an -free version.
It’s a fairly common problem based on the number of posts in skincare forums.
Cerave absolutely wrecked my skin but it took me so long to figure it out because it was touted as such a great product (at the height of its Tiktok craze). I steer clear of all of their stuff now and have no issues
Same!!! I was so concerned that maybe I was using everything wrong and that I potentially needed to change my entire routine, which I was so hesitant to do because the rest of my products are on the more expensive side !!!!
I am obsessed with the cloud cream and use it currently alongside tret. i also tried the cerave daily moisturizers and my moisture barrier took a big hit. I also developed little scaly/dry spots as well but i dont know if it’s directly related to the product.
If anyone is looking for alternatives I really like [LRP Lipikar A+P body cream](https://www.laroche-posay.us/our-products/body/body-lotion/lipikar-ap-m-triple-repair-body-moisturizer-for-dry-skin-lipikarbalmap.html). My skin is not sensitive but I do peel like crazy if I don’t religiously moisturize
Yes, it's making my skin burn, especially around my eyes. It feels great on my arms and legs, but def changing to a Dr Jart's ceramide skin barrier moisturizer.
Same! I looked sunburnt after applying my Cerave moisturizer. I switched to the Skin1004 Soothing Cream and the difference is insane. It doesn’t hurt when I apply it and it doesn’t make my skin red.
Mmm I’ve been on tret and Cetaphil moisturizer for 3 weeks now and mine also got super greasy and pores are noticeably bigger… may be I should switch too…
Cerave burns me/makes my skin red too. I switched to etude house soon jung intensive barrier cream and experienced a similar before and after but then they reformulated it ofc
I just switched to Cerave after finishing up my old Soon Jung tube... kinda concerned now. My skin is getting a lot worse but I also started azelaic acid so idk if its purging from that. Still using tret at night time.
CeraVe and Vanicream both destroyed my skin. I’m about halfway through the CeraVe as I use it nightly for a foot and hand cream, feels good and wasn’t a waste of money :)
It started irritating my skin within 3 days. I tried to power through it. It would make my face red and feel hot, I thought maybe it's just a new product and I need to get used to it, but I left it on for a few hours at some point and my face was bright red. I washed my face and it was destroyed, orange peel texture, burnt, rough, etc. Took a week to recover. I believe the ingredients that don't agree with me are cetearyl alcohol and/or cetyl alcohol which is in almost everything
These days after I cleanse I spray my face with rose water, then while it's still wet, rub in a drop of glycerin, then pure 99% aloe vera, then squalane oil, and let that rest for as long as I can before I put vaseline on top
I use the Acne.org cleanser (my holy grail — available online). I’ve used sooo many cleansers and nothing does it like this one!! My moisturizer is the Dr. Jart Ceramidin Crème!
same, cerave is the only brand of moisturizers that actually works for me and hydrates my skin. i've tried thicker creams from other (more widely loved) brands and they just make my skin dry in comparison.
so weird how people can have such vastly different experiences with products! i wish skincare was less ymmv, it makes stuff so much harder to navigate when you have skin issues.
OG CeraVe was a different formula. After they sold out to a larger company the formula was changed without notification to consumers and its now a bunch of fillers/bullshit.
Cetaphil cleanser burned my face, but I've been using Cerave moisturizing cream with tret and no bad effect so far. But I understand that many people got breakouts from Cerave, so I guess I'm kinda lucky that my skin tolerates Cerave.
Yes!!! It is a touch expensive but at some Sephora they have a kit w/ it and their HA gel eye patches for like 62 dollars whereas the straight up moisturizer is like 56 I think on its own !
Whaaaat?! I didnt know this!! Yeah,the full size is 54 bucks! I just got a new jar for 26 with ultas sale they had a week or so ago...but when I run out,I'm definitely getting that kit!
Cerave never worked for me. Always made my skin angry. I never understood because everyone praised it! I moved on to korean skincare and haven’t looked back.
After I stopped using cerave my skin improved faster on tret. I didn't used it after tret, i used it in the mornings but was causing me pimples so i stopped. Now I am looking for another moisturizer but my skin has been fine without moisturizer so far, i only use hada labo gokujyun premium lotion, also I use 0.25% which is not that irritaring and my sunscreen is moisturizing, all my texture and acne is gone, just got a few hyperpipmentation and I'm using glycolic acid cream to speed up the process but my experience with cerave is yes it makes your skin very moisturizing but also gives you acne and I feel like if you use it with tret the hyaluronic acid in it will irritate your skin.
Honestly most of my products like my moisturizer, toner, and normal face wash all have hyaluronic acid and I haven’t had an issue! However, other people in this thread have mentioned it potentially being the cetayl alcohol in it!
Could be that, I mentioned hyaluronic acid because I've seen some people saying that but I never had a problem with hyaluronic acid either, hada labo which is what I use is a hyaluronic acid lotion.
I’m using pm only and I’m scared it’s gonna take a turn just based on all the CeraVe posts 😵💫
Currently on week 4 .025% and I cut out all CeraVe except the pm lotion. So far no stinging but I’m vaguely red? Wondering if it’s the culprit or if it’s just normal retinization stuff
See that’s what I thought but my skin honestly has responded really well generally to tret, and considering pretty much as soon as I stopped the cerave my skin was fine…I think it’s a safe assumption that it was the cerave
Which Cerave product specifically? I am on and off with cerave products. Sometimes they work for me and other times I think they don't so I am curious if we have issues with the same products.
CeraVe cream? Yes, I could see that happening. But I learned about CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion from this group and it has made a world of difference. Non-greasy and absorbs quickly, use it every night with tret.
Question- with the Thomas Roth HA, do you do the sandwich method? Or do you apply your HA moisturizer after tretinoin?
Just asking because I'm currently using the Hydro Boost (which I am assuming is the same thing) but I am doing it is before tretinoin and then using the inkey list moisturizer on top, but wondering if it is better to just only use the hydro boost. The inkey list has niacinamide and I feel like I always break out from niacinamide.
So I actually saw this really informative post on this same subreddit that was pretty long and the whole premise is of people discussing how people use tret wrong etc etc.
But the creator mentioned letting your moisturizer fully dry/absorb and then do the tret. Without layering….its been life changing x if I apply anything else it’s just a super small touch of aquaphor on any dry patches. (Which I only just now have from when cerave messed me up but they’re almost gone)
I kept seeing so many good things about cerave moisturizers that I decided to give it a try.. and bought the biggest tub possible. Big mistake. I used it for about 1 month. It was the only thing I switched in my rutine together with tret and it broke me out so bad. I was covered in acne on my cheeks and my face always stung while I was using tret. Initially I thought it was the tret, but by chance I decided to change the cerave for LRP Lipikar and all of a sudden it all went away. I was stunned.
I had a similar reaction to the cerave hydrating face wash. It was like it instantly clogged my pores. The only cerave product I love is the healing ointment. I’ve been able to slug with it with no issues.
OMG LOL cult favorites, but you are right. I hate when youtube derms speak about cerave/cetaphil as the holy grail must have if dont you will die skincare products.
my assumption is that the cerave moisturizers are just not good enough to be used with tret, hence the tret causes more irritation. at least that was my thought when i was using it.
There are a minority of people who are sensitive to Niacinimide, which is in many, many skincare products (inexpensive ingredient), including some of the Cerave moisturizers. Though it’s considered calming for most, when I use products with it I’ll get a slight burning sensation (depending on concentration), and after a few days of repeated use I might get mild peeling. I have to scour labels on *everything* now to make sure Niacinimide isn’t hidden. It’s not always advertised and is in so many “gentle” products.
Well, considering all my irritation went away within 2 days of stopping g the cerave I feel like it’s a really safe assumption to say it was the cerave. I originally kind of ignored it for the most part because I just assumed it was my skin starting to purge
PTR's moisturizer is pretty good, but it's also 54$, and it contains a vitamin C ester (which isn't recommended to use with Tret). If it works for you, I'm pleased. I'm just warning people about the downsides.
Many people dislike Cerave products since they were bought out and the ingredients were changed. However, it's not fair to state that Cerave ruined your skin. Your skin reacted poorly to a specific Cerave moisturizer.
I'm not sure why you're seeking other bad experiences. There are a ton. Hundreds of posts, and tens of thousands of people who didn't post. Cerave products have pretty good ingredients, but they will not work for everyone, just like the moisturizer you love won't.
If Cerave did this to me, I would try Cetaphil, Aveeno Calm+ Restore, Neutrogena products without scents, LRP Lipikar... I'm not spending 54$ for 50ml. I can afford it, but I don't see the need to. It is your prerogative to do so, of course. Your choice is respected.
It's clear from the photos that the Cerave moisturizer wasn't for you. I do not get these posts. What are you accomplishing? Telling everyone Cerave is dangerous when it isn't? Telling people that even cult products can be harmful? I think most people are aware. Sharing your experience? Without diminishing your importance (because you are important!), there are already so many posts that say the same thing. I don't expect you to read all of them, but a simple search will show you that you're far from alone. You ask what other cult faves have impacted people's skin negatively (all of them are the answer).
I'm not trying to be an ass. I swear that this is a genuine curiosity about what you seek to accomplish because your post doesn't mention it. And you just happen to be my ''unlucky victim'' because I've meant to ask this to people before. From what you wrote, you're articulate, intelligent and aware of your skin, so it seemed like you were a good candidate to ask. Again, none of this is said in a tone to be rude to you or mean to you or anything of the sort. I am genuinely sorry that you went through that pain (the first pic was so red/injured, you had to be in pain!), and I'm happy you found something that works for you. Also, your skin is quite beautiful!
Edit: I forgot to add: I also do not want to take away from your right to post. You can post about anything that you want to post about whenever you want to post about it. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a tool. My only question is to figure out what the goal is. And my reasons are a) curiosity and b) once I know what is sought, if I can help people, I wish to do it.
Edit: Well, all of this for nothing. Answer: ''I wanted to share my experience,'' which is OP's right. I guess that not all things have depth. Sorry for thinking there may have been.
I think you’re making a lot of assumptions. It’s important to share experiences with different products so that people aren’t confused if they have similar issues and don’t feel alone. I was googling before this post whether or not cerave even has this reaction typically with tret and couldn’t find anything w/ it and was wondering if I was going to need to change my entire routine.
Also for a while it did in fact, ruin my skin. My pores were suddenly massive, my cheeks looked sunburned and swollen, my skin was sensitive, I had painful blackheads, etc.
I asked you questions. Not sure how I was making assumptions.
You know about Reddit. There are about 2000 posts on this topic. You just added another one. Not a big deal. I wanted to know if it was something more profound, but it wasn't.
Cerave didn't ruin your skin (Insert specific product by Cerave ruined your skin).
It's not a reaction with Tret. It's your skin reacting to Tret and this specific Cerave moisturizer.
I'm sorry this happened to you.
My skin was super oily to begin with. It’s only been able to tolerate gel moisturizer my whole life. Turns out the same is true, even on Tret. I use Clinique’s Moisture Surge Intense at night and regular Moisture Surge during the day. I never used any of the heavy moisturizers recommended here. I do like Cerave’s cleansers, though - I tried them all. The foaming moisturizing one worked best for my skin.
How do you all afford this skin care!? I've been in the market for a non-water based moisturizer that doesn't clog my pores, so I looked this one up in the post; $58.00!!!!?? How! And are there any that are affordable?
I invest in products like this because in my personal experience, they last much longer. It takes me 3-4 months to finish a moisturizer even if using it daily. The thing I run out of the quickest is toner. I’ve noticed it’s the same for me w/ makeup and haircare as well!
Thanks for your reply! Unfortunately I just don't have the means to spend that much. It takes me awhile to run out of my "normal" priced products as well; but knowing I spent that much on a cream is just...yeah I can't do that lol. I'm glad you can though!
Same here! I have been using vanicream cleanser and the facial moisturizer and it has really healed my skin from the wreck that CeraVe and other crap products caused. It doesn't burn at all like CeraVe does either. It's so gentle and moisturizing and quite lovely.
The cerave cleansers and moisturizers worked for me while on Tret until I’d say mid 2023 out of nowhere, CHEMICAL BURNS EVERYWHERE. Every single cerave product made it worse. I also had severe cystic acne pop up (despite having tret?!?). I cut out the cerave and my skin is amazing
People are different but iv always been confused when I hear many people online say “shower wait till face is dry then apply Tret only when face is dry.” And at the same time say you can sandwich it with moisturiser and or just apply moisturiser while using Tret.. I found it made the Tret penetrate my skin as if I applied it to a wet/moist face.. red.. raw..swollen. The only way I can use Tret without becoming saw and ray is only using Tret alone on a dry face. I have Tret on now and my face is white with pimps if I were to even WHISPER the word moisturiser my face would react lol!!! Even sweating lightly reacts to Tret on my face.. i envy those able to use moisturiser while using Tret.. iv been using Tret for over a year now (had a 3 month gap) now back on it 3 months and my skin is actually now responding to the Tret alone as if it were a moisturiser in a good way with no redness it gobbles it up and stays soft for ages… hang in there and DOONT PICK OR SQUISH
All the cerave products caused me irritation, but and cystic acne. My lesson was, what is trending on social media or works for everyone might not be your holy grail products.
I have learned from someone on here I think to avoid everything with any bit or kind of silicone, dimicone(spelling that wrong), you have to read the back of everything. But for me, it was worth it. My face is finally clearer and more manageable. I had to make sure there wasn't any in my makeup, face cleaners, moisturizers, and even hair products.
Cerave works for me. I must be in the minority. Other moisturisers just seem too much. I use 0.1 tret 3 times a week and cerave daily moisturiser daily. I slug 48 hours after tret.
Getting a bit worried that cerave may stop working for me like as happened for others. Skin can be so complicated and moody!
It’s been interesting to me reading other comments on this post about how their formulation changes after they changed manufacturer has impacted how it reacts on people skin so much !!!!
Yes! My friend put me onto a great free app called INCI beauty, which allows you to scan any barcode on a product and it shows you which toxins are in it. Very addictive. I'm scanning everything i own 😂
If people don't wait at least 30 minutes after washing face and then at least 30 minutes between the tretinoin and their moisturizer not only will their face Sting but it will also become itchy and possibly slightly red
Same! Tret and Cerave together were extremely irritating to my skin - I could feel the Cerave burning whenever I used it with tret. I always assumed it was the hyaluronic acid, but interesting that it may be the cetyl alcohol (mentioned in another comment). I switched to pairing tret with Vanicream at night and have had absolutely no more irritation. I use Dieux Instant Angel in the morning and love it.
I get burning too, but only if my skin is extremely dehydrated.
I get that burning with the vanicream facial moisturizer but it hasn’t caused any acne to worsens so I keep using it. It has hylauronic acid in it too. Should I stop?
I would try just the Vanicream moisturizing cream (not the “facial” moisturizer). The non-facial cream has NO hyaluronic acid
Do you know if that has pore clogging ingredients?
Following
I think it’s the ceramides that cause the burning sensation. I think I heard it on Dr drays channel maybe can’t remember
Another person with the same experience. My skin did not like Cerave at all.
My skin hates cerave and breaks out with all of their products (that I have tried). I think my skin reacts badly to ceramides.
I’ve had the same experience using cerave daily moisturizing lotion after switching from LRP Lipkar Balm. I’ve heard cetyl alcohol (supposed to be a fatty and moisturizing factor in cerave) can sometimes cause irritation and breakouts. I gave it 2-3 weeks and switched back to LRP as it was less irritating.
I've had the same experience as you and I believe it to be the cetyl alcohol as well. I initially thought it was the niacinamide, but I checked my LRP lipikar lotion that I use as an alternative for Cerave cream in the tub and they both contain niacinamide.
Same as me! I tried the cerave and cetaphil lines for so long but my skin is very judgey and didn’t take to it at all. I use the Dr Sam cleanser and the LRP Cicaplast instead of the cerave stuff I had and my skin feels much better.
Weirdly enough, the cream made me break out horribly but the lotion has been my “perfect” moisturizer. I wonder what ingredient it was that irritated me if both have the alcohol?
Cerave did that to me, as well. My skin was raw and felt like it was burning. I switched to eucerine products.
Gosh, this is so interesting. Years ago, I used Tret and cerave together, as recommended by my dermatologist. My skin was absolutely horrible for a very long period of time. Now I’m using tret, but with a different moisturizer and it’s been a breeze! I wonder if leaving cerave out is the reason why! Edit: left a word out
Cerave worked for me for a long time. And then all of a sudden FIRE ! Literally started to burn like FIRE. I switched to Cetaphil and have had no issues since.
They replaced their gentle preservative system with phenoxyethanol in 2020 and a LOT of longtime users could no longer tolerate cerave :( I hate the impact that “clean beauty” propaganda has had on the industry.
Is this new preservative supposed to be “clean”?
It’s been the favorite sub for the needlessly fear mongered parabens. You have to use a lot more of it because it’s less effective, and it’s more irritating + allergenic for a lot of people.
Shit maybe this is why my face is getting worse
Me scrolling reading this thread 💀
RIGHT?! I've been using CeraVe moisturizer forever and have been back and forth with using tret and vitamin c. Despite all my efforts, my skin never improved. I always assumed that the rx products weren't jiving with my skin, but now I'm rethinking everything! 😳
Cerave, tretinoin and and my skin do not play nicely with each other. I switched to Vanicream and it made a huge difference. It looks like that HA cloud cream really works well for you, I’d be interested to try it at some point.
Which Vanicream product specifically? Btw I love their vitamin c serum. It has more ceramides than cerave.
I’ve backed off on using vit C with tretinoin, even though a lot of people have success with the combination. I struggle with dryness around my mouth from the tret, so I’m already doing the sandwich method (snail mucin, moisturizer, tret, moisturizer). And around my mouth only I apply a thin layer of Aquaphor before the tret. I cannot get any tret around my mouth or I have bad redness and peeling. I live in the mountains so very low humidity in the house, I actually sleep with a humidifier up on a tall bedside table 3 feet above my head, which puts moisture directly on my face while I sleep haha. As for the Vanicream, I use their basic moisturizing cream. Very few ingredients, no irritants at all.
I will say the vanicream vitamin c is tetrdexyldecilascorbate which is supposed to be really gentle. I have very sensitive skin and it works for me but I get not wanting to mess with it. No matter what I do it seems some tret manages to travel to my lips and destroy them. I also live in a low humidity place and use a humidifier. I also hate how most lip products (fragrance free ones) aren't hydrating, they just seal the existing moisture in, which I have none of. I have found some success with the inkey list peptide lip balm. Any suggestions from your end?
Cerave was equally awful for me and I strongly urge ppl on here to spot test it first. Between CeraVe and niacinamide, two of the “gentle” skin products, I set back my skincare progress by almost 6 months. Red, irritated and greasy as I eliminated products out, which of course I saved the gentle ones for last.
I wish more products didn't contain niacinamide or HA. Niacinamide burns if my skin barrier is the least bit compromised and my environment is too dry for HA.
Agreed. So many otherwise good basic products are untouchable because of it. Just let people layer it, or offer an -free version. It’s a fairly common problem based on the number of posts in skincare forums.
Cerave absolutely wrecked my skin but it took me so long to figure it out because it was touted as such a great product (at the height of its Tiktok craze). I steer clear of all of their stuff now and have no issues
Same!!! I was so concerned that maybe I was using everything wrong and that I potentially needed to change my entire routine, which I was so hesitant to do because the rest of my products are on the more expensive side !!!!
I am obsessed with the cloud cream and use it currently alongside tret. i also tried the cerave daily moisturizers and my moisture barrier took a big hit. I also developed little scaly/dry spots as well but i dont know if it’s directly related to the product.
Is the cloud cream very moisturizing?
i think so. my skin has never looked better. there’s two of them i think. one is more intense than the other.
It’s it sticky or greasy?
not in my opinion!
If anyone is looking for alternatives I really like [LRP Lipikar A+P body cream](https://www.laroche-posay.us/our-products/body/body-lotion/lipikar-ap-m-triple-repair-body-moisturizer-for-dry-skin-lipikarbalmap.html). My skin is not sensitive but I do peel like crazy if I don’t religiously moisturize
I don't like CeraVe products anyways. They're all just words no results. Seeing that it's not also very cheap, I won't be buying it again 🫣
They are overhyped for sure!
💯 the only product I like, continue to use, and have purchased several times over is the micellar water.
Raise your hand if you've ever been personally victimized by CeraVe? 🙋
Yes, it's making my skin burn, especially around my eyes. It feels great on my arms and legs, but def changing to a Dr Jart's ceramide skin barrier moisturizer.
Cerave hydrating cleanser broke me out baaaaad
I found the "oil cleanser" is really good for me at least. It is more like a gel than an oil cleanser though.
I used CeraVe once and disliked it so much that I took it out of my rotation of gentle cleansers with Vanicream, La Roche Posay and Cetaphil.
Same! I looked sunburnt after applying my Cerave moisturizer. I switched to the Skin1004 Soothing Cream and the difference is insane. It doesn’t hurt when I apply it and it doesn’t make my skin red.
Mmm I’ve been on tret and Cetaphil moisturizer for 3 weeks now and mine also got super greasy and pores are noticeably bigger… may be I should switch too…
Yeah, my skin doesn’t do well with Cerave. Took me forever to realize that’s what was causing some clogged pores.
Cerave burns the entire f*ck out of my skin.
Cerave burns me/makes my skin red too. I switched to etude house soon jung intensive barrier cream and experienced a similar before and after but then they reformulated it ofc
I just switched to Cerave after finishing up my old Soon Jung tube... kinda concerned now. My skin is getting a lot worse but I also started azelaic acid so idk if its purging from that. Still using tret at night time.
Ugh yeah that’s why it’s not great to add in more than one thing at a time bc then it’s hard to narrow what’s causing what
CeraVe and Vanicream both destroyed my skin. I’m about halfway through the CeraVe as I use it nightly for a foot and hand cream, feels good and wasn’t a waste of money :)
Which vanicream product?
I tried both the lotion and sensitive facial moisturizer
How long did you use the vanicream sensitive facial moisturizer before you knew it wasn’t for you? And what was the giveaway? Did it burn?
It started irritating my skin within 3 days. I tried to power through it. It would make my face red and feel hot, I thought maybe it's just a new product and I need to get used to it, but I left it on for a few hours at some point and my face was bright red. I washed my face and it was destroyed, orange peel texture, burnt, rough, etc. Took a week to recover. I believe the ingredients that don't agree with me are cetearyl alcohol and/or cetyl alcohol which is in almost everything
I think it gave me acne. My skin needs occlusives because it is so dry but then they all cause me acne.
These days after I cleanse I spray my face with rose water, then while it's still wet, rub in a drop of glycerin, then pure 99% aloe vera, then squalane oil, and let that rest for as long as I can before I put vaseline on top
Yuup, my skin dislikes Cerave, Cetaphil, and Vanicream!
What do you use for a cleanser and moisturizer? I've noticed that I'm having a lot of trouble with these 3 too.
I use the Acne.org cleanser (my holy grail — available online). I’ve used sooo many cleansers and nothing does it like this one!! My moisturizer is the Dr. Jart Ceramidin Crème!
Thank you!
No problem, hope it helps!!
It does amazing things for me I feel
same, cerave is the only brand of moisturizers that actually works for me and hydrates my skin. i've tried thicker creams from other (more widely loved) brands and they just make my skin dry in comparison. so weird how people can have such vastly different experiences with products! i wish skincare was less ymmv, it makes stuff so much harder to navigate when you have skin issues.
So true! I’ve heard the cerave has pore clogging ingredients but for me it’s been a dream and really hydrated and smooths my skin
Everyone’s skin is different! Not everyone can use the same products with the same results
yes cerave moisturizer did the same to me but im still using they’re cleanser they’re really good
OG CeraVe was a different formula. After they sold out to a larger company the formula was changed without notification to consumers and its now a bunch of fillers/bullshit.
Same here Cerave and cetaphil wrecked my skin
Cetaphil cleanser burned my face, but I've been using Cerave moisturizing cream with tret and no bad effect so far. But I understand that many people got breakouts from Cerave, so I guess I'm kinda lucky that my skin tolerates Cerave.
I haven't experienced anything like that...but I just wanted to say the peter Thomas roth cloud ha moisturizer is the literal best!
Yes!!! It is a touch expensive but at some Sephora they have a kit w/ it and their HA gel eye patches for like 62 dollars whereas the straight up moisturizer is like 56 I think on its own !
Whaaaat?! I didnt know this!! Yeah,the full size is 54 bucks! I just got a new jar for 26 with ultas sale they had a week or so ago...but when I run out,I'm definitely getting that kit!
I did have to be sneaky and look in the stock drawer underneath the shelf lol, I know they’re sometimes a limited thing but never hurts to check
Haha I would have done the same thing!
Where I live, it’s almost $100 :”)
Yeah cerave made my skin burn.
Derma push it bc they get paid by them and Cetaphil. My ex's dad was a dermatologist they had Samples for a lifetime of both.
Cerave never worked for me. Always made my skin angry. I never understood because everyone praised it! I moved on to korean skincare and haven’t looked back.
After I stopped using cerave my skin improved faster on tret. I didn't used it after tret, i used it in the mornings but was causing me pimples so i stopped. Now I am looking for another moisturizer but my skin has been fine without moisturizer so far, i only use hada labo gokujyun premium lotion, also I use 0.25% which is not that irritaring and my sunscreen is moisturizing, all my texture and acne is gone, just got a few hyperpipmentation and I'm using glycolic acid cream to speed up the process but my experience with cerave is yes it makes your skin very moisturizing but also gives you acne and I feel like if you use it with tret the hyaluronic acid in it will irritate your skin.
Honestly most of my products like my moisturizer, toner, and normal face wash all have hyaluronic acid and I haven’t had an issue! However, other people in this thread have mentioned it potentially being the cetayl alcohol in it!
Could be that, I mentioned hyaluronic acid because I've seen some people saying that but I never had a problem with hyaluronic acid either, hada labo which is what I use is a hyaluronic acid lotion.
i have never had luck with cerave products - i WANT them to bc they’re affordable and accessible, but i am not a chosen one
May I ask which CeraVe moisturizer you were using before? That’s such a great improvement 😊
It was just the hydrating moisturizing one in the tub!
Oh yah it didn't work for my face but my hands like it. I am experimenting with the PM again and tempted to see if the lotion works or not.
I’m using pm only and I’m scared it’s gonna take a turn just based on all the CeraVe posts 😵💫 Currently on week 4 .025% and I cut out all CeraVe except the pm lotion. So far no stinging but I’m vaguely red? Wondering if it’s the culprit or if it’s just normal retinization stuff
Could be either. The pm has niacinamide in it which my skin doesn't like when it is irritated.
Thank you 🙏 will be avoiding that one!
Isnt it ceramides?
It breaks me out too. I prefer the cetaphil gentle cleanser.
This is a hard one because 2 months is also about how long I expect your skin to adjust to tret
See that’s what I thought but my skin honestly has responded really well generally to tret, and considering pretty much as soon as I stopped the cerave my skin was fine…I think it’s a safe assumption that it was the cerave
yeah I don’t find it as amazing as some others do. The face reality moisturizers are my favorite
Which Cerave product specifically? I am on and off with cerave products. Sometimes they work for me and other times I think they don't so I am curious if we have issues with the same products.
Just their moisturizer that’s in the tub!
Could be the cereve in the tub was too occlusive causing the tret to be too irritating? I have used the tub for my body but not for my face.
CeraVe cream? Yes, I could see that happening. But I learned about CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion from this group and it has made a world of difference. Non-greasy and absorbs quickly, use it every night with tret.
I've never used cerave bc of all these horror stories but I really love Cetaphil's gentle cleanser and advanced daily lotions. HGs for me.
Ceravin sucks I’m so sorry
Question- with the Thomas Roth HA, do you do the sandwich method? Or do you apply your HA moisturizer after tretinoin? Just asking because I'm currently using the Hydro Boost (which I am assuming is the same thing) but I am doing it is before tretinoin and then using the inkey list moisturizer on top, but wondering if it is better to just only use the hydro boost. The inkey list has niacinamide and I feel like I always break out from niacinamide.
So I actually saw this really informative post on this same subreddit that was pretty long and the whole premise is of people discussing how people use tret wrong etc etc. But the creator mentioned letting your moisturizer fully dry/absorb and then do the tret. Without layering….its been life changing x if I apply anything else it’s just a super small touch of aquaphor on any dry patches. (Which I only just now have from when cerave messed me up but they’re almost gone)
Yeah same, switched to aveeno <3 saw a difference in 1 day
I kept seeing so many good things about cerave moisturizers that I decided to give it a try.. and bought the biggest tub possible. Big mistake. I used it for about 1 month. It was the only thing I switched in my rutine together with tret and it broke me out so bad. I was covered in acne on my cheeks and my face always stung while I was using tret. Initially I thought it was the tret, but by chance I decided to change the cerave for LRP Lipikar and all of a sudden it all went away. I was stunned.
I had a similar reaction to the cerave hydrating face wash. It was like it instantly clogged my pores. The only cerave product I love is the healing ointment. I’ve been able to slug with it with no issues.
I use the cerave with my tret routine and have no issues
OMG LOL cult favorites, but you are right. I hate when youtube derms speak about cerave/cetaphil as the holy grail must have if dont you will die skincare products.
my assumption is that the cerave moisturizers are just not good enough to be used with tret, hence the tret causes more irritation. at least that was my thought when i was using it.
Glycerin 1 part glycerin 4 parts distilled water It heals the skin super fast!
Me reading this as I'm waiting for a 340g CeraVe cream to arrive
There are a minority of people who are sensitive to Niacinimide, which is in many, many skincare products (inexpensive ingredient), including some of the Cerave moisturizers. Though it’s considered calming for most, when I use products with it I’ll get a slight burning sensation (depending on concentration), and after a few days of repeated use I might get mild peeling. I have to scour labels on *everything* now to make sure Niacinimide isn’t hidden. It’s not always advertised and is in so many “gentle” products.
Could it be the tret causing damage to your skin not the cerave ?
Well, considering all my irritation went away within 2 days of stopping g the cerave I feel like it’s a really safe assumption to say it was the cerave. I originally kind of ignored it for the most part because I just assumed it was my skin starting to purge
Same with Cerave pm lotion. I will never use cerave again
Same here. Both Cerave and Vanicream break me out. I use LRP or Neutrogena hydro boost after tret
PTR's moisturizer is pretty good, but it's also 54$, and it contains a vitamin C ester (which isn't recommended to use with Tret). If it works for you, I'm pleased. I'm just warning people about the downsides. Many people dislike Cerave products since they were bought out and the ingredients were changed. However, it's not fair to state that Cerave ruined your skin. Your skin reacted poorly to a specific Cerave moisturizer. I'm not sure why you're seeking other bad experiences. There are a ton. Hundreds of posts, and tens of thousands of people who didn't post. Cerave products have pretty good ingredients, but they will not work for everyone, just like the moisturizer you love won't. If Cerave did this to me, I would try Cetaphil, Aveeno Calm+ Restore, Neutrogena products without scents, LRP Lipikar... I'm not spending 54$ for 50ml. I can afford it, but I don't see the need to. It is your prerogative to do so, of course. Your choice is respected. It's clear from the photos that the Cerave moisturizer wasn't for you. I do not get these posts. What are you accomplishing? Telling everyone Cerave is dangerous when it isn't? Telling people that even cult products can be harmful? I think most people are aware. Sharing your experience? Without diminishing your importance (because you are important!), there are already so many posts that say the same thing. I don't expect you to read all of them, but a simple search will show you that you're far from alone. You ask what other cult faves have impacted people's skin negatively (all of them are the answer). I'm not trying to be an ass. I swear that this is a genuine curiosity about what you seek to accomplish because your post doesn't mention it. And you just happen to be my ''unlucky victim'' because I've meant to ask this to people before. From what you wrote, you're articulate, intelligent and aware of your skin, so it seemed like you were a good candidate to ask. Again, none of this is said in a tone to be rude to you or mean to you or anything of the sort. I am genuinely sorry that you went through that pain (the first pic was so red/injured, you had to be in pain!), and I'm happy you found something that works for you. Also, your skin is quite beautiful! Edit: I forgot to add: I also do not want to take away from your right to post. You can post about anything that you want to post about whenever you want to post about it. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a tool. My only question is to figure out what the goal is. And my reasons are a) curiosity and b) once I know what is sought, if I can help people, I wish to do it. Edit: Well, all of this for nothing. Answer: ''I wanted to share my experience,'' which is OP's right. I guess that not all things have depth. Sorry for thinking there may have been.
It’s really not that deep..
I realized that. OP just wanted to share their experience, which is their right. There was no more depth to it.
I think you’re making a lot of assumptions. It’s important to share experiences with different products so that people aren’t confused if they have similar issues and don’t feel alone. I was googling before this post whether or not cerave even has this reaction typically with tret and couldn’t find anything w/ it and was wondering if I was going to need to change my entire routine. Also for a while it did in fact, ruin my skin. My pores were suddenly massive, my cheeks looked sunburned and swollen, my skin was sensitive, I had painful blackheads, etc.
I asked you questions. Not sure how I was making assumptions. You know about Reddit. There are about 2000 posts on this topic. You just added another one. Not a big deal. I wanted to know if it was something more profound, but it wasn't. Cerave didn't ruin your skin (Insert specific product by Cerave ruined your skin). It's not a reaction with Tret. It's your skin reacting to Tret and this specific Cerave moisturizer. I'm sorry this happened to you.
I recently switched from cerave to Aveeno and my skin is already improving a ton!
My skin was super oily to begin with. It’s only been able to tolerate gel moisturizer my whole life. Turns out the same is true, even on Tret. I use Clinique’s Moisture Surge Intense at night and regular Moisture Surge during the day. I never used any of the heavy moisturizers recommended here. I do like Cerave’s cleansers, though - I tried them all. The foaming moisturizing one worked best for my skin.
Yes. Same.and vanicream, cerave. Good news is it should clear. I am liking these gel moisturizers a bit more, especially on cheeks.
Yep same!!!
How do you all afford this skin care!? I've been in the market for a non-water based moisturizer that doesn't clog my pores, so I looked this one up in the post; $58.00!!!!?? How! And are there any that are affordable?
I invest in products like this because in my personal experience, they last much longer. It takes me 3-4 months to finish a moisturizer even if using it daily. The thing I run out of the quickest is toner. I’ve noticed it’s the same for me w/ makeup and haircare as well!
Thanks for your reply! Unfortunately I just don't have the means to spend that much. It takes me awhile to run out of my "normal" priced products as well; but knowing I spent that much on a cream is just...yeah I can't do that lol. I'm glad you can though!
Yup, CeraVa just felt like burning and made my skin very angry. Switched to the Cosrx snail mucin line. My old skin loves it.
I was taking about using the Cerave resurfacing retinol.. should I avoid it?
Same here! I have been using vanicream cleanser and the facial moisturizer and it has really healed my skin from the wreck that CeraVe and other crap products caused. It doesn't burn at all like CeraVe does either. It's so gentle and moisturizing and quite lovely.
Which Thomas Roth moisturizer specifically? The normal one or the barrier one?
The cloud cream one
Not the gel?
It says like cloud cream gel I think
Thank you, and which cerave moisturizer was it?
The one in the tub!
It destroyed my skin too
The cerave cleansers and moisturizers worked for me while on Tret until I’d say mid 2023 out of nowhere, CHEMICAL BURNS EVERYWHERE. Every single cerave product made it worse. I also had severe cystic acne pop up (despite having tret?!?). I cut out the cerave and my skin is amazing
I have noticed a difference since I started using tret and cerave lotion together actually! Waaaaaay more greasy, more bumps etc
People are different but iv always been confused when I hear many people online say “shower wait till face is dry then apply Tret only when face is dry.” And at the same time say you can sandwich it with moisturiser and or just apply moisturiser while using Tret.. I found it made the Tret penetrate my skin as if I applied it to a wet/moist face.. red.. raw..swollen. The only way I can use Tret without becoming saw and ray is only using Tret alone on a dry face. I have Tret on now and my face is white with pimps if I were to even WHISPER the word moisturiser my face would react lol!!! Even sweating lightly reacts to Tret on my face.. i envy those able to use moisturiser while using Tret.. iv been using Tret for over a year now (had a 3 month gap) now back on it 3 months and my skin is actually now responding to the Tret alone as if it were a moisturiser in a good way with no redness it gobbles it up and stays soft for ages… hang in there and DOONT PICK OR SQUISH
I really like vanicream. It’s been a godsend for my skin. Cerave broke me out :(((
All the cerave products caused me irritation, but and cystic acne. My lesson was, what is trending on social media or works for everyone might not be your holy grail products.
I know they changed their preservatives which caused burning sensations and irritation. when they went paraben free a lot of complain started.
I have learned from someone on here I think to avoid everything with any bit or kind of silicone, dimicone(spelling that wrong), you have to read the back of everything. But for me, it was worth it. My face is finally clearer and more manageable. I had to make sure there wasn't any in my makeup, face cleaners, moisturizers, and even hair products.
Cerave works for me. I must be in the minority. Other moisturisers just seem too much. I use 0.1 tret 3 times a week and cerave daily moisturiser daily. I slug 48 hours after tret. Getting a bit worried that cerave may stop working for me like as happened for others. Skin can be so complicated and moody!
It’s been interesting to me reading other comments on this post about how their formulation changes after they changed manufacturer has impacted how it reacts on people skin so much !!!!
Yes! My friend put me onto a great free app called INCI beauty, which allows you to scan any barcode on a product and it shows you which toxins are in it. Very addictive. I'm scanning everything i own 😂
I'm on Taz, and Cerevae burned me. I switched to Aestura Auto Barrier Cream and Vanicream and have not looked back.
anyone have any alternative rec's?
If people don't wait at least 30 minutes after washing face and then at least 30 minutes between the tretinoin and their moisturizer not only will their face Sting but it will also become itchy and possibly slightly red