I bought this cleanser because I absolutely adore the CeraVe moisturizing cream. I figured it couldn't hurt because the ingredients just seem like they won't hurt. A lot of people complained that it left behind a bit of a film, but I figured that was fine. So I purchased it and took it to a 3 week camp thing I had to test out the results.
My biggest complaint with this facial cleanser is that it just doesn't clean my face well enough. I know sometimes you can't tell whether it's cleaning your face or not, but the fact that it couldn't remove even the most washable of my eyeshadows disappointed me. Generally speaking, the only makeup I ever have a hard time removing is mascara. But then I figured I'd keep trying it (I didn't have anything else, anyway) and I noticed my skin just kept going downhill. I have pretty good skin and really only break out because of hormones or if something I'm using is bad, such as this facial cleanser. It wasn't like I had a crazy overnight reaction, it's just that I started breaking out in places I normally didn't break out and got a bunch of weird bumps all over my face. So I figured my face just wasn't getting cleaned enough, toughed out the last few days, and brought it home as a morning cleanser. I must say, I love this in the morning because it doesn't strip my face of moisture and just removes excess oil. I'd really like to love this because it leaves my skin balanced, but it just doesn't clean well enough to be the only cleanser I rely on. I won't buy it again, but I can use it up.

Omg!!!!! This stuff feels extremely hydrating!! I'm a person who has very dry skin. Its so dry sometimes it stings. Specially around my eye area. I just bought this and I couldn't wait to write about my first impression. It lathers up a bit and its very creamy. It feels like a very moisturizing lotion. My face feels so soft. I didn't even feel the need to apply lotion which is silly because I seriously can't live without moisturizing my face! Ill keep using it to see if any of my small breakouts reduce. But this is def for a person with really dry skin. :)

Very happy with the CeraVe Cleanser. Very soothing and comforting and cleanses well - no residue on cotton when I tone afterwards. Lots of product for the amount you receive. The packaging is nothing glamourous but feel that I can overlook this for the awesomeness that this cleanser is. I have very sensitive skin (eczema, rosacea) and clog-prone (esp to dimethicone, silicone) and this has been wonderful to my skin. It has CERAMIDES in it which are really good for skin in general. Which they had the PM Face Lotion available in Canada. It isn't drying ot greasy whatsoever, but very balancing. Wish I knew about this earlier. Was using Cetaphil before but this feels more soothing and moisturizing. I would suggest PRE-CLEANSING beforehand. I use 2 pumps each time I cleanse, twice a day - it's a good cleansing practice in general. The first time to remove makeup. The second to deep cleanse the skin. Keep in mind this does not lather, but is quite creamy - unlike Cetaphil, which is more thin and milky. The non-fragrance is a great feature for all skins and will be buying this as long as it is around. Bought this for $16 for 12 oz. I'm a huge belever that it's about the product and not the brand necessarily. I see a lot of inconsistency between products within the same brand. CeraVe seems to offer a small range of products that all work well, which is very refreshing. Now to figure out how I can buy a pretty cleansing pump from Dior and transfer this cleanser into that, and my life is perfect - lol!

EDIT - Oct 2012

Skin has grown intolerant to this cleanser. It just burns now, probably because my skin is far more drier. Have gone back to Cetaphil. Loved this, but unfortunately can no longer handle it.

This cleanser shouldn't even be called a "hydrating" cleanser. I have oily, dehydrated, acne-prone skin for reference. After using this I noticed I had a lot of little white flakes on my nose, and my nose started to feel a lot rougher. My face also looks and feels a lot drier, and I noticed several little bumps (clogged pores). I feel that this is also not helping my acne. This product is seriously terrible for my skin. Hydrating my ass! I have oilier skin so to make it this dry is amazing. I really hope I can exchange this at the store for another cleanser because this is seriously really drying to my skin; my foundation ends up going awful because of how the cleanser made my skin. There is no way I will continue using this cleanser, especially since I have a wedding to go to in two weeks.

If you have oily skin like me, I do not recommend. Will not remove makeup, and does not thoroughly clean or remove oils. I bought it because I am on prescription acne meds and my doc recommended something gentle. It felt good after i cleansed, my skin felt moisturized, but this caused trouble for me after a few days. Breakouts increased. This should be used only on very dry, sensitive, non acne prone skin.

I love it however I would not use this to remove make-up. Tried it once and did not find it all that effective. I only use Purity for that. However Cereve is perfect in the morning or for times I want to freshen up my dry aging skin when I am sans make-up. My skin looks glowing after I use this. Easy to locate and not expensive. 2 thumbs up.

Love this cleanser! I have oily-acne skin, but this really helped my skin clear out. You only need 2 push and you will have enough product....At first, I thought that it wouldnt enter my pores to cleanser them, but it actually does an excellent job cleansing and giving a natural protection to the skin! Ceramides really helped my skin to retain the moisture and not to get dry with my other acne product (lotions, spot treatment, toner)...I have used one bottle for about 6 months already and I will soon rebuy another bottle! This is the perfect cleanser for all types of skin! <3 continued >>

Gradually caused breakouts. Small ones, cysts. My skin was turning into an awful mess. I didn't understand very quickly because it is listed as non-comedogenic. I will say that it does seem to repair the moisture barrier. On balance I wish I had not done this. It is very gentle, so it can take 2-3 attempst to remove makeup. But it is adequate as a cleanser. If you need something really exceptionally gentle perhaps try it, but at the first sign of trouble cease and desist! My clogged pores became apparent after a couple of weeks of being quite satisfied.

I have combination skin that is very sensitive. I guess I should have known better than to try this product . It's greasy and makes your face feel like you rubbed armoral on it. It's most likely because glycerin is the main ingredient. Felt like it just sat on top of my skin and repelled water so it doesn't even clean at all! Hated it. Also tried the foaming version . It feels like rubbing ky on your face. Also dried me out too much. Cetaphil is much better!

I liked this facewash right away but I'm generally not product loyal at all so expected after I used this up, I would move on but over a year later I ran out and bought a second bottle.

I use this in the morning and at night and sometimes in the afternoon to double cleanse after using an oil cleanser to remove my waterproof sunblock. I just gently splash some lukewarm water on my face, take a pumpful of product and rub it in with a gentle fingerpad massage and then rinse off. It's very gentle and leaves my skin feeling clean but not at all tight, not even over my cheeks which the driest part of my face. It works well in both the summer and winter and for the size of the bottle (12 oz.) is quite cheap. I bought my bottle for about $9 on sale.

There are some downsides for those that care. It does not foam. It took a bit to get accustomed to a non-foaming wash, but now it doesn't bother me. It does not remove waterproof makeup or sunblock. You'll need a makeup remover separate from this cleanser if you want it to do those things. It has an ugly label that makes it look dirt cheap. I actually ignored this bottle at the store because I thought it was some dollar store rip off cleanser. Now I'm just happy it works so well and is still a bargain.