Cetaphil At-A-Glance
Strengths: Inexpensive; their original, often-recommended Gentle Skin Cleanser; mostly fragrance-free products; affordable and widely available; offers complete ingredient lists on its Web site.
Weaknesses: Only one sunscreen; no anti-acne products; no state-of-the-art moisturizers.
This familiar, widely distributed skin-care collection is manufactured by Galderma, the same company that markets the prescription products Differin and MetroGel. Those of you who have been familiar with my work from the beginning know that Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is a product I have been impressed with for quite some time. In 1983, when I first discovered this obscure little cleanser, I was almost alone in recommending it, because no one else knew about it. Back then very few good products were available for women to clean their faces. For decades, the only options were cold cream or cold cream–like products, which had to be wiped off and left the face greasy, and bar cleansers or soaps, which left the face dried out and irritated. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser was one of the only water-soluble cleansers available that cleaned the face without drying it out or leaving it feeling greasy. Times have changed, of course, and water-soluble cleansers are now the norm rather than the exception, but Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser remains a decent cleanser. Its simple formula is good for sensitive skin (including those suffering from rosacea) and it is routinely endorsed by dermatologists, pediatricians, and, perhaps most important for some, fashion magazines (where it is a staple on their “Best of Beauty” lists); but forgive me if I take some credit for this product’s popularity.
Given the dermatology heritage of Galderma (the company’s Web site mentions this consistently), it’s surprising the Cetaphil line hasn’t advanced beyond the basics. Yes, most of what’s available is a safe bet for those with sensitive skin, but their former retinol product is gone, and they’re still offering only one sunscreen (the same one that’s been around for years). That’s limiting, to say the least, and it isn’t great for sensitive skin. I’d have expected the company to keep pace with the latest research into what it takes to create a truly great moisturizer, but that hasn’t occurred either, and it could be done while still keeping the products suitable for those with sensitive skin.
For more information about Cetaphil, call (817) 961-5000 or visit
www.cetaphil.com.