Ameliorate vs CeraVe: Transforming Body Lotion versus SA Smoothing Cream

I am a long standing fan of Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion, I’ve used it for over 4 years (read my 2017 review) – it is an absolute beauty staple, I love it.

However, I recently decided to try out some of CeraVe’s cleansing products. And noticed that the SA Smoothing Cream was on offer so I thought I’d give it a try.

I have been alternating the products over a couple of months to see how they worked for me. I have extremely dry skin, eczema and keratosis pilaris so I have to keep on top of my skincare and I am always on the look out for any product that has mild chemical exfoliant properties.

So let’s get in to it and see how they compare:

Texture

The CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream is much thicker, almost like a gel, the larger product comes in a pot so you need to scoop out an amount to apply, the smaller product comes in a tube if that is more your thing.

Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion is thinner, it’s a thick lotion that comes in a tube so you can dispense amounts as needed.

Application

Although the CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream is thicker I do feel like it spreads further than the Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion, so perhaps overall you would need to use less.

Both products have a fairly similar feeling after application, they both create “barrier” of sorts that instantly makes your skin look and feel less dry.

Both leave your skin feeling a tad tacky. To avoid getting any on your clothes you have to wait a few minutes before getting dressed.

Smell

This is functional skin care so the smell isn’t a concern of mine however I do note that neither of these products smell particularly nice to me.

I think some people will be put off by this, I would say the smell of CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream is definitely the milder of the two.

Ingredients

Ingredients wise the products do share some ingredients but are fairly different in profile.

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream has less ingredients, among them are Shea Butter, Niacinamide, Urea, Ceramides, Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate (a derivative of Hyaluronic Acid).

Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion has more ingredients, including Lactic Acid, Urea, Sweet Almond Oil, Vitamin E, Orange Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Geranium Oil, Ammonia (oddly).

For me I think the CeraVe’s profile is marginally better just purely because there are less potential irritants, it has ceramides, and it has both Salicylic and Lactic Acid.

Both of these products have acids in them, so it goes without saying that in both cases you should be careful in the sun and wear sunscreen.

Results

No doubt the most important part of this is the results. For me it became clear that these products have very different outcomes for me.

The CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream seems to trigger a stronger reaction. A couple of days after use my skin will peel a fair amount and I will then have smoother skin, not perfect but certainly better.

I definitely could not, and would not, use CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream every day. I would use it instead as and when needed. I would try and time my application so that any peeling didn’t clash with say a big event where I wanted to have my limbs on show.

The Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion appears much milder, it does not create a peeling reaction for me and I can use it every day. But it does take time to work, at least 3 to 6 weeks to see a difference!