I Reviewed CeraVe’s SA Body Lotion and It Changed My Skin for the Better

We put CeraVe's SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review.

Caring for all of the skin on my body is not always on my list of things to do. Ok, it's never on my list. For some reason, any skin below my neck doesn't get the few minutes of body care it deserves. I'm not sure why hydrating my body feels like such a chore, and even though I know that our skin is the body's largest organ, I still neglect it. Even my shoulders, back, and decolletage are an afterthought, even with the seemingly never-ending breakouts in these areas. 

I have been taking care of my body lately with soothing baths, body scrubs, and dry brushing every other day. I figure if I'm going to take those steps, then it's high time I apply lotion to my body regularly. I have a few body butters that I use when I actually take the time to moisturize, but they are often too heavy for use in the areas where I break out. So, I looked into body care hydrators with ingredients that are found in my go-to products for my face. The TikTok beauty world is currently loving CeraVe, including the company's popular Renewing SA Cleanser, so I decided to lean into the trend and try CeraVe’s SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin.

Ahead, find my review of this salicylic acid lotion.

About My Skin: Combination, sensitive, and acne-prone

The skin from my neck down isn't nearly as sensitive as the skin on my face. Thank goodness. However, I can't say I do the best job of moisturizing each day. Like my face, I have breakouts, hyperpigmentation, and scarring, but my body has another self-induced hurdle to jump through at times—scaly, dry skin. When seeing those physical indicators of dryness crop up, I scrub my entire body with a physical exfoliator, but I rarely add moisture afterward.  

The Feel and Scent: Creamy and hydrating

Like most lotions, this one was creamy and best of all, the formula soaked right into my skin without leaving behind any greasy residue.

Unlike some exfoliating body lotions, this one has no scent. I kept waiting to smell it, and I even sniffed my skin to make sure my nose wasn't deceiving me, but there was no overpowering scent. 

Ingredients: Skincare ingredients in body care form 

With all of the ingredients packed into this lotion, there's a reason this drugstore formula is dermatologist-recommended and a beauty industry darling. For starters, the active ingredients; alpha hydroxy acids salicylic acid, and lactic acid are chemical exfoliators that smooth and gently slough away dead skin. On the other hand, the formulation's ceramides protect the skin barrier, lock moisture into your skin, and protect the skin's epidermis from environmental damage while hyaluronic acid boosts moisture.

Don't let this gentle formula fool you. Since it has exfoliating ingredients, it is important to protect your skin with sunscreen or sun-protective clothes.

It is recommended to use this product on dry patches first to make sure your skin isn't sensitive. Lily Talakoub MD, FAAD, recommends testing it on areas like your elbows, knees, and keratosis pilaris on the back of the arms. According to Dr. Talakoub, try to avoid more delicate areas like the groin, underarms, breasts, other creases.

Packaging: A bottle with a pump

I love packaging with a pump or dropper because when it comes to skin or body care, keeping the germs out of our bottles and jars is necessary. Also, you can recycle CeraVe bottles, just be sure to remove the pumps and rinse out the bottle first.

The Results: Hydrated, smooth skin

As someone who doesn’t always take the time to moisturize from the shoulders down post-shower, using this nightly has been a gamechanger for my skin. Not only have the dry patches on my legs, elbows, and heels disappeared, but the texture on my back has started to smooth. On days when I don’t take the time to use this after my nightly shower, I can tell the difference in my skin texture.

The Value: Unbeatable

This product retails between $15 and $20. The ability to find products that work on drugstore shelves is one of the things I love about the evolution of the skincare industry. With all of the active ingredients in this lotion, I think the price and size make this a must-have to help with everything from dry skin to keratosis pilaris. It's also a great option if you're looking for a product to treat bacne.

Similar Products: A few other products with a range of price points 

Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA ($28): Made with 2% salicylic acid, this body lotion gently exfoliates built-up layers of dead skin to smooth the skin's surface. 

Skinfix Resurface+ AHA Renewing Cream ($45): This renewing cream's fragrance-free formula is formulated with a blend of naturally derived alpha-hydroxy acids that help soften rough skin while shea butter and glycerin bring the moisture.

Eucerin Intensive Repair Very Dry Skin Lotion ($9): For those with sensitive skin, this fragrance, dye, and paraben-free lotion formula is made with AHAs and humectants like glycerin to keep the skin hydrated and irritation-free.