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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Olay Cleansing & Renewing Retinol Body Wash versus CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash .

Last updated on September 19, 2023. Published on October 19, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe body washes. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common

Suited For

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

Free From

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

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

Body Wash American Brand United States
Body Wash Canadian Brand Canada

Body Wash

Products for cleansing your body. These include soaps, gels, cleansing creams, cleansing oils, and body washes.

Body Wash

Products for cleansing your body. These include soaps, gels, cleansing creams, cleansing oils, and body washes.

Price

Shop

Buy Cleansing & Renewing Retinol Body Wash

Starts at $14.63
Shop

Buy Hydrating Body Wash

Starts at $16.63

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

Retinoid (2)
Niacinamide

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying (3)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (5)

Notable Ingredients

Exfoliators
Ceramides (3)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Skin Texture (2)
Anti-Aging (4)
Scar Healing
Brightening (2)

Concerns

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

Olay Cleansing & Renewing Retinol Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 1.

CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Emollient
Community Rating: Disliked

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.

Other benefits of occlusives include protecting your skin against infection or allergies.

Petrolatum may not be safe for fungal-acne.

Learn more about Petrolatum

Olay Cleansing & Renewing Retinol Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 2.

CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 3.

3
What it does: Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.

This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride

Olay Cleansing & Renewing Retinol Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 4.

CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 14.

4
What it does: Cleansing
Community Rating: Disliked

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine. Dimethylaminopropylamine is a diamine, an amine with two amino groups.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.

Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.

While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.

Learn more about Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Olay Cleansing & Renewing Retinol Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 5.

CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 2.

5
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

This ingredient is derived from guar gum.

It is a conditioning ingredient, meaning it helps soften skin and hair.

Olay Cleansing & Renewing Retinol Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 11.

CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 20.

6
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

Olay Cleansing & Renewing Retinol Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 13.

CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 30.

7
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

Olay Cleansing & Renewing Retinol Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 16.

CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 21.

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

23% are loved or liked
5% have mixed ratings
59% are disliked or very disliked
14% have no rating yet
43% are loved or liked
10% have mixed ratings
40% are disliked or very disliked
7% 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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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 28 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Olay Cleansing & Renewing Retinol Body Wash.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 17 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash.

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