# CeraVe Skin Renewing vs ELEMIS Night Cream

**Question answered:** Should I choose CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream or ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Night Cream?

**Short answer:** Choose CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream if you want a fragrance-free night cream with peptides, niacinamide and ceramides, for any skin type. Choose ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Night Cream if you have dry, combination or normal skin, want a richer cream with shea butter and plant oils, and enjoy a scented product. Neither contains retinol, so both can sit alongside a separate retinoid.

By Nora Ellison. Published 2026-10-25. Data is taken from manufacturer labels; the products have not been tested.

## What this means for you

### Start with what you notice

If you want a night cream that just moisturizes and doesn't add another active, both qualify. The deciding questions are fragrance and how rich you want it.

### The ingredient names, translated

Night creams are moisturizers made for the evening, often richer than day creams and without sunscreen. CeraVe's uses peptides (short chains of amino acids), niacinamide and ceramides in a fragrance-free base. ELEMIS's uses marine algae, mimosa bark extract and collagen amino acids with shea butter and several plant oils, plus fragrance.

### How to decide

- Avoiding fragrance or sensitive to scent? CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream.
- Dry skin that wants a richer, more cushioning cream, and you like a scent? ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Night Cream.
- Using a retinoid? Either can go on top as your moisturizer, since neither lists retinol.

### What to expect

Anti-aging claims for both come from the brands. A night cream helps skin feel softer and more comfortable; visible changes in lines depend on more than a moisturizer, especially daily sunscreen. We haven't tested either product.

General guidance, not a test of these products: [AAD: how to get the most from anti-aging products](https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/anti-aging/maximize-anti-aging-products); [FDA: fragrances in cosmetics](https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/fragrances-cosmetics). Each product's label source is linked on its product page.

## Fragrance-free peptides vs a richer, scented cream

[CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream](product:cerave-skin-renewing-night-cream) is a nightly moisturizer for all skin types. Its label lists two peptides (tripeptide-1 and caprooyl tetrapeptide-3), niacinamide, CeraVe's three ceramides, hyaluronic acid, shea butter and allantoin. CeraVe says it's retinol free and free of added fragrance.

[ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Night Cream](product:elemis-pro-collagen-night-cream-moisturizer) is a 50 mL rich night cream that ELEMIS lists for combination, dry and normal skin. Its key ingredients are padina pavonica (a marine alga), mimosa bark extract, collagen amino acids and shea butter, with jojoba, avocado and olive fruit oil among several plant oils. It lists fragrance (parfum), citronellol, linalool, geraniol and limonene.

## Which suits your routine?

If you already use a retinoid or an exfoliating acid, a plain night cream is often the most useful step. Both work for that, since neither lists retinol. The [AAD suggests](https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/anti-aging/maximize-anti-aging-products) starting with one anti-aging product rather than several, so a moisturizer that doesn't add another active can make a routine easier to tolerate.

If fragrance bothers your skin, the CeraVe cream is the clear fit. See our [routine order guide](/articles/skincare-routine-order/) for where a night cream goes.

## Manufacturer sources

- [CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream](https://www.cerave.com/skincare/moisturizers/skin-renewing-night-cream)
- [ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Night Cream](https://elemis.com/us/product/pro-collagen-night-cream)

Sources and label-check dates are recorded on the product pages.

| Product | Key ingredients | Skin types | Fragrance | Flagged ingredients | Size | Source | Buy |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream](https://dermalguide.com/products/cerave-skin-renewing-night-cream/) | Peptides, niacinamide, ceramides, hyaluronic acid | oily, dry, combination, sensitive, normal | Marketed as fragrance free | No flags recorded; not a safety guarantee | Brand doesn't list it | [Manufacturer label](https://www.cerave.com/skincare/moisturizers/skin-renewing-night-cream), checked 2026-10-23 | [Amazon (affiliate)](https://link.amazon/B0h4mfwqZ) |
| [Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream](https://dermalguide.com/products/elemis-pro-collagen-night-cream-moisturizer/) | Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract | combination, dry, normal | Scent ingredients flagged | Fragrance (Parfum), Citronellol, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal | 50 ml | [Manufacturer label](https://elemis.com/us/product/pro-collagen-night-cream), checked 2026-10-11 | [Amazon (affiliate)](https://amzn.to/4dwKtDB) |

## Which to choose

Consider CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream when: You want a fragrance-free night cream with peptides and ceramides; You'd like something to layer over a retinoid without adding more actives.

Consider Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream when: Your skin is dry and you want a rich cream with shea butter and plant oils; You enjoy a scented night cream and don't avoid fragrance.


## Questions

### Does CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream have retinol?

No. CeraVe says it's retinol free. Its peptides are tripeptide-1 and caprooyl tetrapeptide-3.

### Is ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Night Cream fragrance free?

No. It lists fragrance (parfum) and allergens including citronellol, linalool, geraniol and limonene.

### Which is better for oily skin?

ELEMIS lists its night cream for combination, dry and normal skin, not oily. CeraVe lists its cream for all skin types, so it's the more likely fit, though any night cream can feel heavy on very oily skin.