REVIEW: CeraVe Skin Renewing Skin Care Routine

by - January 22, 2019


Do you ever feel like you pass by things on store shelves all of the time, never really noticing them, and then finally you try them and it's like a lightning bolt? I feel that way about CeraVe. I feel like they've always been there, staring at me in the drugstore, and I've passed them by. In the past year or so, I've been trying out more and more from the brand and I've really started to realize just how much I like them and a couple of them have become a real staple for me. Recently, I've been testing out a few products from the CeraVe Skin Renewing line and they've continued to impress.

Keep reading for more!


If you're unfamiliar with CeraVe, their whole thing is that all of their products are formulated by dermatologists and contain 3 essential ceramides - henee, CeraVe. Ceramides are lipids that form the skin's barrier and help to retain moisture. Ceramides are produced naturally by the skin, but can be depleted by age and environmental factors, which can lead to a weakening of your moisture barrier.  I'm really, really mindful of protecting my skin's moisture barrier and keeping it balanced, because in the past - before I delved into really learning about skin care - I did damage my moisture barrier and ended up with a raft full of issues that it took a long time and a lot of effort and money to reverse. These days, I want to be sure that I'm using ingredients that my skin really needs to keep those building blocks in place. 


CeraVe Skin Renewing Day Cream*
CeraVe Skin Renewing Day Cream is a non-comedogenic anti-aging moisturizer with SPF and encapsulated retinol that is gradually released to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles without irritation. This retinol day cream with Broad Spectrum SPF 30 also provides UV protection to help prevent sun-induced signs of aging (when used as directed with other sun protection measures), plus hydrating hyaluronic acid, three essential barrier-strengthening ceramides and patented MVE Delivery Technology that provides the skin with 24-hour nourishment.

Admittedly, I don't actually use day cream every day because I tend to find that serums, particularly ones containing hyaluronic acid, offer enough hydration for my needs and don't disrupt my makeup. That being said, I've really, really enjoyed this as a day cream while I've been testing it. The formula is quite thick, but I find that it works into my skin pretty well though it doesn't necessarily sink in as quickly as some people might prefer. I tend to leave it to sink in while I do my eye makeup and then go in with my complexion products. Because it does contain quite a lot of zinc oxide - my preferred SPF ingredient - some people might experience some white cast, particularly people with deeper skin tones, though my pasty pale skin hasn't had that issue.

Formulawise, I really think this is a great option for day cream. It contains the must have SPF, but in a formula that isn't going to make skin look or feel greasy. It contains both skin replenishing and anti-aging ingredients, which is great because I feel like a lot of day creams are mostly focused on hydration and don't put a lot of focus on longer term effects. And it just really, really works for me personally.


CeraVe Skin Renewing Cream Serum*
Developed with dermatologists, CeraVe Skin Renewing Cream Serum is formulated with encapsulated retinol, clinically shown non-irritating, helps reduces the look of fine lines while helping to restore the natural skin protective barrier. This lightweight cream serum, with 3 essential ceramides and hyaluronic acid, revitalize the skin for a radiant appearance.

Retinol is one of the ingredients that I recommend most when people ask me for skin care advice and I always find that when I'm consistently about using it, my skin looks better. Period. Sometimes I'm a little devil-may-care or I'm testing out other things and I skip on the retinol, but I can really, really see a difference in the overall appearance and behavior of my skin when I'm using it. I try to use retinol products immediately after my toner step in my night time skin care routine, because... honestly, it's a thing I remember learning from someone I trust about skin care in the past and I've just adopted it as the way I do things. I don't use retinols during the day and I never, ever use them more often than every other night. (Well, I did once... and that's why I don't do it now!)

This product has more of a lotion texture than a cream, which I appreciate, and I find that it sinks in pretty well - though admittedly I tend to follow it with oils and creams that really lock it into the skin. When I first started trying this out, I hadn't used a retinol in quite a while and I did notice some really minor breakouts for the first few days, but those never worry me because they are definitely more of a purge and they're quite small, painless and go away quickly. Overall, I really found this to be a gentle retinol serum and I didn't notice any dryness, flaking or sensitivity when using it. 

With consistent use for several weeks, I really have seen a difference in the overall appearance of my skin. Everything just looks a little bit smoother, fresher and more healthy. Honestly, I think this will likely be the serum that I recommend to people who are just dipping their toes into retinol products, because it's gentle, effective, widely available and affordable, which I know are all definitely important to people who are just getting into skin care. And personally, I will definitely continue using this product. 

NOTE: I have seen some reviews of this complaining about the packaging because people don't realize that it's a pump. It's a pump. It's not a squeeze tube. 


CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream*
Developed with dermatologists, CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream helps soften and renew the look of tired skin overnight while helping to restore the natural skin protective barrier. This rich, non-greasy cream, with 3 essential ceramides and hyaluronic acid provides hydration after just one use.

I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!! Ahem. Honestly, I couldn't start the review for this any other way because this is just a gorgeous night cream and my skin has been absolutely loving it. I finish my skin care routine every night with this and when I wake up my skin looks and feels really fresh and plump, which is what I look for in a night cream. And honestly, what the brand is true, I noticed a difference in my skin the very first time I used this and have continued to see really good, lasting results ever since. 

During the colder months, I really tend to struggle with maintaining hydration without overwhelming my skin. It can be a pretty delicate balance, but this night cream has really struck that balance beautifully. It has a really rich, silky texture and leaves my skin looking really dewy, which I admittedly kind of love. I love that point in the evening when I've done my nighttime skin care and everything is just glowing. When I wake up in the morning after using this, it has completely disappeared, but my skin feels and looks really fresh and great. 

If I have one complaint about this, it's that I wish it was in an airless pump packaging like the day cream, although I have to wonder if the density of this formula makes that difficult. Either way, I love this night cream and I know that at least for the rest of the winter I'm going to be having a bit of a love affair with it. Of all three of these products, this is the one I recommend the most highly because it's beautiful. 


Honestly, I just continue to be impressed with everything that I try from CeraVe. Not even product is perfect for my needs, but I can't deny that the quality of the formulas is there. Personally, my biggest recommendation from this post is definitely the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream*, which is just a beautiful cream and has shown really beautiful results and helped to keep my skin looking hydrated and fresh as the temperatures have dropped and I've needed some extra help in that department. 

CeraVe products are widely available here in Canada at a really affordable price and I'd definitely recommend checking them out!

Thanks for reading!


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