Vanicream vs. Cetaphil Sensitive Review

Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream

$14.99 at Drugstore.com for a huge 1 pound tub with pump!

Ingredients:Water Purified, White Petrolatum, Cetearyl Alc, Ceteareth 20, Sorbitol Solution, Propylene Glycol, Simethicone, Glyceryl Monostearate, Polyethylene Glycol Monostearate, Sorbic Acid, BHT

Vanicream is a really heavy cream made for dry, irritated and sensitive skin. It's even used for blending with prescription ointments and to give them more hydration. It's made without the common chemical irritants found in ordinary skin care products, free of dyes, fragrance (really!), lanolin, or parabens and it's non-comedogenic!

This cream is truly fragrance free.So much so that it has that raw non-scent ? Ha ha like the non-scent you get from prescription eczema creams.

Since it really is a heavy cream, a tiny bit goes a really long way. It isn't greasy per say but it doesn't soak into your skin too quickly either and it leaves behind a moist film. This is great for me but I could see how it might be a set back for someone who has sensitive skin but skin that might not be dry. I have a tendency when I'm at home and my skin is really dry to slather some on and then minutes later put some more on. I usually do this because no matter how creamy and moisturizing they say something is going to be, I always find that I have to reapply after about a half an hour when my skin is really, really thirsty. I don't have to do this with Vanicream because it is so gosh darn thick!

It does everything it says it's going to. I got this in about a day after I had an incredibly severe allergy attack and even at my most sensitized it did not irritate me one bit! So excited!

Depending on what is actually causing your dryness it really seems like in can heal it. In my case my allergies and the cause behind the outbreak was so far gone that the Vanicream couldn't heal it. Happy to say after I went to the doc and had the underlying problem taken care of, Vanicream really helped in the healing process!

I use a bit on my face after my morning and night wash when I am really dry and sensitized. I would be careful not to wear this under make up though because if its richness. I also use it on my hands and feet and body right after I get out of the shower. My eczema patches and scars are noticeably more . . . I don't know if moist is the word but they are! They are even healing quicker that usual.

Bottom Line: This product is simply amazing! It leaves even my most dry patches feeling moist, supple, plumped and so soft! Beware: if your skin isn't on the dry side it will be way too greasy for you.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream, Fragrance Free

$13.49 at drugstore.com for a 1 pound tub.

Ingredients: Water, Polyglycerylmethacrylate (and Propylene Glycol), Petrolatum, Dicaprylyl Ether, PEG 5 Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Dimethicone (and Dimethiconol), Cetyl Alcohol, Sweet Almond Oil,(allergic to alomonds?) Acrylates/C10 30 Alkyl AcrylateCrosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid

This Cream was also formulated specifically for chronic Dry, Sensitive Skin. It is Fragrance free and Non-Comedogenic and free of lanolins, parabens.

This is my go to thick and creamy moisturizer. I have used this for years (since I was a baby) time and time again on my face and body, especially through my most sensitized skin episodes.

This product is fragrance free. I don't know if this particular product has a masking fragrance (it might.) But none the less it has never irritated my skin in any way.

This product is thick and heavy but it really does a good job of soaking into your skin so it does not stay sticky or greasy after you've rubbed it in. Again, a little goes a long way.

As a body moisturizer, it really lasts all day long. I apply it once liberally after my morning shower and then a light layer right before I go to bed. My skin is comfortable, soft and supple all night long.

On my face, at night I always try to apply a light layer. During my dryer days this product has been a life saver! When I am really sensitized I skip the regular moisturizer and put on a really light layer of this stuff, my eye cream and my sunblock under my makeup and I'm good for at least 8 to nine hours. When I get my little dry patches I just reapply to those areas lightly with a sponge or foundation brush. If you wear a lot of foundation and I do sometimes, I just take a bit of this cream and rub it in top of my makeup and then tissue off the excess before putting on more foundation or powder so it doesn't look caked on.

Bottom Line: I recommend this product and have been a loyal cetaphil-lian since my baby years. It's good stuff that you can find at any drugstore and it's inexpensive.

Vanicream vs. Cetaphil:Vanicream is more expensive by $1.50 for the same size tubs of magical indulgent moisture.

Vanicream is much heavier than Cetaphil so I use this occasionally when I really need this type of crazy deep, long lasting moisture during my outbreaks/episodes.

Cetaphil is good for an everyday I have really dry skin/patches all the time type of thing.

When comparing two similar products, I tend to look at how many ingredients there are. I am in no way an expert nor do I know what these ingredients to specifically or individually. I just have noticed through the years that the products that are more compatible with my type of skin tend to have fewer ingredients than normal products. Less to be allergic to maybe? In the end Vanicream seems like it has less to it and during this last outbreak it was my product of choice between the two.

Bottom line: They are good for different uses. Glad I don't really have to pick between the two but if I had to pick one? I am currently a HUGE Vanicream fan this time around!

So there it is . . . Thank you for reading this incredibly long review!