Ingredient lists follow a rule: anything used above 1% must be listed in order of amount, from most to least. Preservatives are used below 1%. So anything listed after the preservative is under 1%, usually far under.
In this cream, the two headline peptides sit below the preservative. That means they are present at trace levels — a label decoration more than an active dose. Niacinamide also sits lower here than in the cheaper CeraVe PM lotion.
None of that makes it a bad cream. The ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and emollients do real work for dry skin, and it is fragrance-free. Just buy it as a rich barrier cream, not for the peptides.
| Key active | Ceramides + hyaluronic acid (peptides at trace levels) |
| Texture | Rich night cream |
| Best for | Dry skin wanting a richer night cream |
| Approximate price | $16–20 |
| Fragrance | Fragrance free |
It is fragrance-free, and it is a genuinely good, rich, barrier-supporting night cream. The ceramides, hyaluronic acid and emollients do real work for dry skin.
If your skin is dry and CeraVe's PM lotion is too light, this is the step up within a brand you already trust.
The base formula is sound and the price is not outrageous.
The "peptide complex" is barely present, and the ingredient list proves it. The two peptides sit at positions 32 and 35 out of 39 ingredients — below the preservative.
Here is the rule that makes that damning: ingredients above 1% must be listed in descending order. Preservatives are used below 1%. So anything listed after them is under 1%, usually far under. These peptides are a label decoration.
Niacinamide drops to 19th here, versus 4th in the cheaper PM lotion. You are paying more for less of the best-evidenced ingredient.
It costs roughly 13 times as much per ounce as the CeraVe tub — and the barrier lipids doing the actual work are largely the same. That is the honest comparison.
No published clinical trial on this formula.
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Saccharide Isomerate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Glycine Soja Sterols, Allantoin, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Tripeptide-1, Laureth-9, Citric Acid, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Dextran, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol
1. Cosmetics Labeling Guide | FDA (https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-labeling-regulations/cosmetics-labeling-guide) — Confirms the labeling rule the page relies on: ingredients above 1% must be listed in descending order of predominance, and ingredients at 1% or less may be listed in any order after them (21 CFR 701.3(f)(2)). 2. Topical supplementation with physiological lipids rebalances the stratum corneum ceramide profile and strengthens skin barrier function in adults predisposed to atopic dermatitis (https://academic.oup.com/bjd/article/193/4/729/8142502) — Supports the claim that ceramides do real barrier work: a topical ceramide-containing emulsion reduced transepidermal water loss and strengthened barrier function, while glycerin alone had no effect. 3. Efficacy Evaluation of a Topical Hyaluronic Acid Serum in Facial Photoaging (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13555-021-00566-0) — Supports the claim that hyaluronic acid does real work for dry skin, showing a topical HA formulation increased skin water content and improved smoothness and fine lines. 4. Hyaluronic Acid in Topical Applications: The Various Forms and Biological Effects of a Hero Molecule in the Cosmetics Industry (https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/12/1656) — Reviews the mechanisms by which topical hyaluronic acid hydrates skin and reduces water loss, backing its role as an effective humectant/emollient ingredient. 5. CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream ingredients (Explained) | INCIDecoder (https://incidecoder.com/products/cerave-skin-renewing-night-cream) — Confirms the product is fragrance-free and that the formula contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid with peptides present low on the ingredient list (trace levels).