Versus

CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream Versus Vaseline Intensive Care® Healthy Hands Stronger Nails Lotion

Hand Cream
Hand Cream
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on February 03, 2025

Overview

What they are

These products are both hand cream. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

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 or common allergens

What's Inside

They both contain oils and silicones

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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
Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

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

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, or ethyl alcohol. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

Learn more about Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient

Petrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.

This ingredient is effective at reducing water loss by 99%. This is because it is an occlusive. Occlusives create a hydrophobic barrier on the skin to prevent evaporation. This property makes it great for hydrating dry skin.

Pro tip: Use occlusives, such as this ingredient, on damp skin for the best results.

The quality or origin of petrolatum is only known when disclosed by the brand. Most cosmetic petrolatum has gone through several purification stages.

Another benefit of occlusives is it protects your skin against infection or allergies.

Petrolatum may not be safe for fungal-acne. Studies show mineral oil / petroleum leads to the growth of M. Furfur, a type of yeast.

Learn more about Petrolatum
Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

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

A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.

Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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.

This ingredient has been found to increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients.

Learn more about Dimethicone

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

When to use

23 Routines
48% use in am
52% use in pm
100% use every day
21 Routines
33% use in am
67% use in pm
90% use every day

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream 24 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 1 rating
Amarantha's avatar

Amarantha

7 months ago
Review

I don't like CeraVe's products, my skin doesn't agree with them. This one seemed fine but I used it on my body just to finish the tube. Not gonna repurchase.

Vaseline Intensive Care® Healthy Hands Stronger Nails Lotion 18 ingredients

4.5 /5
from 2 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Hydrating (1) Works Well (1)
helleng's avatar

Hellen G

7 months ago
Review

I’ve been using this hand cream over the summer and I think it’s a great product! It is very hydrating and little product goes a long way. This is my favourite hand cream after washing my hands because I find the texture to be so soft and smooth. The product absorbs well and is long lasting. My nails are stronger and skin more supple.

#hydrating
#absorbs well
#works well
CustardBunny's avatar

CustardBunny

1 year ago
Review

Fixed my nails
Idk if its the routine thta made me stop biting my nails or the product itself that made my nails strong and long but.. it worked amazing in the summer. Now that cold has hit my skin it no longer works for my hands i have to reaply 5 times a day and i keep drying out sadly