Cetaphil

Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream.

Moisturizers

About this product

A rich, fragrance-free night cream designed to hydrate and repair the skin barrier, formulated with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide, and panthenol for dry and sensitive skin.

Full ingredients

Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phospholipids, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Isohexadecane, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Methicone, Phenoxyethanol, Peg-40 Stearate, Steareth-2, Steareth-21, Retinyl Palmitate, Linoleic Acid, Lycopene

Guru Score

84%

Yay

8 experts · Strong agreement

What the gurus are saying

This cream earns consistent praise for sinking in fast despite its rich formula, making it work even for those with oily or irritation-prone skin who might skip heavier moisturizers. Dermatologists and beauty experts highlight the zinc and ceramides that calm inflammation and restore the barrier, and note it's thick enough to act like a barrier-repair workhorse without feeling heavy or sticky. At around $16, gurus recommend it especially for very dry winter skin, irritated and raw complexions, and anyone wanting a budget-friendly alternative to pricier barrier creams.

Synthesized from 8 expert reviews · most recent take August 2025

What they liked

Fast-absorbing, not heavy
Fragrance-free
Comforting for irritated skin

What they flagged

Nothing. None of the experts who reviewed it raised a problem.

Best for

Dry skin Sensitive skin

Type

MoisturizersCream

Key actives

Vitamin C Retinoid Hyaluronic acidVitamin E

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Ulta → Amazon → Google → iHerb →

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Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

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 support2 experts

“It contains hyaluronic acid, three essential ceramides, along with biomimetic peptides that help boost skin hydration and help restore and repair the skin barrier.”

Dr. Jenny Liu, watch at 14:52

Irritated or reactive skin1 expert

“For days when my skin just feels really irritated, there's a lot of redness and rawness, and I just want pure comfort, then I really love Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream.”

Gothamista, watch at 12:21

Fine lines and wrinkles1 expert

“This is an ultra-rich moisturizer that is formulated with wonderful ingredients to help support dry, sensitive skin, especially those with concerns of skin aging like fine lines and wrinkles.”

Dr. Jenny Liu, watch at 14:52

Loss of firmness1 expert

“If you have any kind of creepy neck or you're seeing your skin, this basically acts like temporary Spanx for the neck and really holds it all in, giving you the illusion of firmer-looking skin because it holds onto moisture.”

Dr. Shereene Idriss, watch at 11:08

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

Beyond50Skin

32k subs

✓Yay

"Cetaphil's moisturizing cream for very dry skin is highly recommended by her, especially good for dry skin in the winter. Her family helped her finish it off."

All 2 takes from Beyond50Skin

Amazon Big Deal Days! (SKINCARE MAKEUP & HAIR CARE OVER 50!)

"I started using it on my grandson for his very dry eczema prone skin and ended up using it for myself. [...] If you have super dry skin, winter and cooler months are coming and this will be one of your favorite skin savers."

6 Months of Skincare Empties | My Husband’s 1st Routine in 60 Years + Results

"Cetaphil's moisturizing cream for very dry skin is highly recommended by her, especially good for dry skin in the winter. Her family helped her finish it off."

Dr. Somji Skin

361k subs

✓Yay

"This is a rich night cream from Cetaphil which is much thicker. It's still got the nice niacinamide, the panthenol, the vitamin E in it, but it's really going to stop any moisture loss because it's thicker in texture."

Gothamista

683k subs

✓Yay

"For days when my skin just feels really irritated, there's a lot of redness and rawness, and I just want pure comfort, then I really love Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream. I don't find this to be very rich, [...] but there's something so comforting about it. It's very moisturizing, which is exactly what my skin needs when it's feeling irritated and raw. This is one of my favorite drugstore moisturizers."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"The Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream [...] is a really good rich facial moisturizer. It has avocado seed oil in it as well as hyaluronic acid."

All 5 takes from Dr Dray

Skincare Dupes At CVS Drugstore

"The Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream [...] is a really good rich facial moisturizer. It has avocado seed oil in it as well as hyaluronic acid."

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"This is a very rich cream with niacinamide, and in contrast to the lotion this is a lot richer of a formula."

SKIN CARE EMPTIES 2022 🗑 DERMATOLOGIST @DrDrayzday

"I also finished this one up by Cetaphil, their Rich Hydrating Cream, and I went through it pretty quickly. The consistency is not as heavy as CeraVe cream, it's more of a lightweight, fast absorbing lotion consistency. But this is a great product, no fragrance, and if you're just looking for a basic facial moisturizer, maybe for very sensitive rosacea prone skin, this would be a wonderful choice."

Vlog: Trying out TATCHA CLAY MASK 😍 TARGET RUN 🛍 @DrDrayzday

"This is the Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream. Love this, as the name implies it is rich and hydrating, but it's [...] a really fast absorbing cream consistency, almost like a splash in the face feel rather than a dense cream. [...] If you have oily skin and you're dealing with a lot of irritation and skin barrier issues, try this out, you might actually like it even though it's marketed for dry sensitive skin. It is on the shiny side, but for a nighttime moisturizer who cares."

Starting tretinoin: WHAT TO USE & AVOID| Dermatologist @DrDrayzday

"I like this product from Cetaphil, their Rich Hydrating Cream for dry and normal sensitive skin. This is a great option too to use."

Dr. Jenny Liu

324k subs

✓Yay

"You have to check out Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream for $15. This is an ultra-rich moisturizer that is formulated with wonderful ingredients to help support dry, sensitive skin, especially those with concerns of skin aging like fine lines and wrinkles. It contains hyaluronic acid, three essential ceramides, along with biomimetic peptides that help boost skin hydration and help restore and repair the skin barrier."

Nipun Kapur

413k subs

✓Yay

"I might repair green because it has retinol ester and this is very very gentle"

Translated from the guru's original language.

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

✓Yay

"I absolutely love the Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Night Cream. It retails for approximately $16 and the reason I love this particular product is that it is extremely thick and rich as a moisturizer, and it contains zinc, which is [...] a very good anti-inflammatory. [...] If your skin is dry, cracked, and your barrier is broken, you want to look for a moisturizer with zinc, and this is one that I love to base my face in like a turkey on Thanksgiving morning."

All 2 takes from Dr. Shereene Idriss

Best Moisturizers to Soothe & Hydrate Your Skin! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

Best Products & Treatments for Your Neck! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"It has an excellent emollient cream formula. Because of its texture with white soft paraffin and light liquid paraffin, it goes on so light and whipped that it doesn't feel heavy like Vaseline would, and [...] it gets absorbed so easily into the neck. [...] If you have any kind of creepy neck or you're seeing your skin, this basically acts like temporary Spanx for the neck and really holds it all in, giving you the illusion of firmer-looking skin because it holds onto moisture."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

✓Yay

"The Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Night Cream is super popular and it's a good price at $16. I've heard a lot of people use this for underneath makeup. This is basically a less expensive, better version of things like Vaseline or petroleum jelly, or even La Mer in a twisted way. [...] The main ingredient in here is water, then we have paraffinium liquidum which is what's in Nivea and La Mer. [...] We do have some shea butter and some hydrolized soy protein, which we do like."

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

Vitamin C

Topical vitamin C is an antioxidant with reasonable evidence for dullness and uneven tone. It breaks down in light and air, so how a product is formulated and packaged matters as much as the percentage on the front.

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 Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream?

A rich, fragrance-free night cream designed to hydrate and repair the skin barrier, formulated with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide, and panthenol for dry and sensitive skin.

Is Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream worth it?

Yes. All 8 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 84%.

What is Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream's Guru Score?

Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream holds a Guru Score of 84%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 8 expert reviewers we have collected.

Who is Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream best for?

Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream is generally suited to dry skin and sensitive skin.

What is Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream is good for skin barrier support (2 experts), irritated or reactive skin (1 expert), fine lines and wrinkles (1 expert) and loss of firmness (1 expert).

Is Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream good for skin barrier support?

2 experts who reviewed Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream say it is. Dr. Jenny Liu put it this way: “It contains hyaluronic acid, three essential ceramides, along with biomimetic peptides that help boost skin hydration and help restore and repair the skin barrier.”

Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream.

84%

What the experts use it for.

Skin barrier support2 experts

Irritated or reactive skin1 expert

Fine lines and wrinkles1 expert

Loss of firmness1 expert

What the gurus are saying.

What the evidence says.

Retinoids

Vitamin C

Humectants and emollients

Frequently asked.

What is Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream?

Is Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream worth it?

What is Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream's Guru Score?

Who is Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream best for?

What is Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream good for, according to the experts?

Is Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream good for skin barrier support?

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