✶

cerave PM Facial Moi… vs Dr. Althea Vitamin C… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

Products
Ingredients
Brands
K-Beauty
Blog
How We Score

Gracie
/Compare
/cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
/vs
/Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum

cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion vs Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum

cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion scores 8.2/9.8 and Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum scores 8.1/9.8 — a near-tie where your skin type decides the winner.

Head to head

✶

cerave

PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

moisturiserbudget

8.2

Buy at Amazon

Compare

Best Moisturisers
Best Serums
Best Cleansers
Best SPF

Ingredients

Niacinamide
Retinol
Hyaluronic Acid
Salicylic Acid

K-Beauty

K-Beauty Hub
K-Beauty Moisturisers
K-Beauty Serums
K-Beauty Sunscreens

About

Methodology
About Us
All Brands
All Products

Gracie

Honest skincare intel. No jargon, no gatekeeping — just the ingredients decoded.

Dr. Althea

Vitamin C Boosting Serum

serum

8.1

Score comparison

These two are neck and neck — just 0.1 points apart.

cerave wins 1

Tied 2

9.0

cerave

Dr. Althea

Ingredient face-off

19% overlap

23cerave

7Shared

36Dr. Althea

Only in cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

16 unique

Aqua/Water Glycerin Cetearyl Alcohol Ceteareth-20 Cetyl Alcohol Dimethicone Potassium Phosphate Ceramide Np Ceramide Ap Ceramide Eop+6 more

Shared ingredients

7 in common

Niacinamide Carbomer Sodium Hyaluronate Disodium Edta Tocopherol Xanthan Gum Ethylhexylglycerin

Only in Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum

29 unique

Water Butylene Glycol Dipropylene Glycol 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Panthenol 2-Hexanediol Propanediol Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate Tromethamine+19 more

Why these two are neck and neck

These two moisturisers take different paths to a similar destination. Both formulas include solid hydrating ingredients, and the overall scores reflect that — the gap here is genuinely slim.

Active Ingredient Strength is another area of separation. Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum scores 6.8 here versus 6.4 for cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. That difference comes down to how each formula is built — the ingredient list tells the story.

cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion brings Niacinamide, Ceramide Np, and Ceramide Ap as actives, while dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum relies on Niacinamide, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, and Adenosine. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Dry or dehydrated skin that craves moisture, thanks to Glycerin
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Value comparison

cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion comes in at budget pricing with a 8.2 score, which is solid value at that tier.

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

It's a close call — both products score within 0.3 points of each other. Your choice depends on your specific skin concerns.

✶

8.2cerave

8.1Dr. Althea

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion or Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum?

Based on ingredient analysis, cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion scores higher overall. See the full score breakdown above for details on each attribute.

Do cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion and Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum share ingredients?

Yes, they share common ingredients. Check the ingredient face-off section above for a detailed comparison.

What's the main difference between cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion and Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum?

The key differences are in their active ingredients and formulation approach. Check the attribute battle above for a detailed breakdown.

Full analysis: cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion→Full analysis: Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum→

We may earn a commission from purchases made through our links, at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep Gracie free and independent.

Some links on this site are affiliate links. We may earn a commission from purchases made through our links, at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep Gracie free and independent.