Head to head
CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion vs Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion vs CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion.
The bottom lineCeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion and Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion land in much the same place on performance, so value decides it: CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion does the same job for less.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
Cost per use
€0.36 an applicationabout 40 uses from 52 ml
measured: 2.5 fingertip units for face and neck, about 1.25 g; from €15 as read in September 2026 and a 52 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.36 an application, about 40 uses from 52 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
€0.05 an applicationabout 370 uses from 460 ml
measured: 2.5 fingertip units for face and neck, about 1.25 g; from €17 as read in September 2026 and a 460 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.05 an application, about 370 uses from 460 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, Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion is the cheaper: €0.05 against €0.36.
Which should you pick?
Pick PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion if
- you want the more affordable option
Pick Moisturizing Lotion if
- it is the one you can get most easily or already trust
What each delivers
Side by side
| PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion | Moisturizing Lotion | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Moisturizer | Moisturizer |
| Key actives | Glycerin, Niacinamide, Ceramide 3 | Glycerin, Niacinamide, Pro-vitamin B5 |
| Texture | A smooth, silky lotion that spreads easily and leaves a soft, near-blurred finish. | A smooth, silky lotion that spreads easily and leaves a soft, near-blurred finish. |
| Fragrance | None detected | None detected |
| Feeds Malassezia | 1 measured / 1 inferred | 4 measured / 1 inferred |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 24 listed | 16 listed |
| Price | ~€15 | ~€17 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 6 of the 34 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The stratum corneum for CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion and The stratum corneum for Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.
Only in CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
Only in Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion
Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion is a different bottle only for: pro-vitamin b5, avocado oil, sunflower seed oil, isopropyl palmitate.
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 PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
ordered for its first 25%
- 1Aqua/Water
- 2Glycerin
- 3Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- 4Niacinamide
- 5Cetearyl Alcohol
- 6Dimethicone
- 7Phenoxyethanol
- 8Ceteareth-20
- 9Behentrimonium Methosulfate
- 10Caprylyl Glycol
- 11Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
- 12Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- 13Potassium Phosphate
- 14Disodium EDTA
- 15Dipotassium Phosphate
- 16Ceramide NP
- 17Ceramide AP
- 18Phytosphingosine
- 19Cholesterol
- 20Xanthan Gum
- 21Carbomer
- 22Ethylhexylglycerin
- 23Sodium Hyaluronate
- 24Ceramide EOP
18 of 24 sit below the line, marked by Phenoxyethanol. Including what it is sold on: Cholesterol.
Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion
ordered for its first 81%
- 1Aqua
- 2Glycerin
- 3Isopropyl Palmitate
- 4Cetearyl Alcohol
- 5Ceteareth-20
- 6Panthenol
- 7Niacinamide
- 8Tocopheryl Acetate
- 9Dimethicone
- 10Persea Gratissima Oil
- 11Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
- 12Pantolactone
- 13Glyceryl Stearate
- 14Sodium Benzoate
- 15Benzyl Alcohol
- 16Citric Acid
3 of 16 sit below the line, marked by Sodium Benzoate.
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…
- Dark spots & uneven toneEither works
- Breakouts & congestionEither works
- Dryness & dehydrationEither works
- Sensitive, reactive skinPM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
Who each suits
- CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
- dry, sensitive, normal · avoid with very sensitive skin (at high strength)
- Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion
- dry, sensitive, normal · avoid with acne-prone skin, fungal acne prone and very sensitive skin (at high strength)
CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion is the cheaper of the two (~€15 vs ~€17).
Ready to pick one?
Affiliate links, so a purchase sends us a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Glow Simplified earns from qualifying purchases. We make and sell nothing here, so the verdict above never bends toward a sale.
Common questions
Is CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion or Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion better for sensitive, reactive skin?
For sensitive, reactive skin, CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion and Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion land in much the same place on performance, so value decides it: CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion does the same job for less.
Which is cheaper, CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion or Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion?
CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion is the cheaper of the two (~€15 vs ~€17).
Can I use CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion and Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion 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 PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Niacinamide (the living epidermis), Ceramide 3 (the stratum corneum). Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Niacinamide (the living epidermis), Pro-vitamin B5 (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, CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream among them: type a name, or pick one below.