The beauty industry in the Philippines continues to thrive with the emergence of local brands and the arrival of international names. Among the most recent to join the market is CeraVe, a dermatologist-recommended skincare brand from the U.S., which has now officially launched in the Philippines. With its products available at major health and beauty retailers and through its official Shopee store, CeraVe is now more accessible than ever to Filipino consumers.

What makes it stand out?

Many people are unaware that numerous dermatological skin concerns stem from a deficiency in ceramides, a type of lipid naturally found in the skin. To address this, a team of board-certified dermatologists developed a unique technology that combines skin-identical Ceramides 1, 3, and 6-II, along with fatty acids and other lipids. This formula is delivered through MultiVesicular Emulsion (MVE) Technology, an innovative system designed to provide long-lasting hydration.

Ceramides play a critical role in maintaining the skin’s natural barrier and retaining moisture. Without them, the skin becomes vulnerable to dryness, itching, and irritation. The MVE Technology enhances this by using time-released spheres that gradually deliver hydration, offering a longer-lasting effect compared to a single burst of moisture.

In simple terms, the combination of ceramides and MVE Technology in CeraVe products helps provide up to 24 hours of hydration and protection—without any unnecessary fragrance. Developed with dermatologists, CeraVe products aim to restore and reinforce the skin’s natural barrier.

In an interview with Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, Szehong Seah, regional product manager for L’Oréal International Distribution, emphasized the brand’s mission.

“This brand provides solutions to consumers’ skin problems from dry skin, entopic dermatitis, to eczema,” he said. “The name itself talks about the product, Cera stands for ceramide—the most important ingredient to protect the skin barrier as 50 percent of our skin barrier is made up of ceramide.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Virginie Cardon, head of medical visit at L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty, highlighted the brand’s versatility and suitability for all ages and climates. 

“In CeraVe, we tested our products to all skin types in different age groups. For example our Moisturizer Cream and Lotion, are safe even on babies as young as two months-old,” she shared. “We have a very light texture. We know that all dry skin has deficiency in ceramide, our goal is to provide the right ceramide at the right concentration but in a very light texture, non-greasy and non-sticky. We have done tests in our markets in Asia with dry climates like India and Malaysia.”

What can Filipinos expect?With its official debut in the country, CeraVe has made six of its bestselling products available to the Philippine market: Moisturizing Cream, Moisturizing Lotion, Foaming Cleanser, Hydrating Cleanser, Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser, and SA Smoothing Cleanser.

“Our different types of cleansers really cover every single type of consumer concern,” Szehong said. “Moving forward we will have more cleansers that cater to people with acne concerns. This will come in the later part of the year.”

CeraVe products can now be found at Watsons, SM Beauty, LOOK, Mercury Drug, and Southstar Drug. They are also available online through the official CeraVe store on Shopee.