If you have acne, an oily T-zone, and sensitive skin, you probably participate in a neverending quest for the best nighttime facial moisturizer. In the past, I’ve been pretty happy with CeraVe PM, but a few months ago, I decided to try CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion instead. So far, it’s been a great lightweight option for humid summer nights, when my skin isn’t quite as dry as it is in the winter.

If you live in an area where there’s dry heat in the summer (aka Los Angeles), this might not be moisturizing enough for you—I’d opt for a heavier cream like CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (read the full review here). But if you live in a humid area, CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion is a great summertime option for your face and body—plus, it has many of the same ingredients as CeraVe PM, at a lower price point.

Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients, and how they compare to both the old and new formulas of CeraVe PM.

CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion Ingredients

CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion is more affordable than CeraVe PM per ounce because it doesn’t contain niacinamide. Though it says “daily” in the product name, you can use it twice a day—in the morning and at night. I was surprised to see that its ingredient list was so similar to CeraVe PM’s—both products include ceramides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, cholesterol, and phytosphingosine. In fact, when you compare it to both the new and old formulas of CeraVe PM, they only differ by a few ingredients.

The only ingredients that CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion contains that are missing from CeraVe PM (both the old and new formulas) are polysorbate 20 and cetyl alcohol. The only ingredient in both formulas of CeraVe PM but not in CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion is niacinamide.

Note that the new formula of CeraVe PM contains sodium hydroxide, which is not found in CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion. This is also the only ingredient that was included in the new formula of CeraVe PM, but not the old one, so if you hate the new formula but loved the old one, CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion might be a good option for you, now that the old formula is no longer available. It contains all the other beneficial ingredients from the old formula of CeraVe PM, without any sodium hydroxide.

CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion review

The texture and thickness is quite similar to CeraVe PM—very lightweight. It blends nicely into the skin, and doesn’t leave a sticky or heavy presence after it dries. In fact, it feels almost too lightweight to be moisturizing enough for skin. But I apply it at night after using Differin and The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA, and it has been able to keep my skin from flaking (a common aftereffect of using Differin).

If you’re using a dedicated niacinamide serum like The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion is definitely a more affordable alternative to using CeraVe PM (as long as you’re not sensitive to the two ingredients that are missing from CeraVe PM: polysorbate 20 and cetyl alcohol). You get all the same ingredients, if you’re using niacinamide separately.

Further Reading

• Differin review
• CeraVe vs. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream comparison
• All CeraVe product reviews
• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum
• The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA review