A salicylic acid foaming cleanser for the face and body that exfoliates and clears away oil and dead skin, formulated with ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide.
Aqua/Water/Eau, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Niacinamide, Gluconolactone, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Zea Mays Oil/Corn Oil, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Calcium Gluconate, Sodium Chloride, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholecalciferol, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
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Guru Score
The Guru Score: every expert's verdict on a product, in one simple number.
Under the score you'll see how many experts weighed in, or "Early verdict" while only a few have. Paid takes count for half in the score.
Guru Certified means at least 6 experts, a score of 85% or more, and almost no Nays.
How we score →Yay
23 experts · Strong agreementWhat the gurus are saying
Nobody can say exactly how much salicylic acid is in this cleanser, since the number isn't disclosed, and guesses run from about 0.5% to 2%. Either way, reviewers find it a gentle exfoliator, with ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide keeping dryness in check, and it suits oily, acne-prone and even sensitive skin. It won't be enough for every case of acne, and very dry sensitive skin is best kept to occasional use.
What they liked
What they flagged
The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.
“It's a fantastic product for acne-prone skin.”
Dr. Vanita Rattan, watch at 4:50
“Great to use on face and body, great for those with oily and combination skin for acne-prone skin.”
Dr. Jenny Liu, watch at 3:16
“Great at the end of the day to help clean out your pores.”
Dr. Daniel Sugai, watch at 6:16
“It has niacinamide, which is good for dry skin, [...] hyperpigmentation and redness, plus hyaluronic acid for moisture and ceramides.”
Dr Dray, watch at 12:08
“It includes hydrating and calming ingredients to prevent over drying or irritation even with regular use.”
Dr. Aleksandra Brown, watch at 2:49
“CeraVe makes fantastic products with ceramides in them which really help with the skin barrier.”
Dr Dray, watch at 8:23
“This one is going to subtly help congested pores and rough skin texture without irritating the skin.”
The Budget Dermatologist, watch at 9:11
“A really great body wash for keratosis pilaris is the CeraVe SA Cleansing Wash.”
Dr Dray, watch at 11:28
Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.
Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.
Niacinamide has evidence behind it for redness, uneven tone and supporting the skin barrier, and it is usually well tolerated even by skin that reacts to most things.
Source: DermNet
Salicylic acid dissolves in oil, so it can get into a pore rather than just working on the surface. That is why it has long-standing evidence for blackheads and milder acne.
Source: DermNet
Ceramides are part of the skin's own barrier, and moisturisers built around them have evidence for holding water in and settling the tightness and flaking that come with a damaged barrier.
Source: DermNet
A salicylic acid foaming cleanser for the face and body that exfoliates and clears away oil and dead skin, formulated with ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide.
Mostly yes. 20 of the 23 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 75%.
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser holds a Guru Score of 75%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 23 expert reviewers we have collected.
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser is generally suited to oily skin and acne-prone skin.
In their reviews, experts say CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser is good for breakouts and acne (6 experts), excess oil and shine (6 experts), clogged or visible pores (5 experts), redness (1 expert), irritated or reactive skin (1 expert) and skin barrier support (1 expert).
6 experts who reviewed CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser say it is. Dr. Vanita Rattan put it this way: “It's a fantastic product for acne-prone skin.”
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See how they stack up →Other products the same gurus have weighed in on, plus more from this brand and category.
Compare side by side →Stories where our editors dug into this product or its brand.
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