What's in CeraVe Moisturizing Cream?
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream lists 24 ingredients. 14 of them are water, buffers, emulsifiers, thickeners or preservatives. The 10 doing the work are glycerin, coconut-derived oil, petrolatum, three ceramides, silicone, hyaluronic acid, cholesterol and phytosphingosine.
| Ingredient (INCI) | In plain language | What it does | Base or working |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua | Water | The base everything else is mixed into | base |
| Glycerin | Glycerin | Draws water into the skin — a humectant | working |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | Fatty alcohol | Thickens the cream and helps oil and water stay mixed | base |
| Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride | Coconut-derived oil | Softens skin — an emollient | working |
| Cetyl Alcohol | Fatty alcohol | Thickens the cream and helps oil and water stay mixed | base |
| Ceteareth-20 | Emulsifier | Keeps the oil and water phases from separating | base |
| Petrolatum | Petrolatum | Seals water into the skin — an FDA skin-protectant active | working |
| Potassium Phosphate | Buffer | Holds the product at a stable pH | base |
| Ceramide NP | Ceramide | A barrier lipid the skin also makes on its own | working |
| Ceramide AP | Ceramide | A barrier lipid the skin also makes on its own | working |
| Ceramide EOP | Ceramide | A barrier lipid the skin also makes on its own | working |
| Carbomer | Thickener | Gives the cream its body | base |
| Dimethicone | Silicone | Forms a smooth breathable film — an FDA skin-protectant active | working |
| Behentrimonium Methosulfate | Emulsifier | Keeps the oil and water phases from separating | base |
| Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate | Emulsifier | Keeps the oil and water phases from separating | base |
| Sodium Hyaluronate | Hyaluronic acid | Holds water at the skin surface | working |
| Cholesterol | Cholesterol | A barrier lipid — part of the skin's own mortar | working |
| Phenoxyethanol | Preservative | Stops the product growing bacteria | base |
| Disodium EDTA | Chelator | Binds trace metals so the formula stays stable | base |
| Dipotassium Phosphate | Buffer | Holds the product at a stable pH | base |
| Tocopherol | Vitamin E | Protects the oils in the jar from going rancid | base |
| Phytosphingosine | Phytosphingosine | A barrier lipid that supports the ceramide system | working |
| Xanthan Gum | Thickener | Gives the cream its body | base |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | Preservative booster | Helps the preservative system do its job | base |
Ingredient list read from https://www.cerave.com/skincare/moisturizers/moisturizing-cream on 2026-08-26.