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Cetaphil

Moisturizing Lotion.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion
Moisturizers

About this product

A lightweight, fragrance-free moisturizing lotion formulated with glycerin, niacinamide, and panthenol for dry to normal sensitive skin on face and body.

Best for

Dry skinSensitive skin
Moisturizers

The Guru Index verdict

85%

Approved

Approved · 85%
Guru Certified
Broad expert consensus
8Reviewers
7Approved
1Mixed
0Skip
#14 in Best Moisturizers

What the gurus are saying

Gurus consistently praise this lotion as an effective, affordable workhorse suitable for face and body across seasons. They highlight its solid ingredient foundation (glycerin, niacinamide, panthenol), lightweight texture that absorbs quickly without stickiness, and gentle formulation that won't clog pores. Most favor it especially in summer or as a barrier-repair product; a few prefer the cream in winter for extra occlusion. One reviewer notes dimethicone as a minor environmental concern but acknowledges it's not skin-harmful. A mixed take flags that it doesn't stand out versus comparable drugstore dupes.
Synthesized from 8 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

NiacinamideVitamin EFragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dimethicone, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Pantolactone, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid

Every take, in full

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 Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Approved
"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."
Approved
"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 2 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."
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."
Approved
"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."
All 4 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."
Tingly Lips & Burning Hips
"They had Cetaphil lotion"
Approved
"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
"It's effective in treating dry, rough, and scaly skin conditions. It also contains shea butter, which is a tree nut-derived emollient that moisturizes and visibly improves dry, compromised skin. Also niacinamide, or vitamin B3, which will strengthen the skin barrier and soothe the irritation."
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."
Approved
"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."
Approved
"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
Approved
"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."
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All 5 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."
Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion Review | Hydration for Dry Skin to Healthy Skin
"If you use the gentle skin cleanser and the moisturizing lotion twice daily, you will repair your barrier in a week. 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 will 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 the formulation and replaces the silicone as time goes by because we've got to look after our planet."
Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion Review | Hydration for Dry Skin to Healthy Skin
"94% of users when they just use this cream once like I did just on camera 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 obviously within the ingredients there's some dimethicone. Silicones are not terribly bad for the skin, sometimes to get a bad rep, but I personally will always say that you know we want to protect the world and hopefully it changes a formulation and replace the silicone as time goes by because we got to look after our planet."
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."
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