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Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel vs CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser

Same comparison whichever way you searched it: CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser vs Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel.

The bottom line

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser does more across the board (it leads on hydration, barrier repair, brightening / tone), while Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel is the simpler, more pared-back pick.

Reach for CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser if you want the actives; Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.

Reviewed by Maya FaourLast reviewed September 2026
Avène Cleanance Cleansing GelAvèneCleanance Cleansing GelCleanser · ~€14See every ingredient in Cleanance Cleansing Gel, decoded
CeraVe SA Smoothing CleanserCeraVeSA Smoothing CleanserCleanser · ~€13See every ingredient in SA Smoothing Cleanser, decoded

Which should you pick?

Pick Cleanance Cleansing Gel if

  • you prefer a simpler, more minimal formula

Pick SA Smoothing Cleanser if

  • plump, lasting hydration is what you want
  • your barrier feels stressed and needs the support
  • your skin is sensitive or reacts to fragrance

What each delivers

HydrationBarrierBrighteningOil-controlAnti-aging
Cleanance Cleansing GelSA Smoothing Cleanser
  • Hydration
    110
  • Barrier repair
    210
  • Brightening / tone
    37
  • Oil-control & blemishes
    610
  • Anti-aging
    26

Side by side

Cleanance Cleansing GelSA Smoothing Cleanser
TypeCleanserCleanser
Key activesZinc GluconateGlycerin, Niacinamide, Ceramide 3
TextureA gentle wash that lifts the day away without leaving skin tight or squeaky.A gentle wash that lifts the day away without leaving skin tight or squeaky.
FragranceContains fragranceNone detected
Fungal-acne safeNot likelyLikely
PregnancyNo flagged activesNo flagged actives
Ingredients20 listed24 listed
Price~€14~€13

What's in one but not the other

The two labels share 3 of the 41 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.

What each one adds acts on Not established for Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel and The stratum corneum, The living epidermis for CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser. That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.

Only in Cleanance Cleansing Gel

Both share

No active in common.

Only in SA Smoothing Cleanser

Where each label stops telling you the dose

Ingredients are listed in order of how much is inside, but only down to 1%. Below that the brand may list them in any order it likes, so the bottom of a label is a set, not a ranking. These two stop being a ranking in very different places.

Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel

  1. 1Avene Thermal Spring Water
  2. 2Aqua/Water
  3. 3Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
  4. 4Zinc Coceth Sulfate
  5. 5Polysorbate 20
  6. 6Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
  7. 7Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol
  8. 8PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
  9. 9Citric Acid
  10. 10Disodium EDTA
  11. 11Parfum (Fragrance)
  12. 12Glyceryl Laurate
  13. 13CI 61570
  14. 14Lauric Acid
  15. 15Sodium Benzoate
  16. 16Sodium Chloride
  17. 17Sodium Hydroxide
  18. 18Sodium Methyl Isethionate
  19. 19CI 19140
  20. 20Zinc Gluconate

11 of 20 sit below the line, marked by Disodium EDTA. Including what it is sold on: Zinc Gluconate.

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser

  1. 1Aqua/Water
  2. 2Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
  3. 3Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
  4. 4Glycerin
  5. 5Niacinamide
  6. 6Gluconolactone
  7. 7Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
  8. 8PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
  9. 9Ceramide NP
  10. 10Ceramide AP
  11. 11Ceramide EOP
  12. 12Carbomer
  13. 13Calcium Gluconate
  14. 14Salicylic Acid
  15. 15Sodium Benzoate
  16. 16Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
  17. 17Cholesterol
  18. 18Phenoxyethanol
  19. 19Disodium EDTA
  20. 20Tetrasodium EDTA
  21. 21Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
  22. 22Phytosphingosine
  23. 23Xanthan Gum
  24. 24Ethylhexylglycerin

13 of 24 sit below the line, marked by Carbomer.

Below the line is not too little to work: ceramides, retinoids and peptides all act far under a percent. It means the position stops carrying information. Where the line falls is inferred from the first ingredient whose whole job is done at a fraction of a percent, so it is a close read of the label rather than a number from the formula sheet.

The molecule doing the work

Cleanance Cleansing GelZinc Gluconate
SA Smoothing CleanserGlycerin

Better for…

  • Dark spots & uneven toneSA Smoothing Cleanser
  • Fine lines & firmnessSA Smoothing Cleanser
  • Breakouts & congestionSA Smoothing Cleanser
  • Dryness & dehydrationSA Smoothing Cleanser
  • Sensitive, reactive skinSA Smoothing Cleanser

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser is the cheaper of the two (~€13 vs ~€14).

Ready to pick one?

Cleanance Cleansing Gel on amazon.comSA Smoothing Cleanser on amazon.com

Affiliate links, so a purchase sends us a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Glow Simplified earns from qualifying purchases. We make and sell nothing here, so the verdict above never bends toward a sale.

Common questions

Is Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel or CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser better for dark spots & uneven tone?

For dark spots & uneven tone, CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser does more across the board (it leads on hydration, barrier repair, brightening / tone), while Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel is the simpler, more pared-back pick. Reach for CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser if you want the actives; Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.

Which is cheaper, Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel or CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser?

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser is the cheaper of the two (~€13 vs ~€14).

Can I use Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel and CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser together?

They are both cleansers, so you would normally pick one rather than layer both in the same step. You can keep both and alternate them (morning and night, or on different days) if you like variety, but you do not need two.

Compare it with…

VSBanila CoClean It Zero Cleansing Balm OriginalSame lane, mid-range bandVSCeraVeHydrating Cream-to-Foam CleanserShares Salicylic acid (BHA) and Ceramide 6-IIVSBiodermaSébium Gel MoussantSame lane, mid-range band
All 20 comparisons