With my skin care products, I am not monogamous. In fact, even when I find “that one” – a product that makes a noticeable difference in the clarity or texture of my skin – I am looking for the second best thing once the last drop of the product reaches my fingers. Certainly, there must be something that can make my skin even better than that, I will think to myself. And so the search for skincare products begins again.
Last summer, my skin care routine and I were doing well until the videos started filling out my TikTok “For You” page about the humble and affordable drugstore brand CeraVe, whose products were selling at drugstores across the country . At first it was confusing. I used CeraVe products in 2007 and, although I liked their soaps and moisturizers for the face, I switched to better (and, admittedly, more expensive) products. Was this the same tried and true CeraVe I knew? And as a good consumer, the scarcity of the product only made me want CeraVe even more.
The coveted status of CeraVe can be traced back to TikTok skinfluencer Hyram Yarbro, also known as @ SkincarebyHyram – who has almost 7 million followers on TikTok alone. His many reviews of CeraVe products instruct why branded salicylic acid ingredients are ideal for acne-prone skin and why CeraVe non-removing moisturizing cleanser is best for dry and sensitive skin. Although Yarbro is not a dermatologist, he has earned the trust and loyal followers of a Generation Z audience, acting as an industry whistleblower, cutting off marketing pitch and prioritizing skin health through an ingredient-based regime. And while there is caution to be exercised in a one-size-fits-all approach broadcast to thousands or millions of people in short videos, the informative and objective approach of Yarbro and other skin influencers is attractive. They give viewers a sense of agency to make their own decisions.
On my next trip to the drugstore to buy something unrelated, I went through the skin care section and couldn’t help noticing CeraVe waiting for me on the shelf. I picked up a bottle of moisturizing facial cleanser, which was, to my surprise, all in stock. This accessibility, I thought, had to take part in the brand’s meteoric rise. Get into any drugstore and – unless there is another sold-out frenzy – you can take CeraVe instantly. Don’t wait for your online order to arrive.
Now, months have passed and I am reaching the last drops of my CeraVe summer purchase. But this time, I have a feeling I’m not ready to give that up yet. Although I don’t have a before and after transformation that could go viral, the TikTok hype was not wrong. My dry skin feels good (and less dry) after consistently using the moisturizing cleanser. I could go back to my ways of looking for something better, but should I stay with my reliable, tested and true CeraVe? Although some of the other products in my skin care regime are expensive (keep in mind that not all brands are economical to scale, so while CeraVe is affordable, it doesn’t mean you can expect the same with great quality of all brands), I intend to continue with CeraVe’s affordable facial soap for another round.
