Index / Cetaphil / Moisturizing Lotion
Cetaphil

Moisturizing Lotion.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion
Moisturizers

About this product

A lightweight, fragrance-free moisturizing lotion designed for dry to normal and sensitive skin, formulated with glycerin, niacinamide, and panthenol for hydration and barrier support.

Full ingredients

Guru Score

84%

Yay

10 experts · Strong agreement
10Gurus
9Yay
1Mixed
0Nay
#17 in MoisturizersSee the ranking →

What they liked

  • Lightweight but hydrating, absorbs quickly
  • Fragrance-free and non-comedogenic
  • Affordable with a convenient pump

What they flagged

  • May feel too thick for easily shine-prone skin

What the gurus are saying

This lotion earns consistent praise for striking a rare balance: it's genuinely moisturizing without feeling heavy or sticky, making it a solid choice for face and body year-round, especially in warmer months or for those who find heavier creams suffocating. The formula gets the basics right with no fragrance or alcohol, plus niacinamide and panthenol that support the skin barrier and may help with dark spots and irritation. One gentle note: it contains dimethicone, a silicone that works well but matters if you prefer to avoid synthetics.
Synthesized from 10 expert reviews · most recent take January 2026

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
Yay
"The positive here is they actually have a lot of good emollients. They've got glycerin, they've got hydrogenated poly isobutene, they've got pacia oil, they've got dimethicone, panthenol. 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."
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."
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
I Went to Costco for Skincare… Here’s What You Should and Shouldn’t Buy!
"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!
"One of my favorite moisturizers to apply to the face and body is the [...] 16 FL oz bottle of Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. 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. Cetaphil has three main ingredients in their products: glycerin, which is a hydrator and a humectant that draws in water and hydrates the skin; vitamin B3 or niacinamide that helps regulate sebum production, it's soothing and might even brighten the skin; [...] and lastly Pro vitamin B5 or panthenol, which is a moisturizing and hydrating ingredient very nice in moisturizers. So I think this is a great option and this is only $14 [...] for 16 fluid ounces. Apply it to damp skin within a few minutes of getting out of the shower when your skin's damp."
Yay
"This is the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion for dry to normal sensitive skin. 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
Say Goodbye to Dry Winter Skin: Dermatologist-Approved Bodycare Tips
"Or Ceda fails lotion for rough and bumpy skin"
Dermatologist’s 2024 Skincare Empties: Dr. Aleksandra Brown’s Favorites
"This is the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion for dry to normal sensitive skin. 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."
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."
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."
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. I want something with a little bit something extra so that way my skin feels a little more supported, and I definitely feel like Cetaphil's Moisturizing Lotion does the trick there. It contains wonderful ingredients including niacinamide, panthenol, and glycerin, but it's still pretty lightweight and fast absorbing. So I make that switch to this Moisturizing Lotion in the summertime, and then in the winter I will often use something a little bit thicker and creamier."
Top Pick: one stop shop moisturizer
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. Those things together really help support clearing of discoloration under the arms, which is an area prone to hyperpigmentation because you have sweat and friction."
All 6 takes from Dr Dray
*NEW* SKINCARE DEALS AT COSTCO August 2023 🛍 Dermatologist
"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. Those things together really help support clearing of discoloration under the arms, which is an area prone to hyperpigmentation because you have sweat and friction."
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."
*NEW* Costco Skincare & Beauty Deals NOT TO MISS (Summer 2025)
"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. Niacinamide is a lot easier to formulate into things [...] and does penetrate the skin, tends to be easier to tolerate."
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
"Cetaphil's Moisturizing Lotion was also reformulated with avocado oil as an emollient, and I happen to enjoy that in products, Cetaphil leans into that in some of their products. 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."
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
You Got Eczema? Your Questions Answered!
"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."
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."
Sponsored
All 3 takes from Dr. Somji Skin
Skin Flooding Explained: Is This Trend Worth Your Time?
"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."
Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion Review | Hydration for Dry Skin to Healthy Skin
"This is a great product if you've got dry to normal skin and sensitive skin. [...] It's been designed to be paired with a gentle skin cleanser, which is for dry to normal sensitive skin. If you've got an impaired skin barrier, people have done the research that if you use the gentle skin cleanser and the Moisturizing Lotion and use that twice daily, you will repair your barrier in a week. [...] So say if you've had a retinoid reaction, use these things for a week and it will repair your skin and then you can sometimes include some more actives later on as the skin gets a little bit stronger. 94% of users when they just use this cream once [...] can immediately see that the skin is a lot more hydrated after one use, which is fantastic. The only thing I would say is that within the ingredients there's some dimethicone. Silicones are not terribly bad for the skin, [...] but I personally will always say that we want to protect the world and hopefully it changes formulation and replaces the silicone as time goes by."
Ultimate Guide to Cetaphil Product Range | Skincare Essentials for Every Skin Type
"This is a great product if you've got dry to normal skin and sensitive skin. [...] It's been designed to be paired with a gentle skin cleanser, and if you've got an impaired skin barrier, people have done research showing that if you use the gentle skin cleanser and the Moisturizing Lotion [...] twice daily, you will repair your barrier in a week. [...] So if you've had a retinoid reaction, use these things for a week and it will repair your skin, and then you can sometimes include some more actives later on as your skin gets a little bit stronger. Ninety-four percent of users when they just use this cream once, [...] you can immediately see that the skin is a lot more hydrated after one use, which is fantastic. The only thing I would say is that within the ingredients there's some dimethicone. Silicones are not terribly bad for the skin, [...] but I personally will always say that we want to protect the world and hopefully change the formulation and replace the silicone as time goes by."

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 dry to normal and sensitive skin, formulated with glycerin, niacinamide, and panthenol for hydration and barrier support.

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 84%.

What is Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion's Guru Score?

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion holds a Guru Score of 84%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 10 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

Who is Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion best for?

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion is generally suited to dry skin and sensitive skin.

Same formula, worth a look.

Products built around the same core actives as this one, with what the experts make of each.

See how they stack up →

Similar products worth a look.

Other products the same gurus have weighed in on, plus more from this brand and category.

Compare side by side →

Share this score

Add this badge to your blog or website. It links back to this page and updates itself when the experts change their minds. Free, no sign-up.

Then paste it into your site's HTML or embed block.

This week's top beauty news, in your inbox.

A weekly read of the takes worth catching up on: the raves, the splits, the ones the gurus won't shut up about. Free, no spam, unsubscribe whenever.

Subscribe to the digest