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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of St. Ives Fresh Skin Face Scrub Apricot versus CeraVe Moisturizing Cream US .

Last updated on November 03, 2023. Published on August 26, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 7 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 oils or parabens

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

Exfoliator British Brand United Kingdom
General Moisturizer Canadian Brand Canada

Exfoliator

Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.

General Moisturizer

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

Price

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Buy Fresh Skin Face Scrub Apricot

Starts at $2.00
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Buy Moisturizing Cream

Starts at $14.97

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

Exfoliators (2)

Benefits

Hydrating
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (4)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (5)

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 (3)
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: 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

St. Ives Fresh Skin Face Scrub Apricot contains this as ingredient number 1.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream US 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

St. Ives Fresh Skin Face Scrub Apricot contains this as ingredient number 4.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream US contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.

Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.

Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.

Learn more about Cetearyl Alcohol

St. Ives Fresh Skin Face Scrub Apricot contains this as ingredient number 5.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream US contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
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.

St. Ives Fresh Skin Face Scrub Apricot contains this as ingredient number 7.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream US contains this as ingredient number 5.

5
What it does: Cleansing, Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Ceteareth-20 is an emulsifier and cleansing agent. It is derived from cetearyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol.

As an emulsifier, Ceteareth-20 prevents oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant. Surfactants help gather oil, pollution, and dirt to be washed away.

St. Ives Fresh Skin Face Scrub Apricot contains this as ingredient number 14.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream US contains this as ingredient number 6.

6
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.

St. Ives Fresh Skin Face Scrub Apricot contains this as ingredient number 16.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream US contains this as ingredient number 12.

7
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

St. Ives Fresh Skin Face Scrub Apricot contains this as ingredient number 20.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream US contains this as ingredient number 19.

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

8% are loved or liked
0% have mixed ratings
71% are disliked or very disliked
21% have no rating yet
50% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
42% are disliked or very disliked
0% 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

St. Ives Fresh Skin Face Scrub Apricot 24 ingredients

2.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Expensive (1) Pilling (1)
horaceon's avatar

horaceon

4 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

doesn't really do anything :(

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream 24 ingredients

4.1 /5
from 62 ratings
Broke Me Out (5) Heavy (5) No Scent (5) Hydrating (2) Works Well (2) Doesn't Work (2)
AshN.'s avatar

AshN.

2 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

As a person with really dry skin, this is a wonderful product that keeps my face hydrated throughout the evenings and great for sensitive skin....

As a person with really dry skin, this is a wonderful product that keeps my face hydrated throughout the evenings and great for sensitive skin. Considering that it is a thick product, a little goes a long way, which is why I think for the amount you get at the price point it is a great buy. Only thing I wish it had was a pump like the Vanicream Moisturizing Cream just because I feel it is more sanitary, but that can be remedied with getting an airless pump dispenser if you don't mind decanting product.

kyniwi's avatar

kyniwi

3 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

It burns if I have any dry patches (under my nose in the winter for example) and does not sink in very well. I’m pretty sure this has been causing...

It burns if I have any dry patches (under my nose in the winter for example) and does not sink in very well. I’m pretty sure this has been causing me to have blackheads, whiteheads, and milia all over my cheeks and chin. seriously overhyped.

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 18 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to St. Ives Fresh Skin Face Scrub Apricot.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CeraVe Moisturizing Cream US.

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