CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream vs CeraVe PM

So, you've decided you want to try one of CeraVe's cult-favorite, best-selling night creams, but you can't quite figure out what the differences are? We've all been there, don't worry!

Come with us as we compare the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream vs CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion side-by-side to help you decide which is right for you. Enjoy!

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CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream vs CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

Though both overnight moisturizers boast the same nourishing base of essential ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, the rest of their ingredients lists bear almost no resemblance to each other. This is because they are not intended for quite the same purpose—or skin type for that matter—despite some confusingly similar marketing and labelling.

To ease the confusion, let's first take a look at what ingredients in particular set them apart. In addition to the aforementioned trio of nourishing ingredients, the Skin Renewing Night Cream contains:

• Peptides: improves the appearance of tired-looking skin.
• Shea Butter: a rich moisturizing agent that intensely hydrates the skin.
• Allantoin: soothes and protects the skin.
• Tocopherol: strengthens the skin's protective barrier.

The PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion, on the other hand, only additionally contains ingredients that serve to improve the feel of the lotion, and it is notably completely free from oil. This makes for a relatively lean ingredients list, but more significantly: a very lightweight, non-greasy texture.

The Skin Renewing Night Cream is clearly more suited towards "skin in need" such as dry, fatigued/stressed skin, whereas the PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion is far more inclusive to all skin types thanks to its oil-free, lightweight (yet nourishing) formula.

Knowing this, the contrast immediately becomes obvious. The PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion is intended as more of a 'regular' overnight moisturizer to round-off your daily skincare routine, and the Skin Renewing Night Cream is something you would swap into your routine from time to time when your skin needs some rejuvenation (e.g. when it's looking particularly tired, stressed, or dull).

Other points of note include: price, in which the Skin Renewing Night Cream is double the price per fluid ounce compared to the PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion (which makes sense considering the disparity in ingredients), and both are indeed free from fragrance and nasties.

Skin Renewing Night Cream by CeraVe

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Our rating: ★★★★★

Price: $$$$

Skin renewing night cream with peptides.

What makes it special? Nighttime is the skin’s chance to help renew itself, and a properly formulated night cream provides hydrating and rejuvenating benefits. We recommend looking for formulas designed with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and ceramides to hydrate, calm and restore the skin barrier, like the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which also features peptides to help improve the appearance of fatigued skin.

Which skin types? Suitable for all skin types.

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PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion by CeraVe

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Our rating: ★★★★★

Price: $$$$

Lightweight, oil-free night cream with niacinamide.

What makes it special? Created with dermatologists, CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizer features three essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide in an oil-free, non-comedogenic formula that can hydrate and calm the skin while helping to restore the skin’s natural barrier. This rich, yet lightweight night cream uses their patented MVE Delivery Technology to deliver a steady stream of much-needed moisture throughout the night.

Which skin types? Suitable for normal to oily skin.

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This article was originally published on June 28th 2022, but it has been reviewed and updated with the latest available information on February 7th 2024 by Sara Mckay, MA.