How To Moisturize Your Face

CeraVe Tip: Check out this video playlist and browse even more face moisturizing tips and advice from board-certified dermatologists on CeraVe’s Advisory Board.

Face Moisturizing Tips

1. Apply moisturizer to clean, damp skin daily

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the best time to apply moisturizer is immediately after cleansing, when your skin is clean and slightly damp.¹ This is when your moisturizer will be most effective at trapping moisture in your skin and preventing it from evaporating. “It’s all about locking in moisture,” says Dr. Daniel Sugai.

If your skincare regimen includes additional steps between cleansing and moisturizing (such as toning), this same rule applies. Simply apply your products in their usual order, but don’t wait for your skin to fully dry between steps (in order to keep your skin slightly damp). In general, your skincare routine should start with the lightest formulas and progress to the heaviest. This means that your cleanser should come first, followed by toner, serum, eye cream, and lastly, moisturizer (with SPF for daytime). 

2. Use a moisturizer with three essential ceramides

“The skin barrier is vital to skin health—[it’s] our first line of protection from the elements,” explains board-certified dermatologist Dr. Daniel Sugai. A healthy skin barrier is essential for keeping moisture in and potential irritants out, and when it’s disrupted, it can lead to a variety of skin concerns over time—such as dryness, dullness, and irritation. Using a moisturizer with hydrating ingredients and emollients—including ceramides, which make up approximately 50% of the skin's lipids that help form your natural skin barrier—can help support and maintain your skin’s moisture barrier.

”Ceramides are part of the glue that holds our skin cells together and builds a nice skin barrier wall to help protect our skin from the allergens and irritants on the outside,” explains Dr. Sugai. This helps keep the “good stuff” in (such as water), according to Dr. Sugai, which helps your skin remain “plump and hydrated.”

Developed with dermatologists, CeraVe moisturizers feature a blend of three essential ceramides that are identical to those found naturally in your skin. Learn more about the science of Cerave’s three essential ceramides in The Ceramides Difference.

3. Use a moisturizer with SPF during the day

For daytime, it’s important to choose a face moisturizer that supports your skin’s hydration and offers protection from the sun’s harmful rays. ”Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is extremely damaging to the skin,” explains Dr. Sejal Shah. “Not only is it a primary cause of skin cancer and precancerous lesions, but it also leads to premature skin aging, wrinkles, and dark spots.”

For this reason, Dr. Shah recommends using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or above every day. And, according to Dr. Daniel Sugai, this advice is relevant all year long—no matter the season—even on cloudy days. “There's still a good amount of UVA radiation that comes through the clouds,” explains Dr. Sugai. 

Dr. Sugai also recommends wearing sunscreen or a moisturizer with SPF anytime you’re going to be near a window, like when driving. “You should still wear sunscreen if you're by window glass, because [of] that UVA radiation,” he says. “Those rays can penetrate through window glass,” explains Dr. Sugai, which means they can still cause harm to your skin.

For a daytime moisturizer option with broad-spectrum SPF 30, try CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion With Sunscreen to both moisturize and help protect. This morning multitasker locks in skin’s moisture and helps maintain your skin’s protective barrier. It also features MVE Delivery Technology, which continually releases moisturizing ingredients for all-day hydration. This oil-free moisturizer is meant to be part of your daily skincare regimen and should be applied 15 minutes before sun exposure.

Remember to reapply every two hours, along with using other protective measures—like wearing protective clothing and limiting sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (per the U.S. Food & Drug Administration [FDA] guidelines).²

Note: If your daytime moisturizer does not include SPF, it’s important to apply a separate broad-spectrum facial sunscreen and body sunscreen in the morning after your moisturizer, even when staying indoors or on cloudy days.

4. Moisturize as the last step in your nighttime skincare routine

Applying face moisturizer as the final step in your nighttime skincare regimen is an effective way to hydrate your skin overnight and help prevent moisture loss while you sleep. For a lightweight nighttime moisturizer option, try CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. This unique formula features niacinamide, as well as three essential ceramides and hyaluronic acid. It helps calm and soothe your skin, while it moisturizes throughout the night and helps restore the protective skin barrier. It also uses MVE Technology to deliver a steady stream of much-needed moisture throughout the night, and offers an effective, yet gentle way to care for your skin.

5. Choose non-comedogenic and fragrance-free formulas

Facial moisturizers aren’t a “one-size-fits-all” skincare essential. They’re available in a wide range of formulas to suit different preferences, skin concerns, and lifestyles. For example, many moisturizers for sensitive and dry skin are formulated without fragrance, since fragrance chemicals may cause skin reactions in some people. On the other hand, “non-comedogenic” moisturizers (which are formulated not to clog your pores) may be beneficial options for those with oily or acne-prone skin.

CeraVe’s facial moisturizers—including our AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion and PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion—are formulated with dermatologists to be fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, and suitable for many different types of skin.