Vanicream Moisturizing Cream Review: Ten Ingredients, No Fuss

Vanicream Moisturizing Cream is a plain, fragrance-free petrolatum cream with a ten-ingredient list, and it's one of the safest bets for very dry, eczema-prone or easily irritated skin on the face and body. It carries the National Eczema Association (NEA) Seal of Acceptance and costs $13.19 for 16 oz at Target, about 82 cents an ounce. It has no ceramides or active ingredients, and it can feel heavy on an oily face.

If you react to a lot of products, you can scan the jar's barcode or label with the ingredient scanner in Pori to check its ingredients against your skin type before you buy.

Below we explain every ingredient, what the free-of claims mean, the evidence behind a cream like this, who it suits and who should skip it, sizes and price per ounce, how to use it, and three alternatives. We compared published ingredient lists, brand claims and listed prices; we did not test these products on skin.

What is Vanicream Moisturizing Cream?

It's the original cream from Vanicream, a Minnesota brand made by Pharmaceutical Specialties, Inc. Vanicream says it's designed for sensitive skin and suitable for all ages, and markets it for dry skin linked to atopic dermatitis (eczema), psoriasis, ichthyosis and winter itch. Our Vanicream skincare guide covers the rest of the range.

What's in Vanicream Moisturizing Cream? Every ingredient explained

Vanicream lists the ingredients as water, petrolatum, sorbitol, cetearyl alcohol, propylene glycol, ceteareth-20, simethicone, glyceryl stearate, PEG-30 stearate and sorbic acid. Here's what each does:

• Water: the base; it's what makes this a cream.
• Petrolatum: the second ingredient and the main reason the cream works. It's an occlusive that slows water loss from the skin.
• Sorbitol: a sugar alcohol humectant that draws water into the outer skin, filling the role glycerin plays in many creams.
• Cetearyl alcohol: a fatty alcohol that softens skin and thickens the cream. It isn't a drying alcohol.
• Propylene glycol: a second humectant that also keeps the texture smooth.
• Ceteareth-20, glyceryl stearate and PEG-30 stearate: emulsifiers that keep the oil and water from separating.
• Simethicone: a silicone that stops the cream from foaming during mixing and adds slip.
• Sorbic acid: the preservative that keeps a water-based cream safe to use.

Vanicream's FAQ mentions eleven ingredients while the list shows ten, and its tag list calls the cream "preservative free" and "oil free" even though sorbic acid is a preservative and petrolatum is an oily occlusive. These are probably narrow definitions. If you avoid a specific ingredient, read the label on the jar you buy.

What do the free-of claims and the NEA Seal mean?

The appeal of this cream is what it leaves out. The NEA directory describes it as free of common chemical irritants such as dyes, lanolin, fragrance, parabens and formaldehyde, and Vanicream adds no botanical extracts or essential oils. For people with allergic contact dermatitis who must avoid a specific fragrance chemical or preservative, a short, predictable list is the main reason to buy it.

The lanolin point matters more than it sounds. Lanolin allergy is uncommon, but DermNet notes it's more likely in people with broken or compromised skin due to pre-existing dermatitis, which is the group this cream targets. Aquaphor Healing Ointment, for example, contains lanolin alcohol; this cream doesn't.

The NEA Seal tells you the ingredients were reviewed for known irritants. It doesn't mean the cream treats eczema.

Does a plain petrolatum cream actually work?

Yes. Moisturizers help in three ways: drawing water in, softening, and sealing water in. This cream does all three with basic ingredients: sorbitol and propylene glycol draw water in, cetearyl alcohol softens, and petrolatum seals. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says ointments and creams add more moisture to skin and are more effective than lotions, and that a cream holds more moisture than a lotion.

For eczema, the NHS advises applying emollients as often as possible, at least 2 times a day, and to keep moisturizing even when eczema improves. At 16 oz for $13.19, this is a cream you can afford to use that generously on the whole body.

What it doesn't have is ceramides, niacinamide or anything that targets acne, dark spots or wrinkles. If you want barrier lipids, a ceramide cream is the better match; see our ceramides guide.

Who should use Vanicream Moisturizing Cream?

• Very dry or eczema-prone skin on the face and body, especially if fragrance and botanicals have stung you before.
• People with known contact allergies to fragrance, lanolin, parabens or formaldehyde releasers.
• Anyone using drying acne treatments such as tretinoin, adapalene or benzoyl peroxide, as a plain night layer; see our moisturizers for tretinoin users.
• Families, since Vanicream says the whole family can use it. Ask your pediatrician about eczema in babies.
• Winter hands, shins and heels, where a big jar at under a dollar an ounce makes sense.

Who should skip it?

• Oily, acne-prone faces. It's labeled non-comedogenic, but petrolatum second on the list makes it rich. The AAD says that if your skin is oily, a gel is lighter than other types of moisturizer.
• Anyone wanting active ingredients. No niacinamide, ceramides, retinoid or SPF.
• People who react to propylene glycol. It's a common humectant, but a few people avoid it.
• Daytime under makeup, if you dislike a slick finish. Use a thin layer and let it settle.

How much does Vanicream Moisturizing Cream cost?

The pump costs 40 cents more and is worth it if you share the cream or have eczema, since the NHS says not to put your fingers into an emollient pot and to use a spoon or pump dispenser instead. The tubes suit a bag or a desk.

How do you use Vanicream Moisturizing Cream?

Vanicream's directions are to apply as needed to face, hands, feet and body, after bathing, showering or swimming, and before exposure to wind and cold.

1. Apply to damp skin. The AAD suggests moisturizing when your skin is still damp after a shower or bath.
2. Put treatments on first. At night, apply a retinoid or prescription cream, let it absorb, then add this cream.
3. Use a pea-size amount on the face and more on the body.
4. Add sunscreen in the morning. There's no SPF in this cream.
5. Reapply on very dry areas through the day, especially hands after washing.

Patch test first if your skin is very reactive; our guide on how to patch test skincare shows how.

What are the best alternatives to Vanicream Moisturizing Cream?

• CeraVe Moisturizing Cream: adds three ceramides, cholesterol and hyaluronic acid to a petrolatum base, fragrance-free with the NEA Seal. It costs a bit more per ounce. See our CeraVe Moisturizing Cream review.
• CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion: a lighter, oil-free, fragrance-free face lotion with niacinamide, for oily or combination faces; see our CeraVe PM review.
• The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA: a light, fragrance-free cream of humectants for normal to mildly dry faces; see our NMF review.

For a stronger seal on cracked spots, CeraVe Healing Ointment is lanolin-free and 46.5% petrolatum, and our Aquaphor Healing Ointment review covers the classic option, which contains lanolin alcohol. Vanicream's own petrolatum-free Moisturizing Ointment is out of stock while being reformulated. Our best barrier repair cream roundup and the moisturizers for sensitive skin catalogue have more.

Is Vanicream Moisturizing Cream worth it?

Yes, if your skin is dry, sensitive or eczema-prone and you want as few ingredients as possible. It's cheap per ounce, free of the common irritants, and built on petrolatum, which works. It's a basic cream, so pair it with treatments for acne, pigment or aging, and choose a lighter gel if your face is oily. If your eczema keeps flaring despite steady moisturizing, see a dermatologist; our eczema on the face guide explains what to expect.