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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 versus CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 .

Last updated on September 12, 2023. Published on March 09, 2022

Overview

Cool Features

They both contain SPF and Vitamin E

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any oils or parabens

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.

General Moisturizer American Brand United States
Day Moisturizer Canadian Brand Canada

General Moisturizer

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

Day Moisturizer

Day Moisturizers are marketed to hydrate the skin during the daytime.

Price

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
spf rating
15
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
spf rating
25

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (2)
Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (4)
Vitamin E
Niacinamide
Ceramides (3)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (4)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (3)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema
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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.

1
What it does: UV Absorber, UV Filter
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is a chemical sunscreen filter that provides protection in the UV-A range.

Avobenzone is globally approved and is the most commonly used UV-A filter in the world.

Studies have found that avobenzone becomes ineffective when exposed to UV light (it is not photostable; meaning that it breaks down in sunlight). Because of this, formulations that include avobenzone will usually contain stabilizers such as octocrylene.

However, some modern formulations (looking at you, EU!) are able to stabilize avobenzone by coating the molecules.

Avobenzone does not protect against the UV-B range, so it's important to check that the sunscreen you're using contains other UV filters that do!

The highest concentration of avobenzone permitted is 3% in the US, and 5% in the EU.

Learn more about Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 1.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 contains this as ingredient number 8.

2
What it does: UV Absorber, UV Filter
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Octocrylene protects skin from sun damage. It absorbs UV-B with peak absorption of 304 nm. It is a common sunscreen ingredient and often paired with avobenzone, a UVA filter. This is because octocrylene stabilizes other sunscreen ingredients by protecting them from degradation when exposed to sunlight. Octocrylene is a photostable ingredient and loses about 10% of SPF in 95 minutes.

Octocrylene also acts as an emollient, meaning it helps skin retain moisture and softens skin. It is oil-soluble and hydrophobic, enhancing water-resistant properties in a product.

Those who are using ketoprofen, a topical anti-inflammatory drug, may experience an allergic reaction when using octocrylene. It is best to speak with a healthcare professional about using sunscreens with octocrylene.

The EU allows a maximum of these concentrations:

Learn more about Octocrylene

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 2.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
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

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 3.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 contains this as ingredient number 1.

4
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

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 6.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 contains this as ingredient number 3.

5
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying
Community Rating: Disliked

Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.

Glyceryl Stearate is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.

As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.

In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced. The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 7.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 contains this as ingredient number 12.

6
What it does:
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.

Peg-100 Stearate helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. It helps prevent oil and water from separating in a product. By binding oil and water, it helps remove dirt and oil to be rinsed away.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 8.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 contains this as ingredient number 11.

7
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and 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.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 10.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 contains this as ingredient number 13.

8
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.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 14.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 contains this as ingredient number 29.

9
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

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

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 15.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 contains this as ingredient number 20.

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

19% are loved or liked
0% have mixed ratings
75% are disliked or very disliked
6% have no rating yet
42% are loved or liked
3% have mixed ratings
55% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet

Usage

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 16 ingredients

Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 31 ingredients

3.7 /5
from 7 ratings
No Scent (1) Sticky (1)
stwrle's avatar

stwrle

6 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

feels a bit heavy on my skin
its a good moisturizer that doesnt leave a white cast and it has spf
but i dont really like the feeling it feels...

feels a bit heavy on my skin
its a good moisturizer that doesnt leave a white cast and it has spf
but i dont really like the feeling it feels heavy and i have oily skin

XxxLieve_skincarexxX's avatar

XxxLieve_skincarexxX

10 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

Amazing!
This moisturizer is great, itś good for fighting acne and it feel nice after you putted it on your face. It's also great that there is SPF...

Amazing!
This moisturizer is great, itś good for fighting acne and it feel nice after you putted it on your face. It's also great that there is SPF in it so you won't buy sunscreen. The price is great.

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