Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion: a Guru Score of 85%

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.

Breakouts and acne1 expert

“If you're seriously breakout prone and you've got compromised skin, this is not a bad option and it's better and safer than slugging if you're worried about breakouts.”

Dr. Somji Skin, watch at 5:25

Dark spots and post-acne marks1 expert

“If you have hyperpigmentation under the arms, a moisturizer with niacinamide can help brighten it, depending on the cause.”

Dr Dray, watch at 18:33

Redness1 expert

“It's a good option for the body if you're prone to discoloration or redness.”

Dr Dray, watch at 7:10

Skin barrier support1 expert

“It's got some nice ingredients in there such as niacinamide and panthenol, as well as cetyl alcohol which is going to help with your skin barrier.”

Dr. Somji Skin, watch at 3:25

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. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

✓Yay

"They've used water as the solvent, which is good. So no alcohol, there's no fragrance. They're doing very well. [...] Very gentle, non-comedogenic. I would say buy this for the body. They've got the basics right. After all the brands that I've reviewed who've got the basics wrong, when I see someone who actually gets the basics right, I'm like, 'Yay, go buy it.' Definitely this one is fine. This is going to suit your skin. You're going to have no issues."

208SkinDoc

2.10M subs

✓Yay

"The moisturizer I recommend and use frequently is the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. It's a lightweight but hydrating formula that works for most skin types and won't clog your pores. [...] Even if you have oily skin, you still need to moisturize."

Dr. Daniel Sugai

723k subs

✓Yay

"In the summertime, do consider a lightweight lotion to keep your moisturizing game up. You don't want a thick occlusive suffocating moisturizing cream. And so the Moisturizing Lotion by Cetaphil is great."

Top Pick: face and body moisturizer

All 3 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai

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"In the summertime, do consider a lightweight lotion to keep your moisturizing game up. You don't want a thick occlusive suffocating moisturizing cream. And so the Moisturizing Lotion by Cetaphil is great."

The Truth About Pore Size: Can You Really Shrink Them?

"If you want a nice moisturizer for your face and body, Cetaphil has niacinamide. Their moisturizing cream or their lotion will have it in their products, [...] and you can use that either the cream or the lotion on your face and body. So that's a nice hack there, if you want just one product, nice moisturizing product, go ahead and get Cetaphil's moisturizing cream or Moisturizing Lotion."

Dermatologist Reviews: The Best $50 Skincare Routine!

"Cetaphil has done a great job with their moisturizing cream and their lotion. I chose their lotion in this video because this is very versatile and it's very lightweight for the face, so not comedogenic. The cream yes you can use on your face especially in the winter time, but this is just a nice versatile product that you can consider for your face all year round. It's very convenient coming out of a pump."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

153k subs

✓Yay

"You want to apply this immediately after the shower, so I'll pat dry on damp skin and apply immediately. I like the lotion for face and body. My kids use this a lot because it's good head to toe. If your skin is more on the dry side or in the winter months, cream is a little bit better option, it is a little bit thicker, but the Cetaphil Lotion applies really nice. It does not have any smell to it. It spreads super easy and you can put your clothes on pretty quick. It's not sticky at all."

All 2 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown

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"Or Ceda fails lotion for rough and bumpy skin"

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"You want to apply this immediately after the shower, so I'll pat dry on damp skin and apply immediately. I like the lotion for face and body. My kids use this a lot because it's good head to toe. If your skin is more on the dry side or in the winter months, cream is a little bit better option, it is a little bit thicker, but the Cetaphil Lotion applies really nice. It does not have any smell to it. It spreads super easy and you can put your clothes on pretty quick. It's not sticky at all."

The Style and Beauty Doctor

222k subs

✓Mixed

"The consistency has some viscosity to it, has a little thickness to it, but it doesn't feel heavy. It feels more like a gel although it does look like a thicker lotion. [...] I am not feeling a difference here either when it comes to the dupe or the original."

Kelly Driscoll

91k subs

✓Yay

"I love the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. It's really affordable and comes with a pump, so this is the one I really like to keep right next to my sink for right after washing my hands. It is very silky and nourishing but it's not overly greasy. It doesn't make my hands feel too slippery. It absorbs in really fast and easily, and I think it's just a really great straightforward everyday type of lotion."

Dr. Jenny Liu

324k subs

✓Yay

"The lotion version is actually quite moisturizing but not sticky, not heavy. I personally love it in the summertime as my body moisturizer but also works really well as a facial moisturizer. It's great if you're looking for a one-stop shop product to use on yourself, on your kid, for the whole family. [...] For most other brands like Vanicream's Moisturizing Lotion or CeraVe's Moisturizing Lotion, it's a little bit too light for me."

Top Pick: one stop shop moisturizer

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion is a good option. It has panthenol and niacinamide. [...] If you have hyperpigmentation under the arms, a moisturizer with niacinamide can help brighten it, depending on the cause. [...] If you have hyperpigmentation related to chronic irritation, the niacinamide can help because it interferes with the transfer of pigment packets from the melanocyte to the surrounding skin cells. It's also anti-inflammatory and helps with the moisture barrier."

All 6 takes from Dr Dray

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"Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion is a good option. It has panthenol and niacinamide. [...] If you have hyperpigmentation under the arms, a moisturizer with niacinamide can help brighten it, depending on the cause. [...] If you have hyperpigmentation related to chronic irritation, the niacinamide can help because it interferes with the transfer of pigment packets from the melanocyte to the surrounding skin cells. It's also anti-inflammatory and helps with the moisture barrier."

Trying New Skincare While Traveling | Travel Vlog

"I brought Cetaphil's Moisturizing Lotion with me. I put this on my body after I got out of the shower."

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"Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion, you can use on the face. They switched up the formula a couple of years ago and it now has vitamin B5, which is panthenol, and niacinamide. Niacinamide has more clinical data these days for doing a variety of things for the skin. It's an antioxidant, it can be helpful for dark spots and hyperpigmentation, it can improve the look of sun damage, and niacinamide has actually been shown to improve glycation and skin sallowness."

NEW COSTCO SKINCARE 🛍 TRYING THE SOL DE JANIERO DUPE @DrDrayzday

"If you're someone who finds that the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream [...] stings or burns, then definitely snag the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion instead, which is a more lightweight version and is also a little less expensive per ounce."

NEW SKIN CARE AT COSTCO 🛍 DERMATOLOGIST @DrDrayzday

"I've always liked the texture of it, [...] I find that it's not greasy. It does have niacinamide, so this is not going to be an option for you if you're sensitive to it, but if you're not sensitive to it, it's going to be helpful if you get hyperpigmentation, like under the arms or on the knees, it can help brighten up any hyperpigmentation. [...] It's a good option for the body if you're prone to discoloration or redness."

NEW SUMMER 2022 SKIN CARE AT TARGET 🛍 DERMATOLOGIST @DrDrayzday

"You've got the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion, that's a good one, you can use this on the face, it's your facial moisturizer."

Hyram

4.33M subs

✓Yay

"If your skin struggles with shininess, this one might be a little too thick, but the nice thing about it is that it has a simple ingredient list, really basic, no fragrance, and it's super affordable."

All 2 takes from Hyram

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"Cetaphil is known for being really effective at helping with moisturizing the skin, and I honestly think it's a fine brand. It's not the one that I typically recommend or think is the best though. I think the kings of treating eczema are either Aveeno, CeraVe, or Vanicream."

Roasting My Straight Guy Friends’ Skin Care Routines

"If your skin struggles with shininess, this one might be a little too thick, but the nice thing about it is that it has a simple ingredient list, really basic, no fragrance, and it's super affordable."

Dr. Somji Skin

361k subs

✓Yay

"The Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion is great to almost lock in that moisture. It's [...] a lower version of slugging in that you're just layering lightweight stuff and the thickest thing you're going to put on is probably a moisturizing cream. [...] If you're seriously breakout prone and you've got compromised skin, this is not a bad option and it's better and safer than slugging if you're worried about breakouts."

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

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

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Frequently asked.

What is Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion?

A lightweight, fragrance-free moisturizing lotion designed for face and body use, formulated with niacinamide and panthenol to hydrate without clogging pores.

Is Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion worth it?

Mostly yes. 9 of the 10 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 85%.

What is Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion's Guru Score?

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion holds a Guru Score of 85%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 10 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.

Who is Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion best for?

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion is generally suited to sensitive skin.

What is Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion is good for breakouts and acne (1 expert), dark spots and post-acne marks (1 expert), redness (1 expert) and skin barrier support (1 expert).