CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel: a Guru Score of 79%

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.

Excess oil and shine4 experts

“I would say this is best for oily to normal skin.”

Irritated or reactive skin1 expert

“It's a skin protectant and it really does help keep my eyelids from getting dry and irritated by the salicylic acid in these products, because normally when I use salicylic acid it'll catch up to me and I'll get dry eyelids.”

Dr Dray, watch at 15:42

Skin barrier support1 expert

“This one is great because it has niacinamide again to help control oil, and there's also ceramides and hyaluronic acid to make sure the skin barrier is intact.”

April Basi, watch at 3:36

Calming retinoid irritation1 expert

“It layers really nicely. It's a great lightweight hydrating moisturizer that you could use alongside your retinoids and not have the issue of pilling, especially if you're using tretinoin gel, which [...] often can pill if you use too much or you're using it alongside certain moisturizers.”

Dr Dray, watch at 6:10

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

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Yay

"This one can be nice, in my opinion. This one sets to such a nice finish. It can be used for women, gentlemen, everybody, and it works well underneath sunscreen. It's got such a really nice gel texture, absorbs quickly. You can't really tell you've applied anything. Some things leave a radiant finish. This does not. In my experience using it, it soaks in pretty quickly, which is nice. So in here we've got ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E are the main stars of the show in this one."

All 4 takes from No BS Beauty

CeraVe Skincare New! Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel Review, How to, Cruelty Free Dupes

"It has a wonderful gel texture. [...] It absorbs really quickly, and once it soaks in it sets to a natural finish. It's not super matte but it's not shiny either. [...] Once it soaks in it looks more natural or almost slightly matte. It's nonsticky and it works nicely over vitamin C products, which is a good thing because a lot of vitamin C products make other products either foam up underneath them or disintegrate or turn watery or mushy."

CeraVe Skincare New! Ultra Light Moisturizing Gel Initial Impressions Review

"No, it's not going to do any of those things. It's a basic, simple hydrating moisturizer. It's got a little bit of niacinamide in there which will help, but I look for things with peptides in them or just something more exciting. CeraVe is not super expensive, but they're not as affordable as some other brands that might have some more exciting moisturizers with some more benefits for redness or anti-aging."

Most Anticipated Products of the Year 🙌 Which Skincare Delivered on My Hype & What Disappointed

"CeraVe came out with this Ultra Light Moisturizing Gel, which is a really nice gel textured product. It's one that was somewhere in the middle. I didn't totally fall in love with it, but if you have oily skin without many anti-aging or acne concerns, I think this is a decent, affordable middle-of-the-road moisturizer. For exciting ingredients, there's not really any anti-aging or anything like that in here. It's got ceramides, niacinamide, vitamin E, cholesterol."

Top Lightweight Gel Cream Moisturizers for Daytime + Layering Under Sunscreen

"This one can be nice, in my opinion. This one sets to such a nice finish. It can be used for women, gentlemen, everybody, and it works well underneath sunscreen. It's got such a really nice gel texture, absorbs quickly. You can't really tell you've applied anything. Some things leave a radiant finish. This does not. In my experience using it, it soaks in pretty quickly, which is nice. So in here we've got ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E are the main stars of the show in this one."

Doctorly

3.59M subs

✓Yay

"It's a lightweight gel moisturizer that could be used morning or night and it's actually a really good one too."

All 2 takes from Doctorly

Products We HATE and LOVE from CeraVe | Doctorly Reviews

"Starting out with the lightest moisturizer from CeraVe, this is for somebody who has really oily skin that really wants weightless hydration. So that would be the Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel. This is the lightest, it's the most like a serum."

The Ultimate Summer Skincare Routine

"It's a lightweight gel moisturizer that could be used morning or night and it's actually a really good one too."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"I adore this. It's a skin protectant and it really does help keep my eyelids from getting dry and irritated by the salicylic acid in these products, because normally when I use salicylic acid it'll catch up to me and I'll get dry eyelids."

All 5 takes from Dr Dray

Skincare Travel Vlog - Come To The Airport With Me

"It's not a favorite, it's not bad. It's the CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel. I reviewed this for you guys a while ago and I tried it for a while prior to that review and I really haven't touched it since. [...] In my opinion it's like a slightly lighter version of CeraVe PM, but like you can barely tell the difference actually. It's splitting hairs [...] to notice a difference. But I actually think [...] it's this product that's causing my lips to be a little irritated."

A Holiday Skincare Surprise 🎄

"This is the CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel. It's okay, it's definitely not a favorite. It's not bad, it's actually good, it's just like I don't find it to be too much different. I don't find this to be strikingly different from CeraVe PM. It's like ever so slightly lighter in consistency."

*NEW* CERAVE SKINCARE REVIEWS 2023 @DrDrayzday

"It layers really nicely. It's a great lightweight hydrating moisturizer that you could use alongside your retinoids and not have the issue of pilling, especially if you're using tretinoin gel, which [...] often can pill if you use too much or you're using it alongside certain moisturizers. I think that this particular moisturizer will go nicely with the tretinoin gel formula. If you have oily skin and don't really need much of a moisturizer, I think you will enjoy this."

So Many Empties 🗑 Skincare And Hair Care I Used Up 2023

"I enjoyed this it's fine but I would not repurchase it. It's basically in my opinion very very similar if not identical to CeraVe PM, their lightweight facial moisturizer, which I've always loved and recommended. This is almost identical, slightly more lightweight. The consistencies are ever so slightly different, [...] but this is a little more expensive if I remember correctly, so I say just stick with CeraVe PM. Not bad but didn't blow me out of the water."

New Korean Skincare & Listening To Led Zeppelin | Vlog

"I adore this. It's a skin protectant and it really does help keep my eyelids from getting dry and irritated by the salicylic acid in these products, because normally when I use salicylic acid it'll catch up to me and I'll get dry eyelids."

April Basi

72k subs

✓Yay

"The next one is the Ultra-Light Gel Moisturizer. I love the gel texture for oily skin because it just feels better, especially for me as someone with more oily skin. I just love the feeling of a gel on my skin, it just feels so hydrating. This one is great because it has niacinamide again to help control oil, and there's also ceramides and hyaluronic acid to make sure the skin barrier is intact."

Abbey Yung

887k subs

✓Yay

"This has niacinamide, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid. The texture is perfect for anyone that has really oily skin that can't handle the weight of a heavier cream during the day, or anyone looking for a more weightless option that layers well under sunscreen and makeup and isn't going to make skin look more shiny when it's hot and humid. Is it the most beautiful amazing moisturizer ever tried? No, but does it get the job done without breaking the bank? Yes."

What the evidence says.

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

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

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel?

A lightweight gel-textured facial moisturizer from CeraVe, formulated with ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin and support the skin barrier, for normal to oily skin.

Is CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel worth it?

Yes. All 5 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 79%.

What is CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel's Guru Score?

CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel holds a Guru Score of 79%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 5 expert reviewers we have collected.

Who is CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel best for?

CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel is generally suited to oily skin and normal skin.

What is CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel is good for excess oil and shine (4 experts), irritated or reactive skin (1 expert), skin barrier support (1 expert) and calming retinoid irritation (1 expert).

Is CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel good for excess oil and shine?

4 experts who reviewed CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel say it is. No BS Beauty put it this way: “I would say this is best for oily to normal skin.”