Head to head
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream vs CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin vs CeraVe Moisturizing Cream.
The bottom lineCeraVe Moisturizing Cream and CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin land in much the same place on performance, so value decides it: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream does the same job for less.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
Cost per use
€0.05 an applicationabout 270 uses from 340 ml
measured: 2.5 fingertip units for face and neck, about 1.25 g; from €14 as read in September 2026 and a 340 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.05 an application, about 270 uses from 340 ml.
- Long & Finlay 1991, Clin Exp Dermatol: face and neck 2.5 fingertip units (PMID 1806320, abstract read)
- Long, Finlay & Averill 1992, Arch Dermatol: 4 hand areas = 2 FTU = 1 g (PMID 1497374)
- Finlay, Edwards & Harding 1989, Lancet: the fingertip unit defined (PMID 2567912, a letter)
- density taken as 1 g per ml: assumed, as on the sunscreen calculator
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
$0.04 an applicationabout 450 uses from 562 ml
measured: 2.5 fingertip units for face and neck, about 1.25 g; from $20 as read in September 2026 and a 562 ml pack.
how this is counted
About $0.04 an application, about 450 uses from 562 ml.
- Long & Finlay 1991, Clin Exp Dermatol: face and neck 2.5 fingertip units (PMID 1806320, abstract read)
- Long, Finlay & Averill 1992, Arch Dermatol: 4 hand areas = 2 FTU = 1 g (PMID 1497374)
- Finlay, Edwards & Harding 1989, Lancet: the fingertip unit defined (PMID 2567912, a letter)
- density taken as 1 g per ml: assumed, as on the sunscreen calculator
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
Per application, CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin is the cheaper: $0.04 against €0.05.
Which should you pick?
Pick Moisturizing Cream if
- you want the more affordable option
Pick SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin if
- you are dealing with breakouts and oiliness
What each delivers
Side by side
| Moisturizing Cream | SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Moisturizer | Moisturizer |
| Key actives | Glycerin, Petrolatum, Ceramide 3 | Glycerin, Salicylic acid (BHA), Ceramide 3 |
| Texture | A rich, cushiony cream that sinks in slowly. | A rich, cushiony cream that sinks in slowly. |
| Fragrance | None detected | None detected |
| Feeds Malassezia | 2 measured / 2 inferred | 4 measured / 2 inferred |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 24 listed | 26 listed |
| Price | ~€14 | ~$20 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 14 of the 36 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on On top of the skin, The stratum corneum for CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and The stratum corneum for CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin. That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.
Only in CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
Only in CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin
CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin is a different bottle only for: salicylic acid (bha), mineral oil, ceramide 1.
Where each label stops telling you the dose
Ingredients are listed in order of how much is inside, but only down to 1%. Below that the brand may list them in any order it likes, so the bottom of a label is a set, not a ranking. These two stop being a ranking in very different places.
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
ordered for its first 33%
- 1Aqua/Water
- 2Glycerin
- 3Cetearyl Alcohol
- 4Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- 5Cetyl Alcohol
- 6Ceteareth-20
- 7Petrolatum
- 8Dimethicone
- 9Phenoxyethanol
- 10Behentrimonium Methosulfate
- 11Potassium Phosphate
- 12Ethylhexylglycerin
- 13Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- 14Disodium EDTA
- 15Dipotassium Phosphate
- 16Ceramide NP
- 17Ceramide AP
- 18Phytosphingosine
- 19Cholesterol
- 20Xanthan Gum
- 21Carbomer
- 22Sodium Hyaluronate
- 23Tocopherol
- 24Ceramide EOP
16 of 24 sit below the line, marked by Phenoxyethanol. Including what it is sold on: Cholesterol.
CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin
ordered for its first 54%
- 1Aqua / Water / Eau
- 2Glycerin
- 3Paraffinum Liquidum / Mineral Oil / Huile Minerale
- 4Triethanolamine
- 5Salicylic Acid
- 6Glyceryl Stearate
- 7Ammonium Lactate
- 8PEG-100 Stearate
- 9Cetearyl Alcohol
- 10Cetyl Alcohol
- 11Zea Mays Oil / Corn Oil
- 12Ceramide NP
- 13Ceramide AP
- 14Ceramide EOP
- 15Carbomer
- 16Behentrimonium Methosulfate
- 17Dimethicone
- 18Methylparaben
- 19Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- 20Cholecalciferol
- 21Cholesterol
- 22Disodium EDTA
- 23Propylparaben
- 24Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
- 25Phytosphingosine
- 26Xanthan Gum
12 of 26 sit below the line, marked by Carbomer.
Below the line is not too little to work: ceramides, retinoids and peptides all act far under a percent. It means the position stops carrying information. Where the line falls is inferred from the first ingredient whose whole job is done at a fraction of a percent, so it is a close read of the label rather than a number from the formula sheet.
The molecule doing the work
Better for…
- Breakouts & congestionSA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin
- Dryness & dehydrationEither works
Who each suits
- CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
- dry, sensitive, normal · avoid with acne-prone skin (in thick layers) and oily skin
- CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin
- dry, sensitive, normal · avoid with acne-prone skin (in thick layers), compromised barrier, oily skin and pregnancy (at high strength)
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is the cheaper of the two (~€14 vs ~$20).
Ready to pick one?
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Common questions
Is CeraVe Moisturizing Cream or CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin better for breakouts & congestion?
For breakouts & congestion, CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin land in much the same place on performance, so value decides it: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream does the same job for less.
Which is cheaper, CeraVe Moisturizing Cream or CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin?
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is the cheaper of the two (~€14 vs ~$20).
Can I use CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin together?
They are both moisturizers, so you would normally pick one rather than layer both in the same step. You can keep both and alternate them (morning and night, or on different days) if you like variety, but you do not need two.
What the scene shows
The cross-section at the top of this page is not decoration and not a diagram of the skin in general: it places the molecules these two are sold on at the layer each is understood to act on. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Petrolatum (on top of the skin), Ceramide 3 (the stratum corneum). CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Salicylic acid (BHA) (the stratum corneum), Ceramide 3 (the stratum corneum). A layer is where an ingredient does its work, never how deep it travels, and never a claim about how well it works.
Compare it with…
36 duels are built for this moisturizer, Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream and CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion among them: type a name, or pick one below.