Fans of CeraVe will relish the brand’s affordable, no-nonsense approach to facial cleansing. Do away with the essential oils, scrap the yellow and pink colouring, and hand over what’s left: a targeted approach to bacteria and grime, specific to each skin type.
It currently has a range of face cleansers, from an exfoliating salicylic acid formula (£10.80, Amazon.co.uk) to a hydrating one (£9.36, Amazon.co.uk) for dry, delicate complexions. And CeraVe has just added another to its cleansing roster aimed at normal to combination skin types.
As someone who loves CeraVe, I was excited to hear word of a new launch: the balancing air foam cleanser (£10.86, Superdrug.com). But, I was dubious of the formula as I’m not normally a fan of foams. By design, foams require surfactants – ingredients that help lift dirt and oil but can often be drying. For years, brands like Clearasil and Neutrogena leaned into this, creating foaming face washes that stripped the skin under the guise of controlling acne and shine. Ironically, such formulas can backfire. Harsh surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) may compromise the skin’s surface, creating tiny fissures that allow sebum to leak through.
Dr Stefanie Williams, a registered dermatologist and medical director at Eudelo skin clinic, explained: “Foaming cleansers, often marketed for oily or acne-prone skin, can actually make things worse when overused or poorly formulated as they can damage the skin barrier and disrupt the epidermis, triggering reactive oil production and congestion.” The result? More oil, more shine, and a disrupted barrier.
So when CeraVe used the term ‘balancing’ to describe this cleanser, I had my doubts. The question is, does it buck the cleanser curve?
How I tested
I used CeraVe’s balancing air foam cleanser for 10 days in the mornings and evenings, the latter as a second cleanse after removing make-up. I applied two to three pumps of the formula to my skin, massaging it into the surface before wiping it off with a hot flannel.
I paid attention to the texture, feel and post-use results, noting any changes to the tightness or hydration of my skin. I also considered the value for money across ingredients and packaging, stacking my real-time review up against its on-paper benefits. Here’s how I got on.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Lucy Smith is The Independent’s beauty writer. She has grown increasingly familiar with CeraVe – from its revitalising eye cream to its vitamin C serum. Regarding cleansers, she’s covered multiple in her five years in the industry, including Elemis, The Inkey List and more. She’s interviewed numerous skincare experts, from plastic surgeons like Dr Rebecca Rollett to dermatologists and aestheticians to understand different ingredients and formulations.
The Inkey List’s glycolic acid exfoliating stick worked magic on my keratosis pilaris
I’m fussy about face SPF, but I’ve finally found my favourite formula
Exclusive: The Inkey List’s new £11 face mist is my must-have for summer
10 best anti-ageing day creams 2025, tested by a beauty expert in her 40s
I’m a 57-year-old beauty editor and these are the best eye creams for mature skin
CeraVe balancing air foam foaming facial cleanser
CeraVe balancing air foam cleanser formula
The new balancing air foam cleanser (£10.86, Superdrug.com) is somewhat of a hybrid of the brand’s existing foaming (£9.36, Amazon.co.uk) and foaming oil (£10.86, Amazon.co.uk) washes. The original foam tackles shine-prone complexions with sebum-regulating ingredients that help regulate oily and congested skin, and the oil iteration works to restore moisture in dry skin. The balancing cleanser combines the nourishment of the latter with the oil control of the former to create a happy middle ground for combination types (skin that can’t make up its mind).
I have to admit, I was hesitant and took these on-paper claims with a pinch of salt. However, it turned out my caution was ill-founded. This formula is a different breed entirely. Ingredients-wise, it contains a gentle concoction. It packs in barrier-strengthening ceramides and soothing allantoin. The result? A cleanser that feels as harmless as a splash of water, but performs like a blotting paper and moisturiser in one.
It also includes niacinamide and salicylic acid. Niacinamide helps regulate oil production, while salicylic acid gently exfoliates, clearing clogged pores and helping the skin absorb moisture more effectively.
CeraVe balancing air foam cleanser performance
I’ve often been left with tight or itchy-feeling skin with these face washes. CeraVe’s formula couldn’t be further from that norm. In fact, after using retinol the night prior my skin felt sensitive, but after applying the air foam, the irritation felt lessened. This can’t be said of all the cleansers I’ve tried and, often, even the most ‘sensitive-friendly’ formulas (The Body Shop’s vitamin E wash comes to mind) have left my skin stinging.
The air foam glides across the skin and allows you time to massage it in place (several minutes) before the bubbles begin to dry down, by which time I’d already removed it with a hot flannel. After washing off, my face felt neither tight or greasy.
As a beauty writer, it’s part and parcel of the job to use a plethora of products, so when proceeding with my normal slew of eye cream, two serums, a face mist, moisturiser and SPF, it was an added bonus to see these formulas absorbed and settled quicker than usual.
I often leave around five to 10 minutes between my skincare and make-up application, but was able to forgo this step after using the air foam. Perhaps thanks to its sodium lauroyl lactylate, which boosts product penetration and, despite its name, isn’t to be confused with SLS.
Read more: I used The Inkey List’s unreleased cream cleanser for a month: Here’s my full review
Buy now £10.86, Superdrug.com
The verdict: CeraVe balancing air foam cleanser
CeraVe’s new balancing foam speaks for itself – the fact that it’s replaced my long-time favourite morning cleanser (which, I should add, costs £39) is proof enough of its quality. I loved everything from its texture to the effect it had on my skincare and, for £10.86, I’m not sure you can find better.
It balances a sensitive formula with effective actives and serves to encourage healthy, calm skin in all skin types, not just those with a normal or combo complexion. If I were you, I’d get your hands on it before it goes TikTok viral and sells out.
