Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light versus CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin .
Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on September 19, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 8 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin
Free From
They both do not contain any common allergens, 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.
General Moisturizer
All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.
Night Moisturizer
Night Moisturizers are marketed to hydrate the skin overnight.
Price
Ingredient Info
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light 21 ingredients
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin 40 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Contains Sulfate
Ingredients in this product that are types of sulfate:
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light 21 ingredients
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin 40 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
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This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 7 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 6 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light 21 ingredients
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin 40 ingredients
Water • Glycerin • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Alcohol Denat. • Propanediol • Isopropyl Palmitate • Butyrospermum Parkii Butter • Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate • Zea Mays Starch • Mannose • Glyceryl Isostearate • Cetearyl Alcohol • Cetearyl Glucoside • Sodium PCA • Sodium Hyaluronate • Sodium Hydroxide • P-Anisic Acid • Caprylyl Glycol • Citric Acid • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Parfum
Water • Glycerin • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Butyrospermum Parkii Butter • Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer • Cyclopentasiloxane • Glyceryl Stearate Se • Cetyl Alcohol • Dimethicone • Saccharide Isomerate • Stearic Acid • Palmitic Acid • Glycine Soja Sterols • Allantoin • Ceramide NP • Ceramide AP • Ceramide EOP • Carbomer • Niacinamide • Cetearyl Alcohol • Behentrimonium Methosulfate • Sodium Hydroxide • Myristic Acid • Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate • Sodium Benzoate • Sodium Citrate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Cholesterol • Phenoxyethanol • Tocopherol • Tripeptide-1 • Laureth-9 • Citric Acid • Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3 • Biosaccharide Gum-1 • Phytosphingosine • Xanthan Gum • Dextran • Ethylhexylglycerin • Butylene Glycol
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 WaterVichy Aqualia Thermal Light contains this as ingredient number 1.
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 GlycerinVichy Aqualia Thermal Light contains this as ingredient number 2.
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin contains this as ingredient number 2.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
Within a product, Caprylic Triglyceride can thicken the product and make spreadability easier by dissolving clumping compounds. An added benefit of Caprylic Triglyceride is its antioxidant properties.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Caprylic Triglyceride has not been found to be toxic for human use in concentrations under 50%.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideVichy Aqualia Thermal Light contains this as ingredient number 3.
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin contains this as ingredient number 3.
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter is a plant lipid from the fruit of the Shea Tree. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. It does this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Shea butter is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may harm the body. It is also full of fatty acids including stearic acid and linoleic acid. These acids help replenish the skin and keep skin moisturized.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
Shea butter may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterVichy Aqualia Thermal Light contains this as ingredient number 7.
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin contains this as ingredient number 4.
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 AlcoholVichy Aqualia Thermal Light contains this as ingredient number 12.
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin contains this as ingredient number 20.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateVichy Aqualia Thermal Light contains this as ingredient number 15.
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin contains this as ingredient number 27.
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 HydroxideVichy Aqualia Thermal Light contains this as ingredient number 16.
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin contains this as ingredient number 22.
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidVichy Aqualia Thermal Light contains this as ingredient number 19.
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin contains this as ingredient number 33.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light 21 ingredients
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin 40 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light 21 ingredients
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin 40 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light 21 ingredients
Hubayobi
Expensive. It’s not very light as it says. But I have combination skin and in the winter its pretty good. Doesn’t absorb very well. A bit of smell.
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to Soften Skin 40 ingredients
NurseMeg
Clover
Favorite for buffering or sandwiching retinoids!
When I first started my strong retinoid journey to help deal with my acne I was on the hunt for a...
Favorite for buffering or sandwiching retinoids!
When I first started my strong retinoid journey to help deal with my acne I was on the hunt for a thick moisturizer to help act as a buffer to my adapalene gel and to ease me through the retinization process. However I didn’t want anything too occlusive either, so I wanted to avoid petrolatum and oils (not all oils are super occlusive, but I wanted something oil free just to be safe). Something with ceramides was also a must as I knew that I needed to keep my skin barrier strong through retinization. That’s when I found this night cream! It met all my requirements and needs! This is THICC, like, I can turn the jar upside down and shake it and it’s not going anywhere kind of thick <3. BUT it’s not greasy; in fact it almost has a matte finish to it (velvety finish? satin finish? IDK). Despite how thick it is though, it still let enough of my adapalene through to be effective. In the beginning I was flakey and a little red, but NOT irritated. Having said that that however, after about 6-7 months of using .1% adapalene, I moved up to using .05% tretinoin (AKA a stronger retinoid) and and using this cream as a buffer wasn’t quite enough for the areas on my face where it creases, so I recommend using plain petrolatum as a buffer on places such as the corners of the mouth, smile lines, around the nose, etc, if you find you are experiencing irritation. However for those starting out their retinoid journey, this is a perfect option to help ease you into it. But even if you are not using retinoids in your routine, this is still a fantastic night cream. My skin tends to lean dry, and this cream makes it feel protected, soft, and soooo smooth. I highly recommend giving it a try!
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light.
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