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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion versus Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on August 01, 2021

Overview

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

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

What's Inside

They both contain silicones

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

Night Moisturizer Canadian Brand Canada
General Moisturizer American Brand United States

Night Moisturizer

Night Moisturizers are marketed to hydrate the skin overnight.

General Moisturizer

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

Price

Shop

Buy PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

Starts at $14.92
Shop

Buy Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin

Starts at $6.89

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
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

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide
Ceramides (3)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (5)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (3)
Dark Spots
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger

Benefits

Hydrating
Brightening

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating
Eczema (2)
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Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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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.

1
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 PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion contains this as ingredient number 1.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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 PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion contains this as ingredient number 2.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Community Rating: Disliked

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.

Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.

CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion contains this as ingredient number 10.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin contains this as ingredient number 14.

4
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.

Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.

CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion contains this as ingredient number 11.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin contains this as ingredient number 4.

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

54% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
38% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
10% are loved or liked
5% have mixed ratings
75% are disliked or very disliked
10% have no rating yet

Usage

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

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion 24 ingredients

3.8 /5
from 19 ratings
Absorbs Well (3) Light (3) Doesn't Work (2) Broke Me Out (2) Hydrating (1) Strong Scent (1)
MacySinrich's avatar

MacySinrich

6 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Love this
I really love how lightweight and hydrating it is, I feel immediately that my skin is calmed and my dry patches are filled. I have found...

Love this
I really love how lightweight and hydrating it is, I feel immediately that my skin is calmed and my dry patches are filled. I have found that it works better with damp skin, so I use it after my nightime serum and my skin feels phenomenal afterwards.

sword's avatar

sword

1 month ago · Oily Skin
Review

Comedogenic. This product contains cetearyl alcohol and polyglyeryl-3 diisostearate, both of which are comedogenic ingredients. When I used this...

Comedogenic. This product contains cetearyl alcohol and polyglyeryl-3 diisostearate, both of which are comedogenic ingredients. When I used this product it gave me the worst breakout I've ever had. Definitely not for oily and/or clog-prone skin.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin 20 ingredients

2.0 /5
from 1 rating
ellalovesotters's avatar

ellalovesotters

1 year ago · Dry Skin
Review

too lightweight and not enough moisture
this was my main moisturizer for a while and i'd use it every morning after cleansing. it's very...

too lightweight and not enough moisture
this was my main moisturizer for a while and i'd use it every morning after cleansing. it's very lightweight so it didn't provide my skin with enough moisture. it didn't last too long either, after about 2 hours after applying my skin started to feel a bit dry again. i think there a definitely better alternatives, if you're still looking for something by neutrogena i highly recommend their "hydro boost hyaluronic acid gel face moisturizer"! :)

Alternatives

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