Cetaphil is the 12th best-selling product on Amazon.com this week. It’s supposedly a mild moisturizer; does it live up to its hype? Let’s look at the label.
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream Ingredients
Purified Water
Always a good ingredient for a moisturizer.
Polyglycerylmethacrylate (and) Propylene Glycol
Most lotions use a combination of surfactants to mix oil and water together. This one uses and acrylate to suspend the oil and water which should make it milder.
Petrolatum
Although some people treat petrolatum like it’s Osama bin Laden it’s actually an excellent occlusive agent which helps skin retain moisture.
Dicaprylyl Ether
Coconut oil derived emollient that provides a soft, powdery feel.
Peg-5 Glyceryl Stearate
A non-ionic emulsifier which helps stabilize the cream.
Glycerin
Another good ingredient for a moisturizer because it helps bind moisture in the skin.
Dimethicone (and) Dimethiconol
If petrolatum is Osama bin Laden then dimethicone is Adolf Hitler. Doesn’t matter though, it’s still a good moisturizer.
Cetyl Alcohol
This is the fatty kind of alcohol and is actually good in moisturizing lotions.
Sweet Almond Oil
Good, and natural, emollient.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
A polymeric thickener that also helps stabilize the system.
Tocopheryl Acetate
Vitamin E.
Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA
Preservatives. Note the lack of parabens for the paranoid folks out there.
Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid
pH control agents. Also, at high enough levels like that acid is another good moisturizer. If it wasn’t for the sodium hydroxide raising the pH this lotion might even exfoliate.
If you’re in the market for a bland moisturizer , and we mean that in the best way possible, then you can find Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream here. Shopping through our link helps support the Beauty Brains.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I actually laughed out loud when I read the commentary underneath the petroleum jelly.
I don’t personally like it because it slows/stops the absorption of actives, but I don’t suffer any delusions that it’s going to “suffocate” my skin or anything.
Maybe I should stop typing before I get this debate started again, though..
I don’t know why people hate dimethecones.
I recently bought some of this in my search for a moisturizer that would not make my skin itch. It didn’t work, cetaphil made my face red and itchy. My search also brought me to your blog, when I was trying to figure out if mineral oil was actually evil or not. I decided it wasn’t, and found that baby oil is just about the only thing I can put on my face without making it itch. So, thank you.
I was using this, happily, on my face and my Dermatologist told me to stop. She said it was too heavy, and would eventually cause breakouts. When I look at the Cetaphil site, none of their products specifically say they can be used on the face. Does a product specifically have to say “facial moisturizer” to be safe to use on the face?
Is Cetaphil gluten free?
@ Donna: I see nothing in the ingredient list that appears to be wheat derived.
I have noticed it does not display the pH level. What would the pH level be?
Theres no way to know the ph for sure without measuring it with litmus paper. You can buy some on amazon for about $10.
I thought that sodium hydroxide was lye. Can you explain how they are able to safely use lye in this product that is touted as “gentle”? I have another cleanser (Garnier Moisture Rescue Foaming Cleanser) that has sodium hydroxide, and I was thinking of throwing it out, but I’d like your feedback first.
Sorry, I realize this post is about the cream, not the cleanser, but my question still stands
@Ada: Sodium hydroxide is lye. When used in low amounts, it can neutralize acids and create a neutral pH. The lye gets “used up” so to speak. Lye is only dangerous when used in high concentrations at high pH.