No. 75
in skincare
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How it works.
57% would recommend
Why we ranked it No. 75 in skincare
Sample
14 redditors with explicit opinion · 8 positive · 6 negative · 0 neutral
Score
0.571 — formula: 0.75 × % positive + 0.25 × pos/neg ratio
Confidence95% CI: 33–79% · the true approval rate falls in this range with 95% statistical confidence
Verdict
Recommended — ≥50% positive. Mixed but more good than bad.
Sources
r/SkincareAddictionUK, r/SkincareAddiction, r/TheOrdinarySkincare, r/40PlusSkinCare
Cerave · skincare
Recommended
Sa Cleanser
r/SkincareAddictionUKr/SkincareAddictionr/TheOrdinarySkincarer/40PlusSkinCare
TL;DR — Reddit consensus
Salicylic acid cleanser that cleared clogged pores and bacne for some users over months. Made others' skin worse or showed no improvement.
Amazon vs Reddit
Amazon loves it. Reddit isn't sold.
On Amazon: ★4.7 from 22,087 reviews — that's roughly 92% positive.
On Reddit: 57% of 14 redditors recommend it.
The gap of 35 points is unusual and worth reading the cons before you buy.
What redditors love
+
Fully cleared clogged pores after a year of morning use
“i've fully cleared up my clogged pores a year ago by using the cerave sa cleanser every morning and tretinoin 0.05 cream every night”
u/briqnva · r/tretinoin →
+
Worked better than prescription derm products for bacne
“This routine helped even more than the stuff my derm gave me years ago”
u/Current-Hedgehog6047 · r/SkincareAddiction →
+
Removes closed comedones when left on 2 minutes
“Cerave SA cleanser, leave in 2 mins before rinsing. It will take a few months but will remove them”
u/zissouo · r/SkincareAddiction →
+
Useful as targeted treatment for hormonal breakouts
“sometimes I'll use Cerave SA cleanser depending on if I'm having hormonal breakouts or not”
u/BusyPomegranate0 · r/tretinoin →
What they don’t
−
Made forehead worse after 2 months of use
“starting to use Cerave SA Smoothing cleanser 2 months ago (which has actually made my forehead worse!)”
u/paddyton · r/SkincareAddictionUK →
−
Didn't help breakouts despite consistent use
“I ditched Cerave SA cleanser, I dont think it ever helps me”
u/Annual_Egg3323 · r/40PlusSkinCare →
−
Too harsh for dehydrated or sensitive skin types
“Maybe dehydrated skin. Try swapping the cerave sa cleanser for something more gentle”
u/ConfusedKungfuMaster · r/SkincareAddiction →
Direct quotes
What 14 redditors actually said.
Top 6 by confidence shown — expand below for the rest. Click any to open the original on Reddit.
S
u/SupportDramatic2262
·
r/SkincareAddictionUK
id because it irritates me. Very oily skin. Large pores. Sensitive. I can’t use CeraVe salicylic acid as it also irritates me. I’ve tried retinol/retinal and it causes more breakout
P
u/paddyton
·
r/SkincareAddictionUK
k. I have not changed my skincare products recently, other than starting to use Cerave SA Smoothing cleanser 2 months ago (which has actually made my forehead worse!). Any ideas/suggestion
R
u/RH9494
·
r/SkincareAddiction
[Misc] My body has never been smoother! I've been using the CeraVe salicylic acid body wash in the shower, and the La roche Posay urea cream (after every shower
L
u/Lulli94
·
r/TheOrdinarySkincare
o I'm looking for something 'gentle'. I've tried Sunday Riley glycolic acid and Cerave salicylic acid soap, but both are too harsh. Would you reccomand me the lactic acid 5% for clo
A
u/Annual_Egg3323
·
r/40PlusSkinCare
breakout. I tried a 2% SA serum but didnt really notice a difference. I ditched Cerave SA cleanser, I dont think it ever helps me. I'll post again in a month or two if I continue
C
u/Current-Hedgehog6047
·
r/SkincareAddiction
d salicylic acid on my back for bacne) after every shower. Then lock it in with CeraVe SA lotion. This routine helped even more than the stuff my derm gave me years ago.
Show all 14 mentions ↓
"rried is because i’ve fully cleared up my clogged pores a year ago by using the cerave sa cleanser every morning and tretinoin 0.05 cream every night but I damaged my skin barrie"
View thread →
"Maybe dehydrated skin. Try swapping the cerave sa cleanser for something more gentle. Also consider using only water for the morning routi"
View thread →
"Try Cerave salicylic acid cream, it’s been helping me a lot I use it all over my body and face. Should he"
View thread →
"Thank you ! I use the Cerave hydrating cleanser and sometimes I’ll use Cerave SA cleanser depending on if I’m having hormonal breakouts or not. As for the moisturizer, a"
View thread →
"month course; acne came back eventually but SO much improvement in severity)
- CeraVe SA cleanser
- rx Sodium Sulfacetamide cleanser (cleansing with sulfur is one of the things"
View thread →
"Cerave SA cleanser, leave in 2 mins before rinsing. It will take a few months but will remove them"
View thread →
Threads tracked
The conversations we're watching.
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