CeraVe is the safer pick for your face. Eucerin does more for rough, dry body skin.
Both are fragrance-free lotions in big bottles, and both contain ceramides. The difference is what else does the work. CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion is built on three ceramides, cholesterol and hyaluronic acid in a light, oil-free base that’s labeled for face and body and won’t clog pores. Eucerin Advanced Repair is a body lotion with 5% urea, lactic acid and a long list of natural moisturizing factors, plus shea butter. Urea and lactic acid pull water into your skin and loosen the rough, scaly buildup on shins, elbows and heels.
So the real question is where it’s going. One bottle for your face and body, or skin that reacts easily: CeraVe. Dry, rough or flaky body skin that ordinary lotion doesn’t fix: Eucerin.
Which lotion fits your skin?
| Face and body CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion for Face and Body | VS | Rough body skin Eucerin Advanced Repair Urea Enriched Body Lotion |
|---|---|---|
Ceramides NP, AP, EOP + cholesterol + hyaluronic acid | Key ingredients |
5% urea, lactic acid, ceramide NP, moisturizing factors |
Light, oil-free lotion | Texture |
Richer lotion with shea butter |
None | Exfoliant |
Lactic acid (AHA) and urea |
Face and body | Labeled use |
Body, dry to very dry skin |
Fragrance-free | Fragrance |
Fragrance-free |
19 oz | Bottle |
16.9 fl oz |
| View | View |
What's actually in each bottle
CeraVe's formula is water, glycerin and light emollients (caprylic/capric triglyceride, fatty alcohols, dimethicone) carrying three ceramides, cholesterol and phytosphingosine. Those are the same lipids your skin barrier is made of, so the lotion helps replace what washing and dry air strip out. Sodium hyaluronate adds hydration. There's no exfoliant, no fragrance and no oil, which is why it's comfortable on your face and on irritated skin.
Eucerin puts 5% urea third on its list, right after water and glycerin. Urea is one of your skin's own natural moisturizing factors: it holds water and, at this strength, softens rough, scaly skin. Eucerin backs it with sodium lactate, lactic acid, sodium PCA and a string of amino acids from the same moisturizing-factor family, plus ceramide NP and shea butter.
The lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid, so Eucerin's bottle carries a sunburn alert. If you use it on your arms or legs in summer, wear sunscreen on those areas. Urea and lactic acid can also sting on cracked or freshly shaved skin. CeraVe has neither, which is why it's the easier lotion for sensitive skin.
Eucerin usually costs less per bottle. CeraVe's 19 oz bottle holds a little more than Eucerin's 16.9 fl oz, so per ounce the gap is smaller than the bottle price suggests. The 12 oz CeraVe is the same lotion as the 19 oz, just in a smaller bottle that usually costs more per ounce.
If your skin reacts easily, patch-test either lotion on your inner arm for a few days first. For eczema-prone skin, start with CeraVe: it has no acids, and it carries the National Eczema Association's Seal of Acceptance.
Face or body?
Use CeraVe on your face. It's oil-free, labeled not to clog pores and contains nothing that exfoliates, so it sits well under sunscreen and makeup. Eucerin is labeled for the body. Its shea butter and fatty alcohols feel heavier, and the lactic acid can sting around your eyes and nose.
On your body, it comes down to how your skin feels. Smooth but dry? CeraVe is enough. Rough, bumpy or flaking on the shins, elbows, knees or heels? Eucerin's urea and lactic acid loosen that buildup so the skin feels smooth again, which CeraVe can't do.
Eucerin contains lactic acid, which can make skin more sensitive to the sun. Put sunscreen on any area you treat with it during the day, and skip it on sunburned, cracked or freshly shaved skin.
CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion: ceramides for face and body
Light ceramide lotion for face and body.
This is a light, fast-absorbing lotion with a full set of barrier lipids: ceramides NP, AP and EOP, cholesterol and phytosphingosine. Sodium hyaluronate and glycerin hold water in your skin, and dimethicone leaves a smooth finish without grease.
It’s fragrance-free, oil-free and labeled not to clog pores, so it works on your face as well as your legs. That makes it the better choice if you want one lotion for everything, or if your skin is sensitive or eczema-prone.
What it won’t do is smooth rough, scaly skin. There’s no urea or acid in it, so on bumpy elbows or cracked heels it moisturizes but doesn’t resurface.
- Three ceramides plus cholesterol for barrier support
- Oil-free and labeled not to clog pores, so it works on your face
- No exfoliants, so it’s gentle on sensitive and eczema-prone skin
- Large 19 oz bottle
- Doesn’t smooth rough, scaly patches
- Usually costs more per bottle than Eucerin
- Can feel too light for very dry legs in winter
Yes, if you want one lotion for your face and body or your skin reacts easily. It’s gentle, light and full of barrier lipids. If your legs and elbows stay rough no matter how much you moisturize, add Eucerin for those areas.
Eucerin Advanced Repair: urea and lactic acid for rough body skin
Urea and lactic acid lotion for rough body skin.
Eucerin’s formula leads with glycerin and 5% urea, then adds sodium lactate, lactic acid, sodium PCA and a string of amino acids. Together they mimic your skin’s natural moisturizing factors, the water-holding compounds that run low in dry skin. Ceramide NP supports the barrier, and shea butter gives it a richer feel than CeraVe.
Urea and lactic acid also loosen dead, scaly skin. That’s why this lotion does more for dry shins, rough elbows and knees, and the bumpy texture some people get on the backs of their arms.
It’s fragrance-free and dye-free. Because lactic acid is an AHA, wear sunscreen on treated skin during the day, and expect a brief sting on cracked or freshly shaved skin. It’s labeled for the body, so keep it off your face.
- 5% urea plus lactic acid smooth rough, scaly skin
- Richer feel for very dry body skin
- Fragrance-free and dye-free
- Usually costs less per bottle
- Labeled for the body, not the face
- Can sting on cracked or freshly shaved skin
- Needs sunscreen on treated areas during the day
Yes, if your body skin is dry and rough. The urea and lactic acid do something a plain moisturizer can’t: they smooth scaly texture while they hydrate. Don’t use it as a face lotion. Pair it with CeraVe or another facial moisturizer instead.
CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion, 12 oz bottle
- Same formula as the 19 oz bottle
- Easier to keep at the sink or pack for travel
- Lower cost if you’re trying CeraVe for the first time
- Runs out fast if you use it on your body every day
- Usually costs more per ounce than the 19 oz bottle
CeraVe or Eucerin: which should you buy?
Choose CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion if you want one lotion for your face and body, or if your skin is sensitive, eczema-prone or breakout-prone. Its ceramides, cholesterol and hyaluronic acid hydrate and support your barrier without oil or exfoliants. Get the 19 oz bottle for head-to-toe use and the 12 oz bottle for face-only use.
Choose Eucerin Advanced Repair if your body skin is dry and rough. Its 5% urea and lactic acid hydrate and smooth scaly legs, elbows and heels, and it usually costs less per bottle. Keep it off your face and wear sunscreen on treated skin.
You can also use both: CeraVe on your face, Eucerin from the neck down.
