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Score legend
HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES LEARN MORE ABOUT EWG VERIFIED®
Product score: 03

Data Availability:

Limited

CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Face Gel

CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Face Gel

WHERE TO BUY

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CATEGORY

Body Firming Lotion
Facial Moisturizer/Treatment

BRAND

CeraVe

DATA LAST UPDATED

September 2023

Ingredient concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

  • LOW
    Cancer
  • HIGH
    Allergies & Immunotoxicity
  • LOW
    Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
  • HIGH
    Use Restrictions

Ingredient scores

Ingredients are scored based on their formulation and concentration in this product. Click on an ingredient for more information.

Ingredient score: 01
WATER
Data Availability: Robust
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FUNCTION(S) solvent
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Ingredient score: 01
GLYCERIN
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) denaturant, humectant, perfuming, solvent, fragrance ingredient, hair conditioning agent, oral care agent;oral health care drug, skin-conditioning agent - humectant, skin protectant, viscosity decreasing agent
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (moderate)
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Ingredient score: 01
NIACINAMIDE
Data Availability: Good
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FUNCTION(S) smoothing, hair conditioning agent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous
CONCERNS • Cancer (low)
• Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
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Ingredient score: 02
PROPANEDIOL
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) solvent, viscosity controlling, viscosity decreasing agent
CONCERNS • Cancer (low)
• Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
• Enhanced skin absorption
• Endocrine disruption (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)
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Ingredient score: 02
DIMETHICONE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) antifoaming, emollient, skin conditioning, skin protecting, antifoaming agent, skin-conditioning agent - occlusive, skin protectant
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (moderate)
• Persistence and bioaccumulation (high)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Ecotoxicology (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
• Contamination concerns (CYCLOPENTASILOXANE and CYCLOTETRASILOXANE)
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Ingredient score: 01
ISONONYL ISONONANOATE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) antistatic, emollient, skin conditioning, skin-conditioning agent - emollient
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
CERAMIDE NP
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) hair conditioning agent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
CERAMIDE AP
Data Availability: Limited
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Ingredient score: 01
CERAMIDE EOP
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) hair conditioning, skin conditioning, hair conditioning agent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous
CONCERNS • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
CARBOMER
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) emulsion stabilising, gel forming, viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilizer, viscosity increasing agent - aqueous
CONCERNS • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
• Contamination concerns (METHACRYLIC ACID, ACRYLIC ACID, and BENZENE)
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Ingredient score: 01
DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) emulsion stabilising, hair fixing, viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilizer, hair fixative, suspending agent - nonsurfactant, viscosity increasingagent - nonaqueous
CONCERNS • Contamination concerns (CYCLOPENTASILOXANE and CYCLOTETRASILOXANE)
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Ingredient score: 01
CETEARYL ALCOHOL
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) emollient, emulsifying, emulsion stabilising, foam boosting, opacifying, surfactant, viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilizer, opacifying agent, surfactant - foam booster, viscosity increasingagent - aqueous, viscosity increasing agent - nonaqueous
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
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Ingredient score: 03
BEHENTRIMONIUM METHOSULFATE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) antistatic, hair conditioning, surfactant, antistatic agent, hair conditioning agent
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate)
• Use restrictions (low)
• Neurotoxicity (low)
• Endocrine disruption (low)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 02
TRIETHYL CITRATE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) antioxidant, deodorant, masking, plasticiser, solvent, fragrance ingredient, plasticizer
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate)
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Ingredient score: 01
SILICA, AMORPHOUS
Data Availability: Good
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FUNCTION(S) abrasive, absorbent, anticaking, opacifying, anticaking agent, bulking agent, opacifying agent, suspending agent- nonsurfactant
CONCERNS • Cancer (moderate)
• Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
• Use restrictions (low)
• Persistence and bioaccumulation (high)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 02
SODIUM HYDROXIDE
Data Availability: Good
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FUNCTION(S) buffering, denaturant, ph adjuster
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (high)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
SODIUM HYALURONATE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) humectant, skin conditioning, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous
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Ingredient score: 01
SODIUM LAUROYL LACTYLATE
Data Availability: None
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FUNCTION(S) emulsifying, surfactant - emulsifying agent
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Ingredient score: 01
CHOLESTEROL
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) emollient, emulsifying, skin conditioning, stabilising, viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilizer, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, viscosity increasing agent -nonaqueous
CONCERNS • Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate)
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Ingredient score: 02
PHENOXYETHANOL
Data Availability: Good
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FUNCTION(S) preservative, fragrance ingredient
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Use restrictions (moderate)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Ecotoxicology (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)
• Occupational hazards (high)
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Ingredient score: 01
TOCOPHEROL
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) skin conditioning, antioxidant, fragrance ingredient, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous;skin-conditioning agent - occlusive
CONCERNS • Cancer (low)
• Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
• Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Endocrine disruption (low)
• Contamination concerns (HYDROQUINONE)
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Ingredient score: 04
CHLORPHENESIN
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) antimicrobial, preservative, cosmetic biocide
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate)
• Use restrictions (moderate)
• Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate)
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Ingredient score: 01
CAPRYLYL GLYCOL
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) emollient, hair conditioning, humectant, skin conditioning, hair conditioning agent, skin-conditioning agent - emollient
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Ingredient score: 01
TRISODIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINE DISUCCINATE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) chelating, chelating agent
CONCERNS • Cancer (low)
• Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
BIOSACCHARIDE GUM-1
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) skin conditioning, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous
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Ingredient score: 01
XANTHAN GUM
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) binding, emulsifying, emulsion stabilising, gel forming, skin conditioning, surfactant, viscosity controlling, binder, emulsion stabilizer, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, surfactant -emulsifying agent, viscosity increasing agent - aqueous
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Ingredient score: 01
PHYTOSPHINGOSINE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) hair conditioning, skin conditioning, hair conditioning agent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous
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Ingredient score: 01
BENZOIC ACID
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) bulking, masking, preservative, fragrance ingredient, ph adjuster
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (moderate)
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Ingredients from packaging:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Triethyl Citrate, Silica, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Xanthan Gum, Phytosphingosine, Benzoic Acid

Product's animal testing policies

Some cosmetics companies have taken People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Leaping Bunny animal-testing pledges. For consumers who are concerned about companies’ policies on animal testing, Skin Deep reports this information.


Unknown

Leading international certifiers PETA and Leaping Bunny have no information concerning this company’s use of animal testing.

Understanding scores

Cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market. The Skin Deep® scoring system was designed to help the public understand whether a product is safe to use or whether it contains ingredients of concern.

Every product and ingredient in Skin Deep gets a two-part score – one for hazard and one for data availability. The safest products score well by both measures, with a low hazard rating and a fair or better data availability rating.


HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES

Hazard score

The Skin Deep ingredient hazard score, from 1 to 10, reflects known and suspected hazards linked to the ingredients. The EWG Verified® mark means a product meets EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health.

Score legend
WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE APPROACH

A product’s hazard score is not an average of the ingredients’ hazard scores. It is calculated using a weight-of-evidence approach that factors in all of the hazards or health impacts associated with the ingredients.

Data availability

The Skin Deep data availability rating reflects the number of scientific studies about the product or ingredient in the published scientific literature.

NONE LIMITED FAIR GOOD ROBUST
Low Availability
Moderate Availability
High Availability
NONE

Ingredients have not been assessed.

LIMITED-FAIR

There is only a modest volume of research.

GOOD-ROBUST

Ingredients have been studied extensively.

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