
CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser
Welcome to our explanation of everything that you need to know about CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser. Let’s get started!
- face cleanser that contains aha, benzoyl peroxide, ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide.
- it doesn't contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens or silicones.
- it does contain sulfates.
- it is likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, brightening skin, oily skin and reducing pores.
- it is fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe.
At a glance
Notable Ingredients

This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:

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:
Benefits

This product contains 2 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 2 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 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:

This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns

This product contains 4 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:

This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:

This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Ingredient Info

Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉

Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉

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 🎉

Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉

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 😥
CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser Ingredient List (29)
Benzoyl Peroxide 4% • Water • Glycerin • Propylene Glycol • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Hydroxysultaines • Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate • Xanthan Gum • Potassium Hydroxide • Ceramide NP • Ceramide AP • Ceramide EOP • Carbomer • Niacinamide • Glycolic Acid • Sodium Chloride • Sodium Citrate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate • Sodium Hydroxide • Cholesterol • Phenoxyethanol • Propanediol • Citric Acid • Tetrasodium EDTA • Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate • Phytosphingosine • Ethylhexylglycerin • Benzoic Acid
Ingredients Explained
This product contains 29 ingredients. Click on any ingredient to learn more about it





Benzoyl Peroxide is famous for fighting acne. This is because it does a variety of tasks on the skin: it helps reduce excess oil, kill bacteria, and clear out dead skin cells. In other words, it is effective at unclogging pores.
These properties make it great at fighting different types of acne, including cystic and inflammatory types of acne.
When targeting the bacteria in your pores, Benzoyl Peroxide has been shown to kill the bacteria without causing sensitivity. It also helps keep your skin's natural bacteria and biome balanced. Having a healthy biome protects your skin from external harmful factors.
Once Benzoyl Peroxide is absorbed into the skin, our bodies turn it into benzoic acid and quickly exits in urine.
When using Benzoyl Peroxide, it may be irritating for some people due to a variety of reasons, such as a broken skin barrier or just an allergic reaction. We recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient if you have concerns.
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's there to help 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!
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin and helps moisturize and protect your skin. A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
Glycerin is a humectant, helping the skin retain moisture by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin. Having moisturized skin helps improve the skin barrier. Your skin barrier protects against skin 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, animal sources include tallow. It is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English while British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients, helping other ingredients work better.
It prevents a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.
Propylene Glycol is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.
Those with sensitive skin or conditions may deliver a rash when using this ingredient. It is best to consult a professional for advice.
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.
Hydroxysultaines are commonly used in foaming products. This term refers to a group of chemical compounds.
Hydroxysultaines have a wide pH range and are stable in this range.

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a cleansing agent made from a mixture of long chain sulfonate salts. It can also help produce foam.
This ingredient may be drying. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
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.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.



Ceramide NP is one type of ceramide.
Ceramides are intercellular lipids naturally found in our skin that bonds dead skin cells together to create a barrier. They are known for their ability to hold water and thus are a great ingredient for dry skin.
Ceramides are an important building block for our skin barrier. A stronger barrier helps the skin look more firm and hydrated. By bolstering the skin ceramides act as a barrier against irritating ingredients. This can help with inflammation as well.
If you would like to eat ceramides, sweet potatoes contain a small amount.
Read more about other common types of ceramides here:
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP



Ceramide AP is a type of Ceramide.
Ceramides are intercellular lipids naturally found in our skin that bonds dead skin cells together to create a barrier. Having a strong skin barrier leads to more firm and hydrated skin.
They are known for their ability to hold water and thus are a great ingredient for dry skin. By bolstering the skin ceramides act as a barrier against irritating ingredients. This can help with inflammation as well.
If you would like to eat ceramides, sweet potatoes contain a small amount.
Read more about other common types of ceramides here:
Ceramide NP
Ceramide EOP



Ceramide EOP is a type of Ceramide. EOP stands for a linked Ester fatty acid, a linked Omega hydroxy fatty acid, and the Phytosphingosine base.
Ceramides are intercellular lipids naturally found in our skin that bonds dead skin cells together to create a barrier. They are known for their ability to hold water and thus are a great ingredient for dry skin.
Ceramides are an important building block for our skin barrier. A stronger barrier helps the skin look more firm and hydrated. By bolstering the skin ceramides act as a barrier against irritating ingredients. This can help with inflammation as well.
If you would like to eat ceramides, sweet potatoes contain a small amount.
Read more about other common types of ceramides here:
Ceramide AP
Ceramide NP
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.





Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation fading dark-spots. It can strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.
Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.
Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.
When incorporating Niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% Niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.










Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous AHA with research to back up its benefits. Its main role is to peel the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.
Glycolic Acid has shown to boost collage production, a protein that helps skin stay firm. Overall, Glycolic Acid helps with improving uneven tone, rough patches of skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage. It also increases skin hydration by playing a role in creating molecules that create hyaluronic acid naturally.
When applying Glycolic Acid, it is normal to feel slight stinging. The pH value and concentration of glycolic acid play a role in the effectiveness of the product.
Recent studies have shown Glycolic Acid may protect the skin against UV damage. However, you should always wear SPF, especially when using exfoliants.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:


Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. In skincare, sodium chloride plays many roles.
Sodium Chloride helps make product thicker. It also prevents ingredients from separating.
In some products, sodium chloride may be an abrasive, or exfoliator.
Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Sodium Citrate helps maintain the pH of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Sodium Citrate is a chelating agent. It neutralizes metal ions from water and prevents them from binding to other ingredients. This ensures the other ingredients will not be altered.

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form.
Sodium Hyaluronate is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. It plays a role in hydrating and soothing skin.
It is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints; it is commonly derived from sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
We don't have a description for Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate.
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.
Cholesterol is a class of organic molecules called lipids. It helps hydrate your skin and is essential to having a healthy skin barrier.
Our skin naturally contains cholesterol in the outermost layer. Besides cholesterol, it also contains ceramides and fatty acids. Cholesterol makes up about 1/4 of your skin's outer layer and barrier. Your skin barrier is responsible for keeping allergens and microbes out. Having a healthy skin barrier is also responsible for keeping your skin firm and plump.
Our bodies use cholestrol to create vitamin D, steroid hormones, and more.

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.
Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use.
It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.




Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!). A small amount is used in formulas to adjust the pH of products. In higher concentrations, it can exfoliate skin.
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:
Tetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.

Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate is a type of sulfate.
Phytosphingosine is a phospholipid naturally found in our skin. It helps moisturize, soothe, and protect skin.
Phytosphingosine is already present in our skin. On our skin, it is a building block for ceramides.
Phytosphingosine tells our skin to increase its natural moisturizing factor (NMF). The NMF is responsible for hydration, a strong barrier, and plasticity. Our NMF decreases with age. Increasing NMF leads to more healthy and hydrated skin.
Studies show products formulated with NMF ingredients help strengthen our skin's barrier. Having a healthy skin barrier reduces irritation and increases hydration. Our skin barrier is responsible for having plump and firm skin. It also helps protect our skin against infection, allergies, and inflammation.
Phytosphingosine is also abundant in plants and fungi.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.


Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Beautiful widgets for your website
Here's what our community thinks of the 29 ingredients in this product ✨
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 20 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to this product.
See 20 alternativesCompared With
Here are some products that CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser is often compared with.
Want to compare it with a different product? Head on over to our comparisons tool and you can!
Compared 15,208 times
Compared 6,608 times
Compared 5,633 times