CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser Versus Curel Moisture Facial Milk

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser versus Curel Moisture Facial Milk .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on March 14, 2022

Overview

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens or oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

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CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

Curel Moisture Facial Milk

Face Cleanser Canadian Brand Canada

General Moisturizer Japanese Brand Japan

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Price

Shop

Buy Hydrating Facial Cleanser

Starts at $11.31

Shop

Buy Moisture Facial Milk

Starts at $16.79

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients

Curel Moisture Facial Milk 19 ingredients

alcohol-free

silicon-free

fragrance-free

sulfate-free

paraben-free

oil-free

fungal-acne safe

reef-safe

eu-allergen-free

vegan

cruelty-free

ph level

5.5

alcohol-free

silicon-free

fragrance-free

sulfate-free

paraben-free

oil-free

fungal-acne safe

reef-safe

eu-allergen-free

vegan

cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients

Curel Moisture Facial Milk 19 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E

Ceramides (3)

Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (6)

Redness Reducing (4)

Reduces Irritation (3)

Anti-Aging (4)

Scar Healing

Brightening (2)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin

Acne Trigger

Irritating

Benefits

Hydrating (3)

Redness Reducing (2)

Reduces Irritation

Scar Healing

Brightening

Concerns

Eczema

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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients

Curel Moisture Facial Milk 19 ingredients

Water • Glycerin • Cetearyl Alcohol • Peg-40 Stearate • Stearyl Alcohol • Potassium Phosphate • Ceramide NP • Ceramide AP • Ceramide EOP • Carbomer • Glyceryl Stearate • Behentrimonium Methosulfate • Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Cholesterol • Phenoxyethanol • Disodium EDTA • Dipotassium Phosphate • Tocopherol • Phytosphingosine • Xanthan Gum • Cetyl Alcohol • Polysorbate 20 • Ethylhexylglycerin

Water • Glycerin • Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide • Dimethicone • Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate • Squalane • Polysorbate 60 • Butylene Glycol • Sorbitan Stearate • Cholesterol • Cholesteryl Isostearate • Allantoin • Cetyl Alcohol • Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate • Stearyl Alcohol • Succinic Acid • Bis-Methoxypropylamido Isodocosane • Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract • Methylparaben

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Water

What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

Curel Moisture Facial Milk contains this as ingredient number 1.

Glycerin

What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.

Curel Moisture Facial Milk contains this as ingredient number 2.

Stearyl Alcohol

What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Masking

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Stearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients.

Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

They are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent alcohols. FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

Learn more about Stearyl Alcohol

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 5.

Curel Moisture Facial Milk contains this as ingredient number 15.

Cholesterol

What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning, Stabilising

Community Rating: Liked

Cholesterol is a class of organic molecules called lipids. It helps hydrate your skin and is essential to having a healthy skin barrier.

Our skin naturally contains cholesterol in the outermost layer. Besides cholesterol, it also contains ceramides and fatty acids. Cholesterol makes up about 1/4 of your skin's outer layer and barrier. Your skin barrier is responsible for keeping allergens and microbes out. Having a healthy skin barrier is also responsible for keeping your skin firm and plump.

Our bodies use cholestrol to create vitamin D, steroid hormones, and more.

Learn more about Cholesterol

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.

Curel Moisture Facial Milk contains this as ingredient number 10.

Cetyl Alcohol

What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Masking

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Cetyl Alcohol is not related to SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, or ethyl alcohol. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

Its main roles are:

Learn more about Cetyl Alcohol

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 22.

Curel Moisture Facial Milk contains this as ingredient number 13.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients

Curel Moisture Facial Milk 19 ingredients

50% are loved or liked

4% have mixed ratings

42% are disliked or very disliked

4% have no rating yet

32% are loved or liked

5% have mixed ratings

37% are disliked or very disliked

26% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients

Curel Moisture Facial Milk 19 ingredients

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients

3.5 /5

from 55 reviews

Review by BubbIes

Mar 13, 2024

This was hydrating, but that's where the positives end. For a "hydrating" cleanser this has THREE harsh irritating alcohols and two of them are in the first five ingredients (they're in higher concentrations than most of the other ingredients). I was upset to realize this was probably causing my breakouts. CeraVe's quality really tanked and most people who are using them probably don't realize it's causing problems for their skin.

Great Value

Broke Me Out

Irritating

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1 like

Review by sameteamdwight

Mar 9, 2021

Reasonable
This is a fine cleanser but leaves me feeling a little dry. It's the HG for a lot of people but I only use it at night and I feel facial tightness immediately. It is genuinely an okay cleanser and does take off makeup/SPF...

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