CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum On your shelf ✓
Maya's readCeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is a serum built around Vitamin B3, Ceramide 3 and Retinol. It leans strongest on hydration, barrier repair, brightening / tone. Best suited to oily, combo and dry skin. One caveat: it's best skipped during pregnancy.
Skip it if you're pregnant or breastfeeding: it contains retinol, best paused until after.
What it delivers
How it feels A light, fast-absorbing texture that layers cleanly under the rest of your routine, with no greasy film. — estimated from the formula
What's in it that matters
Multitasking vitamin that improves barrier, reduces redness, regulates oil, helps with pores and pigmentation with strong clinical support.
Skin-identical ceramide that plays a key role in restoring and strengthening the skin barrier.
Gold-standard over-the-counter retinoid with strong anti-aging data; can easily irritate and requires careful introduction and good barrier support.
Ceramide that supports barrier integrity and helps smooth rough, dry skin when combined with other skin lipids.
Structural ceramide important for a resilient, well-organized barrier lipid matrix.
Water-binding molecule that increases hydration; works best under occlusive/emollient layers to reduce evaporation.
Key facts
- Type
- Serum
- Key actives
- Vitamin B3, Ceramide 3, Retinol
- Fragrance
- None detected
- Fungal-acne (Malassezia) safe
- Not likely — has oils or esters it can feed on
- Pregnancy
- Caution — contains retinol
- Ingredients
- 33 listed
- Typical price
- ~€16, checked July 2026
How to use it
Night only. Start 2–3 nights a week and build up as your skin adjusts — and always wear sunscreen the next morning, because retinoids make skin more sun-sensitive.
Keep it away from
- Exfoliating acids (AHA / BHA)
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Strong vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid)
Free from
- Fragrance-free
- Alcohol-free
- Paraben-free
Best for
- Oily
- Combo
- Dry
- Sensitive
Worth knowing
- May clog pores (very acne-prone skin): Isopropyl Myristate
- Avoid in pregnancy: Retinol
Common questions
Is CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum good for oily skin?
By our read of the formula, it suits oily, combo, dry skin. CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is a serum built around Vitamin B3, Ceramide 3 and Retinol. It leans strongest on hydration, barrier repair, brightening / tone. Best suited to oily, combo and dry skin. One caveat: it's best skipped during pregnancy.
How do you use CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum?
Night only. Start 2–3 nights a week and build up as your skin adjusts — and always wear sunscreen the next morning, because retinoids make skin more sun-sensitive.
What are the key ingredients in CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum?
The actives that do the work are Vitamin B3, Ceramide 3, Retinol, Ceramide 6-II, Ceramide 1, Hyaluronic acid. The rest of the list is texture, preservatives and emulsifiers that hold the formula together.
Is CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum safe during pregnancy?
Avoid in pregnancy: Retinol. When in doubt, check with your doctor before using it.
Against your shelf
Read from your own shelf, in your browser. We never see it.
The full formula, decoded
Every ingredient on the label, in the order it appears (highest amount first). We link the 25 our library knows, name what each one does, and flag anything that can irritate or clog. The rest we leave plain, nothing is hidden.
- Aqua/Water/EauSolvent (base)
- PropanediolHumectant
- DimethiconeOcclusive
- Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
- NiacinamideVitaminmild irritant
- Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
- Dipotassium GlycyrrhizateSoothing
- Hydrogenated Lecithin
- Potassium PhosphateBuffer
- Ceramide NPBarrier lipid
- Ceramide APBarrier lipid
- Ceramide EOPBarrier lipid
- roughly the 1% lineThe rules only require descending order above 1%. From Carbomer down, these 21 can be listed in any order the brand likes, so position stops telling you anything.
- CarbomerThickener
- Cetearyl AlcoholEmollient
- Behentrimonium MethosulfateConditioning agent
- DimethiconolEmollient
- Lecithin
- Sodium CitratepH buffer
- RetinolRetinoidpregnancy: avoidcan irritate
- Sodium HyaluronateHumectant
- Sodium Lauroyl LactylateSurfactantmild irritant
- CholesterolBarrier lipid
- PhenoxyethanolPreservativemild irritant
- Alcohol
- Isopropyl MyristateEmollientmay clog pores
- Caprylyl GlycolPreservative booster
- Citric AcidExfoliantmild irritant
- Trisodium Ethylenediamine DisuccinateChelator (stabiliser)
- Pentylene GlycolHumectant
- PhytosphingosineSphingoid base
- Xanthan GumThickener
- Polysorbate 20Emulsifiermild irritant
- EthylhexylglycerinPreservative booster
Worth knowing: Retinol sits below that line. It is in there, and the label does not tell you how much. That is not the same as saying it is too little to matter.
Copy the raw INCI list
Aqua/Water/Eau, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Dimethiconol, Lecithin, Sodium Citrate, Retinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Pentylene Glycol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin
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We don't make or sell skincare of our own. So there's nothing here we're trying to push, just an honest read of whether this formula suits your skin.