Review: CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser

Here’s my review on CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser! I went through a few new facial cleansers this summer to find something that works better on my skin. I haven’t used a face wash with benzoyl peroxide in so long, but I thought…maybe I should try it again? I’ve always wanted to quit benzoyl peroxide as an all-over acne treatment even though it has helped my acne. It leaves my skin looking dry and dull. I can’t imagine using benzoyl peroxide for the rest of my life just to treat my acne. There must be another way. With a face wash with benzoyl peroxide, that means I don’t have to get rid of benzoyl peroxide completely. It would still be in my routine. Just another way to incorporate it into my routine (as a face wash). That’s when I found CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser. I’m not a huge fan of CeraVe face products (darn those breakouts), but I thought I would give this one a chance. It’s a face wash, so it’s not going to sit on my skin for too long. Who knows. It might be a good facial cleanser. 🙂

Product claims

• 4% benzoyl peroxide
• Helps clear acne and blackheads
• Helps to prevent new pimples and allows skin to heal
• Ceramides to maintain skin’s natural barrier
• Hyaluronic acid to retain moisture
• Niacinamide to calm skin
• Non-comedogenic

My experience

This is my first time using a face wash with benzoyl peroxide in years. The one I used before CeraVe was Differin Daily Deep Cleanser. From what I remember, it didn’t work for me. That’s why I’m not using it anymore, lol. I was pretty much turned off from BP face washes since. So CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser contains ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide. Awesome! I was really excited for this product because of that. A combination of good-for-skin ingredients with an acne fighting ingredient like benzoyl peroxide. Sounds perfect! I also noticed that it contains glycolic acid. I usually do not use products with glycolic acid in the morning due to it making my skin more sensitive, but it’s in this product. I’ll have to see how this face wash goes for daily use. Since facial cleansers are not left on the skin but rinsed off, this may not be a problem.

The texture of the face wash is a gel-cream, but it feels more creamy. It doesn’t feel like a face wash to me. It’s feels more like a leave-on acne treatment in terms of consistency. The product is gloopy and slimy. It feels like I’m rubbing a leave-on benzoyl peroxide acne treatment product that is runnier, thinner on my face. The instructions advises to use the face wash in the morning and at night. Apply a dime-size to damp skin and gently massage. Rinse. A dime-size was not enough for my whole face. I had to use at least a quarter to get my skin somewhat clean. Even with that much product, my skin didn’t feel clean after rinsing. I tried washing my face once more with the cleanser with the same results. Once again, my face didn’t feel clean. Also, this facial cleanser doesn’t soap up. It’s called acne foaming cream cleanser. hah.

I started off using this face wash by itself, but I realized that my skin would still feel dirty afterwards. Like there was a thin film on my skin. I followed up with another facial cleanser to remove any residue that the CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser has left behind. That worked so much better, but I questioned the effectiveness of this face wash. After 2 weeks of using CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser, I came to the conclusion that this face was is not for my skin type. I was done with it. It didn’t leave my skin feeling clean. I’m not asking for a facial cleanser that strips my skin and leaves it feeling dry but at least remove the excess oil from my face. Also, most of all, it didn’t do anything for my acne. There were no improvements. My acne was still thriving. On a positive note, it didn’t dry out my skin, but I stopped using it because nothing good came out of it.

Pros & Cons

✅ Pros

• Non-drying
• Leaves the skin feeling moisturized
• Contains 4% benzoyl peroxide to fight against acne
• Contains ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid
• Gentle on the skin

❌ Cons

• Doesn’t leave the skin feeling clean (if you have oily skin)
• Doesn’t help with acne. It didn’t clear up acne or get rid of blackheads.

Conclusion

The CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser did not work for me. It’s just a basic, hydrating face wash that claims to treat acne. I mean, it does contain benzoyl peroxide, which should (is) be effective at treating acne. Benzoyl peroxide is one of the best (in my opinion) acne ingredients used to treat acne, so it might be the overall formulation of the product that didn’t sit right with my skin. There were no positive changes in my skin. It didn’t help to clear acne or get rid of blackheads (as it claims). This product has ingredients, such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide…that I really love. The idea of this product is really nice, but I won’t purchase again because I didn’t see any improvements in my acne, and it didn’t clean my skin well. I think this facial cleanser would work better for someone with dry, normal, sensitive skin that wants to add benzoyl peroxide into their routine. For me, this purchase was a huge disappointment. Another CeraVe product down.