Ingredients in CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion are rumoured to be harmful. Check the facts.

CeraVe is a dermatologist recommended skin care brand which has a variety of products like sunscreen, moisturising lotions, baby care products, cleansers, serums etc. It is enriched with essential ingredients which help to restore and maintain skin. 

However, social media users are raising concerns over the safety of the ingredients like homosalate, octinoxate, octocrylene, parabens, BHT, aluminium starch etc used in the product. The claim suggests that these ingredients are linked to hormone disruption and other health issues. 

Fact Crescendo found the claim to be misleading. All the ingredients in CeraVe which are mentioned in the post are safe when used within limits let by the regulatory bodies. 

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Fact Check- 

Are all the ingredients mentioned in the post which are used in CeraVe products really harmful? Let’s check the facts of the ingredients. 

Homosalate: Homosalate is an organic compound, a type of salicylate, used as a chemical UV filter in sunscreens and other personal care products to absorb and convert harmful UVB rays into heat. 

According to the FDA, homosalate had been categorized as Not GRASE (Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective). This categorization was done not because homosalate is harmful, but because there’s not enough safety data available to confirm their safety and effectiveness for use in over-the-counter products. 

This means, Homosalate is approved for use in over-the-counter products but not considered GRASE and the status of its use may change in future after further studies. 

According to another source, the FDA had currently allowed homosalate in sunscreens at concentration up to 15%. Meanwhile, the European Union had restricted the concentration of homosalate to 10%. 

After searching CeraVe website, we found that the Facial Moisturising Lotion contains 10% homosalate, which is well within the approved range. 

Octocylene: According to the National Institute of Health, Octocrylene is a common sunscreen ingredient and is generally considered safe when used on skin. It is widely used and approved by the FDA and EU. However, there have been rare reports of allergic skin reactions, particularly in children. Studies are going on for clarity on its potential to disrupt Vitamin D production.

Medical News Today reported that Octocrylene helps in protecting the skin from UVA and UVB rays and keeps the sunscreen stable and water resistant. The FDA and The European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS)considered Octocrylene safe at concentrations up to 10%. However, some people, especially adults previously allergic to certain medications have experienced allergic skin reactions like photo-contact dermatitis . There’s limited evidence from animal studies suggesting it could disrupt hormones, but no strong proof in humans. Researchers have also found that octocrylene can break down into benzophenone which may lead to health concerns but it requires further research.

Octinoxate: According to the Cosmetic Ingredient Safety panel, The FDA has approved octinoxate as a sunscreen and moisturising lotion ingredient.  In 2019, the FDA asked for more research on some sunscreen ingredients, including octinoxate, to confirm safety. In 2021, the FDA had clarified that octinoxate is safe and products containing it will remain in the market. 

The European Union had approved the use of octinoxate as a UV filter in sunscreen products at a maximum concentration of 10%.

BHT: Based on the results from both animal studies and human clinical data, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel has carefully evaluated BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene). They concluded that BHT does not pose a risk when used in cosmetics and personal care products at permissible levels. This means BHT is considered safe for consumers in cosmetic formulations, such as lotions, creams, and makeup, as long as it is used within the recommended concentrations.

Aluminium Starch: CIR panel reviewed the safety of aluminium starch in 2002 and found it to be safe for use in cosmetic products and allowed it to be used within the established limit. In 2018, the panel again revisited their findings and drew the same conclusions. 

In addition to this, it was found that aluminium starch does not irritate the skin or cause allergic reactions during the study. It was also found that when aluminum starch was taken by mouth, it did not cause harm to the body, affect growth, nor affected the reproduction or development.

Paraben: We did not find Parabens listed as an active or inactive ingredient in the product.

Conclusion: 

Fact Crescendo found the claim to be false. CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion contains homosalate, octinoxate, octocrylene, BHT, and aluminium starch. But all these ingredients are declared safe by regulatory bodies and panels when used within the established limits.