I decided to try this cleanser every morning for a week and noticed a big difference after the first use. I have been struggling with eczema/bumpy pimples around my nose and chin area due to wearing a CPAP mask and having dry skin. After the first application, I felt no bumps, and my skin was so smooth. In the shower, I decided to try it on my body (chest and back area where it's bumpy). I left the cleanser on for a minute to absorb into my skin and washed it off. I felt clean, fresh and soft, with smooth skin. It's very gentle and has reduced my redness and bumps significantly.
I love that this cleanser is fragrance-free and affordable. I use retinol at night, and I didn't want to use the cleanser in the evenings as combining SA and retinol is too harsh for the skin (Cerave oil foaming cleanser is my go-to night cleanser). I use it in my morning routine, and my skin has never looked so clear and glowy!
This is an effective cleanser. I usually use lactic acid as my exfoliant and this cleanser left my skin looking as smooth as lactic acid does, so I was impressed with the results as I haven't found cleansers to be as effective as directly applying acids.
The scent reminds me of the Neutrogena and Clean and Clear products that I used as a teenager and the formula seems similar too. I don't mind the scent, but I find that CeraVe's products have a stronger chemical smell than other fragrance free products with similar ingredients.
I found it had a slightly more water-y consistency than I like my cleansers to have, but aside from that the texture was fine. I did feel slight irritation after initial use but this is probably because of the salicylic acid and it subsided quickly.
Overall this left my skin looking smooth and I would recommend it to people looking for a simple, effective cleanser.