Cetaphil is the lighter lotion for face and body. Aveeno is the richer one for dry body skin.
Both lotions are fragrance-free, both come in big bottles and they usually cost about the same per ounce. The difference is in how they moisturize.
Cetaphil hydrates lightly. Glycerin, panthenol and niacinamide do most of the work, and it’s labeled non-comedogenic and for use on your face as well as your body. Aveeno seals moisture in. Petrolatum sits high on its list, colloidal oat soothes, and dimethicone is its labeled skin protectant for chapped, wind-dried skin. It’s made for the body.
Cetaphil also comes as a three-pack of smaller bottles. It’s the same lotion, so the only question is whether you need it in more than one place.
Which lotion should you buy?
How the two formulas differ
A good lotion does three things. Humectants like glycerin pull water into your skin, emollients soften it, and occlusives like petrolatum and dimethicone seal the water in. Both of these lotions cover all three, but they weight them differently, and that's the difference you'll feel.
Cetaphil leans on humectants and barrier helpers. Glycerin, panthenol and niacinamide sit near the top, with vitamin E, dimethicone and a little avocado and sunflower oil behind them. Aveeno leans on occlusives. Petrolatum is its fourth ingredient, colloidal oat flour adds soothing, and dimethicone is its labeled skin-protectant active. That's why Aveeno feels creamier and holds up better on rough, chapped skin, while Cetaphil sinks in faster.
Where you'll use it decides most of this. Cetaphil is labeled for face and body and is light enough for both. Aveeno is labeled for the body, and its petrolatum-rich formula is better kept below the jawline. If you want one bottle for everything, that's Cetaphil. If you already have a facial moisturizer and need something for dry legs and hands, Aveeno does that job better.
Neither lotion has added fragrance, so scent isn’t a reason to pick one over the other. Choose on where you’ll use it and how dry your skin gets. For the best results with either, apply it within a few minutes of showering while your skin is still damp.
Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion: light hydration for face and body
Light, fragrance-free lotion with niacinamide and panthenol.
Cetaphil’s lotion starts with water and glycerin, the workhorse humectant, then isopropyl palmitate and cetearyl alcohol for softness. Next come panthenol (vitamin B5) and niacinamide (vitamin B3), both well known for supporting the skin barrier and calming dryness, plus vitamin E. Dimethicone and small amounts of avocado and sunflower oils help hold moisture in.
It’s fragrance-free and labeled non-comedogenic, and it absorbs quickly without a greasy film. That’s what makes it easy to use on your face as well as your body. Normal, combination and sensitive skin will get along with it best.
It has no petrolatum, so on very dry or cracked body skin it won’t seal in moisture as well as Aveeno.
- Labeled for face and body, so one bottle covers both
- Niacinamide, panthenol and vitamin E on top of glycerin
- Fragrance-free and labeled non-comedogenic
- Biggest bottle here at 20 oz
- Lighter feel may not be enough on very dry or cracked skin
- No petrolatum, so less of a seal than Aveeno
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing: oat and petrolatum for dry body skin
Oat and petrolatum lotion for dry body skin.
Aveeno’s lotion is short and protective. After water and glycerin come distearyldimonium chloride, a conditioning agent that gives the lotion its smooth, slippery feel, then petrolatum, isopropyl palmitate and cetyl alcohol. Petrolatum is one of the most effective ingredients there is for slowing water loss, and here it sits fourth.
Oat kernel flour, the colloidal oatmeal Aveeno is known for, follows. It’s a long-standing soother for dry, itchy skin. Dimethicone is the labeled active ingredient, a skin protectant that helps prevent and protect chapped or cracked skin and the drying effects of wind and cold.
The lotion is fragrance-free and made for the body. It’s richer than Cetaphil and best on legs, arms, hands and elbows. Use a facial moisturizer above the jawline.
- Petrolatum high in the list seals moisture in better on dry skin
- Dimethicone skin protectant for chapped, cracked or wind-dried skin
- Colloidal oat flour is a classic soother for itchy, dry skin
- Fragrance-free
- Made and labeled for the body, not the face
- Heavier feel than Cetaphil
- No niacinamide or panthenol
The Cetaphil three-pack: same lotion, smaller bottles
Three 8 oz bottles of the same Cetaphil lotion.
This is the same Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion split into three 8 oz bottles, 24 oz in all. The formula doesn’t change, so everything above about glycerin, panthenol and niacinamide applies.
What you’re paying for is convenience: a bottle by each sink, one at work, one in a bag. Per ounce it usually costs more than the 20 oz bottle, so it only makes sense once you know you like the lotion.
- Same Cetaphil formula in three 8 oz bottles (24 oz total)
- Easy to keep one at each sink, in a gym bag or at work
- Smaller bottles are easier to handle than a 20 oz pump
- Usually costs more per ounce than the single 20 oz bottle
- Three bottles is a big commitment before you know the lotion suits you
| Face and body Cetaphil Sensitive Skin Face and Body Lotion | VS | Dry body skin Aveeno Fragrance-Free Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion |
|---|---|---|
Face and body | Labeled use |
Body |
Glycerin, panthenol, niacinamide, vitamin E | Key ingredients |
Glycerin, petrolatum, oat kernel flour |
Dimethicone, avocado and sunflower oils | What seals in moisture |
Petrolatum, dimethicone (skin protectant active) |
Lighter, absorbs fast | Feel |
Creamier, more protective |
20 oz | Bottle size |
18 fl oz |
| View | View |
Choose Cetaphil if you want one lotion for your face and body. It’s a light, fragrance-free lotion with glycerin, panthenol, niacinamide and vitamin E, labeled non-comedogenic, and it suits normal, combination and sensitive skin.
Choose Aveeno if the lotion is for dry skin on your body. Petrolatum near the top of the list and dimethicone as a skin protectant make it the better seal for dry legs, rough elbows and chapped hands in cold weather. Keep it below the jawline.
Buy the Cetaphil three-pack only if you already use Cetaphil and want a bottle in more than one room. Otherwise the 20 oz bottle gives you more lotion for less per ounce.
