CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum: a Guru Score of 74%

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Skin barrier support4 experts

“It has ceramides which are good for the moisture barrier.”

Excess oil and shine2 experts

“It has niacinamide which is also good for anti-aging purposes, and it's also good for the moisture barrier and for oiliness.”

Dr Dray, watch at 20:42

Rosacea2 experts

“I definitely feel CeraVe has probably one of the most gentle retinols that you can find, and definitely one that I think most individuals with sensitive and rosacea-prone skin can use and tolerate with minimal irritation.”

Dr. Jenny Liu, watch at 5:00

Dark spots and post-acne marks1 expert

“It's a retinol that also has some ingredients to help with really just most aging concerns, uneven tone, dark spots, etc.”

Doctorly, watch at 29:02

Calming retinoid irritation1 expert

“It has niacinamide which also helps with the redness and irritation that you might develop with getting used to the retinol.”

Dr Dray, watch at 3:49

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

~Yay

"The retinol in that line is amazing."

All 10 takes from Dr Dray

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"This one from CeraVe, the Skin Renewing Retinol Serum, is wonderful because it's really formulated to address the needs of skin types that tend to lean to development of uneven skin tone, discoloration, persistent redness, but are also seeking that smoothing effect from a topical retinol and are also seeking the anti-aging benefits of improved collagen production. One of the reasons I always recommend this is that L'Oreal, they are doing so much R&D behind the scenes."

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"This is one of my favorites, the CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum. It has hyaluronic acid which is hydrating and helps combat the dryness. It's a really effective retinol. [...] It has niacinamide which also helps with the redness and irritation that you might develop with getting used to the retinol. It has ceramides which are good for the moisture barrier."

Dermatologist Q&A: Tretinoin, Retinol, Sunscreen & Sensitive Skin

"You might find the CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum, which I've recommended, and it's got niacinamide in it. I don't like niacinamide, so you kind of have to pay attention to the ingredients more with a retinol like this."

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"Their Skin Renewing Retinol Serum is great if you're looking for an affordable effective retinol formula."

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"They do a good job with retinol. They've been in the game for a long time. Advanced retinol, triple hyaluronic acid. It also has hyaluronic acid which is good for moisturizing and hydrating and can have a temporary plumping effect. Shea butter is nice."

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"The retinol in that line is amazing."

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"I've been so impressed with their retinol. [...] The age renew retinol is really good."

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"The CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum is nineteen ninety-seven, and it has hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and niacinamide, same as the pricier L'Oréal retinol, since they're the same parent company. This one comes in an airless pump too, so there's really not [...] much reason to pay more for the L'Oréal one unless you just prefer that type of packaging."

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"There's another product that I love and frequently recommend, the CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum. It has many similar ingredients, it has niacinamide, it has the cholesterol, it has ceramides, it's a serum, same volume, you get an ounce of product. [...] I always recommend that retinol because of the ingredients and the formula, it's a good product."

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"Walgreens also has a generic version of CeraVe's Skin Renewing Retinol Serum, which I really really like, and it is much less expensive. It has niacinamide which is also good for anti-aging purposes, and it's also good for the moisture barrier and for oiliness."

208SkinDoc

2.11M subs

~Mixed

"This one is great for beginners because it has ceramides to help hydrate and repair the skin barrier, and it is a gentle retinol. [...] I personally didn't see amazing results with it, but I'm an experienced retinol user and my skin has been used to retinol for about 10 years, so it was a little bit on the weak side for me. But if you're brand new to retinol, it actually is a great option."

Sincerely Miss Ash

196k subs

~Yay

"This is a great affordable option for those that want to keep things budget friendly. This is also a great option for those that have sensitive skin or if you're a beginner to the retinol world. It's a great intro product. [...] This has an encapsulated retinol, which means that this has more of a gentle approach, even more gentle than just regular retinol. Anything that is encapsulated will have more of that slower delivery system into the skin, which means it's going to be more gentle for you."

All 3 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash

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"I would recommend using the CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum. I like this formulation because it's great for beginners, it has that encapsulated retinol. Now even though it has that encapsulated retinol, it doesn't mean that it's not going to be as effective as another type of retinol that you might find at the drugstore. This is a great intro retinol to start off with, to see how your skin does before you move to something stronger."

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"The CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum has to be one of my favorite retinols from the drugstore. This formula is quite gentle in my opinion and it's also very moisturizing, but of course we all react differently to retinol so you could possibly still experience irritation with this or even dryness."

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"This is a great affordable option for those that want to keep things budget friendly. This is also a great option for those that have sensitive skin or if you're a beginner to the retinol world. It's a great intro product. [...] This has an encapsulated retinol, which means that this has more of a gentle approach, even more gentle than just regular retinol. Anything that is encapsulated will have more of that slower delivery system into the skin, which means it's going to be more gentle for you."

Doctorly

3.59M subs

~Yay

"This is more of their anti-aging line, whereas the CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum you find in the acne aisle. [...] Both of them are good, I like the Resurfacing Retinol Serum a little better, but this is a product I've highlighted a million times before. It also has other supporting ingredients like licorice root [...] and niacinamide, and it's a really good starter retinol for somebody who wants to start a retinol and wants something that's going to be gentle on the skin but also effective."

All 4 takes from Doctorly

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"This is more of their anti-aging line, whereas the CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum you find in the acne aisle. [...] Both of them are good, I like the Resurfacing Retinol Serum a little better, but this is a product I've highlighted a million times before. It also has other supporting ingredients like licorice root [...] and niacinamide, and it's a really good starter retinol for somebody who wants to start a retinol and wants something that's going to be gentle on the skin but also effective."

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"So overall this is a winning product in my mind. [...] This one was around $18, which is a good price point for a starter retinol. Now this is not an advanced retinol, but for somebody who just simply wants clear skin, healthy skin over time, this is a really good starting point."

Saturday Skincare Live!

"One of my favorites is still the CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum. It's just so budget friendly, it kind of feels like the OG of a skinimalist product because it's inexpensive. It's a retinol that also has some ingredients to help with really just most aging concerns, uneven tone, dark spots, etc. So while it's probably not the most effective, and aesthetically it's good but not like lights out, I wouldn't take the time to talk about how good it feels."

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"The CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum here is like one of my favorites. It's budget friendly, it uses encapsulated slow release retinol, it's not expensive, and it keeps it very simple because it's like one product. You just use this at night Monday through Saturday."

MA

Mad About Skin

734k subs

~Nay

"I always think if brands aren't been transparent they're hiding something and it probably means that they have a super low dose of retinoid in their product it's probably not going to deliver a whole lot. CeraVe with their Skin Renewing Retinol Serum is one of two brands that I want to call out for being particularly secretive."

DM

Dr. Mamina

283k subs

~Yay

"If you have more sensitive skin, you may want to consider a more gentle option with a retinol, like the CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum."

DS

Dr. Somji Skin

361k subs

~Yay

"Using this retinol when I've tested it on the back of my hand, I think it's fantastic. It's something that can really help. They talk about dimethicone and the use of it, and it's a silicone that [...] helps with skin softness and coverage without making things heavy, which is what makes a product feel quite nice. They really justify their use of it."

All 2 takes from Dr. Somji Skin

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"It's something that can really help. They use dimethicone, which is silicone that [...] helps with skin softness and coverage without making things heavy, and that's what makes a product feel quite nice. [...] It's not bad for the skin and it's definitely in so many other skin products. That said, if you're going to be building it up, limiting the amount of dimethicone in your layered skincare is important, especially if you're acne prone, because you're going to gather debris."

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"Using this retinol when I've tested it on the back of my hand, I think it's fantastic. It's something that can really help. They talk about dimethicone and the use of it, and it's a silicone that [...] helps with skin softness and coverage without making things heavy, which is what makes a product feel quite nice. They really justify their use of it."

DD

Dr. Daniel Sugai

723k subs

~Yay

"If you're a beginner, if you have sensitive skin, if you have rosacea, you might want to stick with an over-the-counter retinol that you can find [...] at your store, whether it's the CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum... [...] those are gentle over-the-counter options to start off with."

All 4 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai

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"The CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum is good, it has the hyaluronic acid and encapsulated retinol, but I like the resurfacing Retinol Serum more than the skin renewing one. I feel like the texture is better on my skin with the resurfacing one, so I use that one more often than this one. [...] You only need a pea-size amount for your entire face, [...] so just a [...] pump on your fingertip, break it up into dots on your face, connect the dots, and that will be all you need."

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"You can consider CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum if you want something over the counter. I'm still able to tolerate my Alpharet, but sometimes you might not be able to do that every night, so you might want to alternate that with something like an over the counter retinol."

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"If you're a beginner, if you have sensitive skin, if you have rosacea, you might want to stick with an over-the-counter retinol that you can find [...] at your store, whether it's the CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum... [...] those are gentle over-the-counter options to start off with."

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"Niacinamide is a great versatile ingredient you can see in retinols like CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum, which has niacinamide in [...] it. That's great to pair with your retinol because niacinamide is brightening, it can regulate sebum production, and this vitamin B3 analog can also work on barrier repair."

DJ

Dr. Jenny Liu

324k subs

~Yay

"I certainly love this one and have definitely used this retinol all over my face, but sometimes I would use it as my retinol eye cream, and I've used it around my eyes, around my neck, and I have not had any issues. I definitely feel CeraVe has probably one of the most gentle retinols that you can find, and definitely one that I think most individuals with sensitive and rosacea-prone skin can use and tolerate with minimal irritation."

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All 2 takes from Dr. Jenny Liu

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"CeraVe has probably one of the most gentle drugstore retinols that you can find and definitely one that I think most individuals with sensitive and or rosacea prone skin can use and tolerate with minimal irritation. This one has a little bit more moisturizing property so great for those with more sensitive and dry skin."

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"I certainly love this one and have definitely used this retinol all over my face, but sometimes I would use it as my retinol eye cream, and I've used it around my eyes, around my neck, and I have not had any issues. I definitely feel CeraVe has probably one of the most gentle retinols that you can find, and definitely one that I think most individuals with sensitive and rosacea-prone skin can use and tolerate with minimal irritation."

TB

The Budget Dermatologist

725k subs

~Nay

"CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum, it's a good product but it has a retinol not retinaldehyde in it."

All 2 takes from The Budget Dermatologist

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"CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum, it's a good product but it has a retinol not retinaldehyde in it."

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"Buy this a dappling 0.1 gel not that Retinol Serum or fat cerivate Retinol Serum or any other type of retinol product"

DA

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

153k subs

~Yay

"Its base is a little richer, with encapsulated retinol, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and cholesterol. [...] These aren't dramatically different categories of retinoids and both are over-the-counter, so I wouldn't get paralyzed choosing between the two. [...] I do think these retinols make sense for someone who wants to start with an over-the-counter retinol and hasn't tolerated stronger retinoids."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Retinoids

Retinoids are among the best studied ingredients in dermatology, with solid evidence for acne and for the fine lines and rough texture that come from sun exposure. Dryness and flaking in the first few weeks are common and usually settle.

Source: DermNet

Niacinamide

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

Ceramides

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

Frequently asked.

What is CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum?

A lightweight retinol serum for the face that pairs encapsulated retinol with ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, designed to smooth skin and support anti-aging while helping protect the moisture barrier.

Is CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum worth it?

The gurus are split. 8 of the 11 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 2 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 74%.

What is CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum's Guru Score?

CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum holds a Guru Score of 74%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 11 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

Who is CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum best for?

CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum is generally suited to mature skin.

What is CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum is good for skin barrier support (4 experts), excess oil and shine (2 experts), rosacea (2 experts), dark spots and post-acne marks (1 expert) and calming retinoid irritation (1 expert).

Is CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum good for skin barrier support?

4 experts who reviewed CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum say it is. Dr Dray put it this way: “It has ceramides which are good for the moisture barrier.”