The short version
- A light face lotion, 3 fl oz pump bottle, with 16 ingredients: water first, then an emollient ester, hydroxyethyl urea, a silicone and glycerin. Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid comes eighth.
- No fragrance appears anywhere on the list, and the brand describes the lotion as fragrance-free, oil-free and paraben-free.
- On Sep 30, 2026 it cost $14.47 on Amazon (about $4.82 per fl oz), in stock, shipped and sold by Amazon.com, with a 30-day refund or replacement window.
Not a cleanser; the directions say to apply it after one.
Not a serum; a serum, if you use one, goes on first.
This is the moisturizer step.
This version has no SPF; sunscreen still goes on top in the morning.
Morning or evening: the directions only say to use it after cleansing, and because this version carries no sunscreen, a daytime routine still needs a separate SPF.
The full label
We printed the ingredient list from Cetaphil's US product page for this lotion (UPC 302993889038, the same UPC the Amazon listing shows), read on Sep 30, 2026. The Amazon listing's "Important information" section prints the same 16 ingredients in the same order; its version contains a few text-recognition glitches (for example "Cyclopentasi loxane"), so we used the brand's text. "Homarine HCI" is spelled that way on both pages; the conventional notation for a hydrochloride is "HCl".
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Homarine HCI, Sodium PCA, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Erythritol
Marked = key ingredient discussed below16 ingredients listed
| Key ingredient | What it is | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Hydroxyethyl Urea | Humectant and skin-conditioning agent | Third on the list. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review expert panel describes it as a humectant and concluded in 2024 that it is safe as used in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating [3]. It is a urea derivative, not plain urea. |
| Cyclopentasiloxane | Volatile silicone | Fourth on the list. Volatile silicones partly evaporate after application, which is one reason a lotion like this feels light and dries down quickly rather than staying slick. |
| Glycerin | Humectant (draws water into the outer skin layer) | A well-studied moisturizer ingredient; a review summarizes its role in hydration of the outermost skin layer and in barrier function [4]. Fifth here. |
| Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid | Humectant; hyaluronic acid broken into smaller fragments | The ingredient the product is named around on the brand page. The label does not state its molecular weight or concentration. A 2025 review by ingredient-supplier authors discusses the forms of hyaluronic acid used in cosmetics [5]. |
What the evidence and the label claims say
Cetaphil's product page describes this as an ultra-light, oil-free lotion with hyaluronic acid that hydrates and "locks in moisture for 24 hours," and lists it as fragrance-free, paraben-free, oil-free, hypoallergenic and not pore-clogging. It also says the lotion was dermatologist tested and that clinical testing showed it to be gentle on sensitive skin [1]. These are the brand's statements; we have not seen the test designs or results behind them. On "hypoallergenic," the FDA points out that there is no federal standard or definition for the term, so it means whatever the manufacturer decides it means [6].
The ingredient list itself reads like a lighter-weight cousin of a classic lotion. Water comes first, followed by dicaprylyl carbonate, an emollient ester that gives slip without an oily feel. Then come three things that relate to water and texture: hydroxyethyl urea and glycerin, both humectants, and cyclopentasiloxane, a silicone that helps the lotion spread and then partly evaporates. Glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate and cetyl alcohol are the emulsifier and thickener system that keeps water and the ester blended, and the acrylates crosspolymer, neutralized by sodium hydroxide, adds body.
Hyaluronic acid gets the headline, and here it is the hydrolyzed form, sitting eighth, ahead of the preservative phenoxyethanol. Ingredient order tells you rank by amount (above the 1% line), not exact percentages, so its share is not disclosed. The review we cite was written by employees of an ingredient supplier and reports that smaller hyaluronic acid fragments penetrate skin further than large ones [5]; that does not tell us what size fragments this lotion uses, and we treat the review's enthusiasm with some caution.
A few lower-listed ingredients are less familiar. Sodium PCA and erythritol also appear on the list; Homarine HCl is uncommon in mass-market lotions, and the brand's page does not explain what it is there to do, so we do not guess. Caprylyl glycol and phenoxyethanol are part of the preservative system. There is no fragrance, no plant oil and no added color on this list.
Check the exact listing. Amazon also sells a Cetaphil daily hydrating lotion with SPF 35 under a separate listing; that one is a sunscreen, regulated as an over-the-counter drug with a Drug Facts panel, and its ingredient list differs from the one printed here. The listing this entry covers is the plain 3 fl oz version with no SPF, and a 12-pack of the same bottle is offered as a separate size option. The front of our bottle reads "All Skin Types," while the Amazon bullet points pitch it for combination skin; it is the same bottle and the same ingredient list either way.
Where it goes in a routine
This is an order of steps based on the brand's short directions, not a promise of results.
Cleanse first
Wash and rinse your face. The directions say to apply the lotion after cleansing, and the brand suggests pairing it with one of its own facial cleansers, which is optional.
Serum, if you use one
A thin serum from layer 02 goes on before the lotion. Give it a moment to settle.
Apply evenly to the face
The label gives no set amount, so start with a small amount and add more only if you need it. Spread it evenly, as the directions say, until it has absorbed.
Sunscreen on top in the morning
This version has no SPF. In the morning, let the lotion settle, then apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen from layer 04.
Price and where it is sold
On Sep 30, 2026 the Amazon listing for the 3 fl oz bottle (ASIN B01MG4PSK4) showed $14.47 for a one-time purchase, which works out to about $4.82 per fl oz. It was marked in stock, shipped and sold by Amazon.com, and the returns panel stated a free 30-day refund or replacement. The listing also offered subscription pricing at a lower per-ounce rate. Prices change often; check the price and seller at checkout. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who prefers a richer texture: the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream entry covers a much heavier cream in a large tub.
- Anyone who wants moisturizer and sunscreen in one bottle: this version has no SPF, so you would need a separate sunscreen or the distinct SPF version, which has its own label.
- Anyone who has reacted to a listed ingredient before, including the preservatives phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol, or who would rather avoid silicones.
Sources
- Cetaphil (Galderma). Daily Oil-Free Hydrating Lotion product page: ingredients, directions, features. Accessed Sep 30, 2026. link
- Amazon.com. Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Face Lotion, Hyaluronic Acid, 3 oz (ASIN B01MG4PSK4): price, seller, returns, ingredient text, UPC. Accessed Sep 30, 2026.
- Akinsulie A, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, et al. Safety assessment of hydroxyethyl urea as used in cosmetics. Int J Toxicol. 2024;43(3 suppl):128S-134S. PMID 38465394. link
- Fluhr JW, Darlenski R, Surber C. Review of glycerol's origin and functions in the skin. Br J Dermatol. 2008;159(1):23-34. PMID 18510666. link
- Zanchetta C, Scandolera A, Reynaud R. Review of the forms and effects of topical hyaluronic acid in cosmetics (authors employed by an ingredient supplier). Biomolecules. 2025;15(12):1656. PMID 41463312. link
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Hypoallergenic" Cosmetics. Accessed Sep 30, 2026. link
This entry is educational and is not medical advice. Patch test new products, stop using anything that irritates your skin, and ask a dermatologist, pharmacist or other clinician about anything specific to your skin or medications.