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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Obagi Nu-Derm Clear versus CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on January 21, 2023

Overview

Cool Features

They both contain Vitamin E

Suited For

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

Free From

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

What's Inside

They both contain sulfates

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

Facial Treatment American Brand United States
Face Cleanser Canadian Brand Canada

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

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).

Price

Shop

Buy Nu-Derm Clear

Shop

Buy Hydrating Facial Cleanser

Starts at $11.31

Ingredient Info

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

Obagi Nu-Derm Clear 18 ingredients

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 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
ph level
5.5

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Obagi Nu-Derm Clear 18 ingredients

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Vitamin C
Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating
Redness Reducing
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (2)
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Drying (3)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (3)

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
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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: 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.

Obagi Nu-Derm Clear contains this as ingredient number 5.

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 22.

2
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

Obagi Nu-Derm Clear contains this as ingredient number 6.

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.

3
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

Obagi Nu-Derm Clear contains this as ingredient number 7.

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.

4
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

Obagi Nu-Derm Clear contains this as ingredient number 16.

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 5.

5
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

Obagi Nu-Derm Clear contains this as ingredient number 18.

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

Obagi Nu-Derm Clear 18 ingredients

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients

33% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
44% are disliked or very disliked
11% have no rating yet
50% are loved or liked
4% have mixed ratings
42% are disliked or very disliked
4% have no rating yet

Usage

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

When to use

Obagi Nu-Derm Clear 18 ingredients

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Obagi Nu-Derm Clear 18 ingredients

Nu-Derm Clear hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients

3.5 /5
from 55 ratings
Great Value (4) Drying (3) Works Well (2) Light (2) No Scent (2) Hydrating (2)
BubbIes's avatar

BubbIes

2 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

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...

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.

AnneR's avatar

AnneR

3 years ago · Skin
Review

Nice but boring
Skin felt OK but not as hydrated as I was expecting

Alternatives

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