If you’re at all interested in beauty and skincare you can’t move on the internet at the moment without coming across CeraVe products. The most famous is their Foaming Facial Cleanser which gained cult status after hundreds of rave reviews. Their products are marketed as being reasonably priced but really effective and all contain ceramides to nourish and look after the skin.
So, what are ceramides and why are they so useful to us? Basically, ceramides make up 50% of the skin’s barrier, they are lipids which help the skin retain moisture, and help protect against irritants and pollution. When the ceramides are depleted, the barrier becomes compromised which leads to dryness and irritation. Even though the skin naturally produces ceramides, these can be diminished by environmental factors, hot water, soaps and some chemicals.
CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream
I suffer from keratosis Pilaris (bumpy skin) on my upper arms and on my legs and I normally use Ameliorate products to keep this at bay. However, I saw the CeraVe SA smoothing cream and decided to try it out. It’s cheaper than the Ameliorate body lotion; £12 for 177ml rather than £22 for 200ml which is a bonus, I think we are all a bit more money-saving savvy at the moment.
The CeraVe SA smoothing cream contains salicylic acid to exfoliate, with hyaluronic acid and UREA to aid the skin’s natural moisture. I normally stay away from salicylic acid as my skin is fairly dry anyway and salicylic is better for oily skin. The Ameliorate product contains lactic acid which is suitable for dry skin, I know we’ve talked about this before in previous posts.
After using the CeraVe SA smoothing cream for a few weeks I can say that it is very effective at reducing the bumps on my skin, however, I find it too strong for daily use as it starts to sting, especially on my legs. I’m currently using it twice a week. It’s a hard product to use, by this I mean you really have to work at applying it. It’s almost like a workout.
So what’s my conclusion? Unfortunately for my wallet, I will be reverting to my Ameliorate. The salicylic acid is not really suitable for my over 50 skin and the product itself feels too heavy. This is my least favourite of the CeraVe products I’m currently trialling, so look out for my upcoming reviews.
Stay safe.
INGREDIENTS CERAVE SA SMOOTHING CREAM:
Purified Water, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate And Cetearyl Alcohol, Mineral Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Ammonium Lactate, Salicylic Acid, Triethanolamine, Cetyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Peg-100 Stearate, Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3 In Corn Oil), Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6-Ii, Ceramide 1, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Hyaluronic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Methylparaben, Edetate Disodium, Propylparaben, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum.