CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser - Formula Change?!

[ShortErica]

Hi all,

I've been a CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser user and fan for a while. Great 2nd step in a double cleanse in my opinion. I buy the bottles at a wholesale club to get a better size/price. Anyway, I noticed when I opened my latest bottle it has a somewhat plastic/clay smell. I feel like I recognize the scent but can't pinpoint it.

So I went searching online and others have complained about a scent too. It appears there was a formulation change. But the ingredients were exactly the same as my last bottle - at least according to the bottles. Is it possible that they switched ingredients and didn't update the packaging?

Online they do have a new ingredient list but like I said, my two bottles matched ingredient-wise. Here's the updated ingredients:

There are no longer parabens. It appears there isn't hyaluronic acid anymore and now it has sodium hyaluronate. Also the order is different, which if I'm reading correctly, looks like less of the good stuff because more ingredients are listed before the ceramides and sodium hyaluronate.

Has anyone else used the updated formula? Do you smell anything? Thanks in advance!

[dejawilliams21]

Hey there! What is your first step in cleansing for skincare? I'm interested!

[greeneyedgirl107]

@ShortErica Beautypedia did an updated review of CeraVe's Hydrating Facial Cleanser now that the formula has changed.  Thought you might be interested.  Here is it (it got 5/5 stars):

Spoiler

CeraVe’s Hydrating Facial Cleanser’s had a bit of an ingredient update since we first reviewed it, but it remains an excellent face wash option for normal to dry skin.

Packaged in an opaque bottle with a pump dispenser, this fragrance-free wash has a gel-lotion texture. When it contacts water it becomes almost balmy, with a very emollient feel that somewhat resembles a cleansing oil. It does a good job removing dirt and oil, but you’ll need to go in with a separate makeup remover if you want to take off any makeup you’ve been wearing. (We should note: CeraVe makes no claims about this cleanser when it comes to makeup removal.)

Despite its balmy feel, this rinses cleanly, leaving skin feeling conditioned and smooth, not dry and tight. This is thanks to hydrating glycerin, fatty alcohols, and a mix of skin-replenishing ceramides the brand is known for having in every product. Though this is a rinse-off formula, it’s still good to have these ingredients inside!

We’re glad to say that Hydrating Facial Cleanser remains one of the better dry skin face washes you’ll find at the drug store.

PROS:

• Balmy, emollient cleanser is good for normal to dry skin.
• Does a good job removing dirt and oil.
• Rinses cleanly, leaving skin feeling softer after.
• Fragrance free.

CONS:

Makeup removal will require a separate product.

I just bought the value size of it and it arrived today from Ulta.  Boy, it's big!!!

[ShortErica]

Thanks for the tag @greeneyedgirl107! I'm still disappointed about the scent in my bottle (of course value size) and it's the old formula. I would always pick it up at BJ's and have one in the shower and one at the sink. I'm tempted to smell it in-store to see if there's an odor and also check if the new formulation is there now. The last time I bought a value size bottle was last fall I think.

I'm hoping to finish it soon and then work my way through some samples. I've been looking at reviews of gentle cleansers and picked up the La Roche Posay Toleraine Hydrating Cleanser. I'll let you know how it compares or if I plan to go back to CeraVe once I get around to it. Does yours have any plastic-like scent?

[greeneyedgirl107]

@ShortErica Curious to see what cleanser you wind up choosing!  I haven't noticed a plastic smell per se, but my sense of smell of smell is very poor.  (A blessing in disguise, in some cases!)  I've actually been using my CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser more and more.  My skin is getting dry with the N95 mask. and I find the cleanser to be helpful.  I do mix it with my First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser 5 oz/ 150 mL , though!

[ShortErica]

How coincidental @greeneyedgirl107! I think that's part of the 21 days of beauty and was considering getting it. It was another I read good reviews on for gentle cleansers. What would you say, worth it? Any preference between it and CeraVe?

[greeneyedgirl107]

@ShortErica I highly rec the First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser 8 oz/ 237 mL !  I've been using it for years, and am going to pick up another on 9/17 when it's 50% off.  I find the CeraVe to be more gentle.  However, the FAB is rather gentle, too.  I like how it lathers.  Lately I've been using the FAB for when I have to really cut through the grease/oil on my skin - I find it to be more effective than the CeraVe in that regard.  I also use it to remove makeup.  I haven't been wearing makeup for weeks due to COVID, but when I got back to makeup I will need the FAB.  I think you know that the CeraVe doesn't remove makeup well.

I've been using the CeraVe when my skin is less greasy.  Like first thing in the morning, or before bed.  (I wash my face three times a day - morning, when I get home from work, and before bed.)  I also use the CeraVe when my face feels a little angry due to wearing an N95 mask at work.  I think I will also be using the CeraVe more when the cold weather hits.

Right now, I feel like both cleansers are must-haves for me.  🙂  The FAB is also on sale frequently enough, so I've only ever had to pay full-price once.  I somehow manage to snag them when they're 50% off so I find them to be affordable.  Let me know how you like it if you wind up buying one.

[ShortErica]

Sounds like I need to try it @greeneyedgirl107! And I feel like I've learned that, different gentle cleansers can be used for different purposes. I agree that CeraVe doesn't help with getting any grim off, definitely not makeup. I think it's best as a morning cleanser. Your description makes me think FAB would be good when I need to ensure I've removed tinted SPF and have that extra umph for the 2nd step of a double cleanse. I am a bit hesitant about the lather description. Most things that foam seem to get my skin a bit too squeaky clean but lather should be more gentle. Thanks for the info about it. And good to know it's frequently on sale if it becomes part of my routine. 😊

[greeneyedgirl107]

@ShortErica I understand your hesitation about foaming.  The FAB does lather, but I would not call it foaming.  IDK if you are familiar with Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, but I used that for years and it was true to its name - it foamed.  The FAB is definitely not like that.  🙂

[ShortErica]

That makes sense @greeneyedgirl107. Any foaming I've used always tends to get up my nose somehow! 😂

[alliex324]

Hi guys! I know not a lot of you are a fan of the new formula change BUT I found the new formula to be a lot cleaner. There’s an app called “think dirty” and it basically tells you what each ingredient is, in whatever beauty product you’re using. They still have the old formula on the app and the parabens are the most troubling out of the whole ingredient list. Hope this information helps! 
I posted some pictures

[WinglessOne]

@alliex324  That app seems problematic. I just skimmed their methodology page (at their website), glanced at their list of US sources, and saw groups like PETA and Women's Voice for the Earth that, frankly, I don't consider expert sources for rating the safety of skincare ingredients. I also see the FDA and CDC in that list, which is interesting because neither of them claim parabens are dangerous. 

Spoiler

Another red flag: their scoring method seems odd. Example: they include allergen info in their scoring. I'm allergic to benzoyl peroxide. (I'm not just skin-sensitive to it, like many people are. I have a true allergic reaction to it.) So are some other folks. There are also people with aspirin allergy who can't use salicylic acid. Does that mean products containing benzoyl peroxide and BHA deserve a highly dangerous rating? Nope. It simply means some people are allergic to ingredients that are perfectly safe and very beneficial for other people. Some folks are highly sensitive to l-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or vitamin A (retinoid), but that doesn't make products containing those ingredients dangerous. 

I need to re-read that whole scoring section and maybe see how they've scored ingredients in specific products they deem dangerous that are actually quite safe and effective, so I can get a better idea of how they rate things. But if their rating system is as nonsensical as the EWG's, then this is an app I'd never use, even if I was in the "clean" beauty camp. 

While I'm at it: parabens are not evil. They're very effective preservatives that are tolerated by most people’s skin and do a great job of keeping products free of bacteria and fungi. Unfortunately they've been demonized because of a 2004 study that found traces of parabens in breast cancer tissue samples. This study had huge problems: 

• Only cancer tissue was examined; there was no control group of healthy tissue. Studies like this are pointless without control groups. 
• Parabens were also found in blank samples that contained no tissue. So… did the parabens found in cancer tissues actually come from that tissue, or from contaminated equipment? 

Spoiler

Other studies done on this topic used animals (mostly rats) and in vitro samples, not humans. In the rat studies, the concentrations of parabens used were MUCH higher than what’s used in cosmetics—and in most studies, parabens were either fed to or injected into rats, not applied to rats’ skin. 

A 1998 study that showed that parabens mimic estrogen in rats. However: 

• Parabens weren’t applied topically on rats’ skin. Instead, they were injected. 
• The results showed that compared to naturally occurring estrogen, parabens are VERY weak. Birth control pills are much stronger than parabens. 

To date: 

• There has been no scientific evidence of parabens causing breast cancer. 
• The FDA has not banned parabens. Their scientists have yet to find evidence of adverse health effects. 
• Parabens are less skin sensitizing than several other preservatives. 

Reading material: 

Spoiler

Lab Muffin: this has been one of my most trusted knowledge sources for years because Michelle, the woman behind this site, is a chemist and educator. There are other good write-ups (by other people, including MDs and scientists) debunking the “paragons are evil” myth and y’all can search for those. 🙂 I’ll just share Michelle’s here:
labmuffin [dot] com/should-you-be-avoiding-parabens-the-science 

The current FDA stance on parabens: fda [dot] gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/parabens-cosmetics

Ask a doctor: this isn't "reading material," but of the 4 dermatologists I've personally asked about parabens (including my own derm), not one has said parabens are unhealthy, carcinogenic, or something to avoid. In fact, 2 of those derms specifically railed against the 2004 study I mentioned above—and I hadn't even asked them about that specific study. 🤣 If you have access to a derm, or 2 derms, other medical doctors, or cosmetic chemists, ask them for their thoughts on parabens. 

I'm not picking on you personally. I'm just pointing out issues with that app and the "parabens are dangerous" myth. 

[ShortErica]

@alliex324 I know many people are concerned about parabens but they are actually one of the more studied preservatives.

[JessRachael]

I’d think it would be a legal issue to change the formula and not update the packaging! Maybe that’s not how it works. 😞 Sodium Hyaluronate is one of the many forms of hyaluronic acid, so that may not be the culprit. But the reformulation to remove parabens — and potentially to reduce the proportion of ceramides and hyaluronic acid — could definitely do it. I haven’t used this particular CeraVe product in a while but definitely remember liking it! Parabens are very well tolerated and definitely one of those things that people are afraid of without knowing the science. It’s unfortunate if that’s why they reformulated.

[ShortErica]

Yes @JessRachael, I bet it would be a legal issue. Just the other comments I've seen of users experiencing a smell have the new formulation and my bottle doesn't have it. It's disappointing. The smell is tolerable but I don't plan to repurchase. 😪 Wish they didn't do this.

[72Corvette]

Makes me sad because I really loved the hydrating cleanser and have used it for years 😞   Still looking for something similar. I hate when a company changes a good thing.

[ShortErica]

Yes @72Corvette. I'm sad too.

[svnnmnr]

Noticed the smell too, but didn’t think anything of it until my skin started to get irritated and sensitive after using it for a week or two. Happened to have some left from an old bottle, NO SMELL and my skin calm down when using the old bottle. Thought I had a bad batch, returned it for another bottle and same irritation, after one use. Won’t be buying again, which sucks because it was my go-to for the past year. 

[ShortErica]

@svnnmnr I haven't had any irritation. The texture seems the same, it's just an odd scent. Really bummed because I'm not likely to pick it up again.

[RoxyKitty]

Cerave confirmed on their US website that they have changed the formula & removed parabens. They are currently updating the labels.

I wish they would have at least announced it beforehand so people could stock up if they wanted to. 😞 Or at least announced it when they changed it? 

[Heeaatthheerr]

It's so unfortunate to read this thread because I've noticed the change in the formula due to my face breaking out within the week of using the new formula.

I welcome any suggestions for finding the old formula or petitioning the company to change the formula back to what it originally was. It's unfortunate since this was a key ingredient to keeping my skin happy for the last 7 years. Now I feel like I've got to start all over in trying new products that don't make my sensitive skin break out. I welcome anyone who finds a replacement product that works for their skin. I'm hoping if this Cerave product worked for you and me, then the next product you find success in might work for me as well. Here's hoping!!