Cerave Resurfacing Retinol Serum Review

Skincare doesn’t have to be expensive and one of the best affordable brands is Cerave. I have reviewed quite a few Cerave products, so I very much have my favorites, but this product is one of my favorites from the brand.

The Cerave Resurfacing Retinol Serum is an effective retinol product for seasoned retinol users. It’s a potent retinol serum from the #1 recommended brand by dermatologists and is also largely considered to be a brand that produces the most affordable and efficacious products on the in the skincare industry.

This serum is a great affordable retinol serum if you are looking for a product $20.00 and under. 1 oz of product will usually run you about $17.00, but you can find it even cheaper when retailers price cut, for example, it’s currently $11.50 on Amazon.com if you sign up for their subscribe and save program; otherwise its $12.10, which is still a steal!

This serum is honestly one of the most affordable and effective retinol products that I have used. That’s to say, it’s not exactly the best – that honor goes to Skinceuticals 1.0 Retinol Cream. I talk about that product in my article Best Retinol Serums where I outline 5 great retinol serum options with different price points. The Skinceuticals retinol cream is the priciest of the 5 recommendations, but it’s worth it.

The nice thing about this retinol in particular is that is that is has encapsulated retinol. Encapsulated retinol offers a slower release of the retinol, so it’s not immediately active on the skin, instead releasing over time, so it’s a great option for  those with dry and sensitive skin (like me!).

This serum is fragrance-free and has additional ingredients to promote skin barrier health, like niacinamide and ceramides. Ceramides help build the skin cell barrier (more on ingredients and their benefits in another post) and niacinamide helps control sebum production and maintain the skin barrier.

This serum also contains hyaluronic acid to help hydrate the skin. As a note, hyaluronic acid is in virtually every skincare product these days, but it isn’t necessary in a skincare routine. If your skin can handle it, it’s a wonderful ingredient for dry and aging skin that helps the skin look more radiant and plumper.

As far as the experience with the product? It’s not luxurious to be honest. That’s not saying is not a nice product, but it has more of a gel texture than a thinner, lighter serum that has a texture more similar to a true serum. If you struggle with acne prone or oily skin this product is a good option because it’s not heavy.

HIGHLIGHTS

Overall, this product is a great option for anyone looking add a retinol into their nighttime routine. Dermatologists recommend starting out 1x per week and increasing usage to 4 – 7 times per week if your skin can handle it, so that you are optimizing the benefits of over-the-counter retinol.

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