Cetaphil cream to foam cleanser: what it does and how to use it

Which Cetaphil cleanser is this?

In Canada, the product is called Hydrating Cream to Foam Cleanser; in the US and UK, it is called Hydrating Foaming Cream Cleanser. Those names describe a creamy cleanser that foams, because apparently even a face wash needs regional aliases. Gentle Skin Cleanser and Nourishing Oil to Foam Cleanser are separate products, not alternative names for the same bottle.12345

What does the cream to foam texture do?

The UK formula starts as a rich cream and turns into foam as you cleanse. It removes dirt, oil and makeup while maintaining the skin's protective barrier and natural pH, meaning its level of acidity. The intended finish is hydrated skin rather than a dry, tight feeling. The cream becomes foam during washing, so the bottle's long name is at least describing an actual event.3

What's in the formula?

The Canadian and UK ingredient lists include sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium cocoyl glutamate, cocamidopropyl betaine and sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, alongside glycerin, niacinamide, panthenol and aloe. The US list includes those ingredients too, but lists them in a different order. Use the ingredient list for the bottle you are buying rather than treating every country's version as interchangeable.123

• Glycerin attracts water and helps retain skin moisture.
• Niacinamide, also called vitamin B3, has hydrating properties and helps retain moisture.
• Panthenol, also called provitamin B5, helps soothe skin and retain moisture.
• Aloe is included in the hydrating foaming cream formula for its soothing properties.

How do you use it?

1. 1Wet your face with lukewarm water.
2. 2Dispense a small amount into your hands.
3. 3Gently massage onto your face in circular motions, avoiding the eye area.
4. 4Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
5. 5Pat gently with a clean towel, then apply your facial moisturizer while skin is still damp.

Cetaphil's US directions allow use twice daily, in the morning and evening. If you already use a face serum, Cetaphil places it after cleansing and before moisturizer. Keep the cream to foam cleanser as a rinse off step; the directions for using Gentle Skin Cleanser without water belong to that separate product.14

Do you still need moisturizer?

Follow cleansing with a facial moisturizer to lock in moisture. The Canadian routine also includes facial sun protection during the day and moisturizer at night to protect against dryness. A hydrating cleanser still has a moisturizer after it in the routine, so the word "hydrating" has not made the next bottle redundant.2

Who is it best suited to?

Normal to dry skin is the main fit. The Canadian version is also described as suitable for sensitive skin, with mild cleansing that protects the moisture barrier. Its soap free formula is designed to leave skin hydrated and smooth after washing. Cetaphil lists it as noncomedogenic, meaning formulated not to clog pores; that is a product property, not a prediction of how your skin will respond.2

For predominantly oily skin, Cetaphil points toward a foaming or gel cleanser designed to remove excess oil rather than a nourishing cream cleanser. The cream to foam wash makes more sense when moisture retention is the priority. Foam alone does not tell you which skin type a cleanser targets: this particular foaming formula is positioned for normal to dry skin.1

How does it compare with other Cetaphil cleansers?

Choose Gentle Skin Cleanser if you want a nonfoaming cream or need the option to cleanse without water. Choose the Canadian Nourishing Oil to Foam Cleanser if you specifically want an oil based wash that lathers. Cetaphil allows that oil cleanser as a single cleansing step or followed by Gentle Skin Cleanser; that option is not a direction to double cleanse with every Cetaphil wash.45