Side-by-side comparison

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser vs CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

Both cleansers contain Ceramides, but only Foaming Facial Cleanser adds a targeted active: Niacinamide. That's the main thing to weigh.

1Shared hero active
CeraVe
Foaming Facial Cleanser
CleanserMid-rangeMorning or evening
OilinessDamaged Barrier

A gel-to-foam cleanser for normal-to-oily skin with three ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Removes SPF and excess oil without stripping — the safer alternative to traditional foaming washes that leave skin squeaky.

Full analysis →Find dupes →
CeraVe
Hydrating Facial Cleanser
CleanserMid-rangeMorning or evening
Damaged BarrierDrynesssensitive

A non-foaming cream cleanser with three essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid and MVE controlled-release technology. Non-stripping; good for dry, normal and sensitive skin. Not the right pick if you wear heavy makeup or tinted SPF that needs breaking down — it's a gentle wash, not a first cleanse.

Full analysis →Find dupes →
The verdict

Which should you choose?

Foaming Facial Cleanser goes further with Niacinamide, which Hydrating Facial Cleanser doesn't have. If you only need Ceramides, Hydrating Facial Cleanser covers it; if you want Niacinamide as well, choose Foaming Facial Cleanser. Foaming Facial Cleanser is the better fit for oiliness; Hydrating Facial Cleanser for dryness and sensitive skin. Both sit in the Mid-range price tier.

The overlap

What they share

This hero active appears in both formulas:

Ceramides
The formulation

Ingredient stacks, side by side

Foaming Facial Cleanser — top of the list

  • Purified Water~50–80%
  • Cocamidopropyl…~5–25%
  • Glycerin~3–10%
  • Sodium Lauroyl…~2–6%
  • PEG-150 Pentae…~1.5–4%
  • Niacinamide~1–2%
  • PEG-6 Caprylic…~1–2%
  • Propylene Glycol~1–2%
  • Ceramide NP~1–2%

Hydrating Facial Cleanser — top of the list

  • Purified Water~50–80%
  • Glycerin~5–25%
  • Behentrimonium…~3–10%
  • Cetearyl Alcohol~2–6%
  • Ceramide NP~1.5–4%
  • Methylparaben~1–2%
  • Sodium Lauroyl…~1–2%
  • Sodium Hyaluro…~1–2%
  • Cholesterol~1–2%
  • Propylene Glycol~1–2%

● marks ingredients that appear near the top of both lists. Percentages are positional estimates from INCI order, not disclosed doses.

At a glance

The specs

Foaming Facial CleanserHydrating Facial Cleanser
CategoryCleanserCleanser
Price tierMid-rangeMid-range
Best forOiliness, Damaged BarrierDamaged Barrier, Dryness, sensitive
Usage notesMorning or eveningMorning or evening
Shared hero activesCeramides
Questions

Common questions

Is the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser or the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser better?
It depends on whether you want Niacinamide. Foaming Facial Cleanser has it; Hydrating Facial Cleanser doesn't. Otherwise both rely on Ceramides.
What's the difference between the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser and the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser?
Foaming Facial Cleanser's hero actives are Ceramides and Niacinamide. Hydrating Facial Cleanser's are Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid.
Are the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser and CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser dupes for each other?
Only partly. They share Ceramides, but Foaming Facial Cleanser's Niacinamide has no counterpart in Hydrating Facial Cleanser.
Can I use the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser and CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser together?
They both fill the cleanser slot in a routine, so you'd normally pick one. If you like both, use one in the morning and the other at night, and patch-test when introducing anything new.
Keep comparing

Related comparisons

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser vs CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser
2 shared hero activesCeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser vs La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser
2 shared hero activesByoma Creamy Jelly Cleanser vs CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
1 shared hero activeCeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser vs La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser
1 shared hero activeCeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser vs Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
No shared hero activesByoma Creamy Jelly Cleanser vs CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
1 shared hero active

Want a deeper, personalised read? Drop both products into the live comparison tool for an ingredient-by-ingredient breakdown tuned to your skin profile.

Compare these yourself →