CeraVe's new UK campaign is a love letter to the skincare sceptics

A dermatologist once said to me that perfumed, expensive lotions are too much for my sensitive skin. Which is just as well, because CeraVe has built a whole campaign around that exact modern dilemma.

Written By: Katy Cowan

7 April 2026

A dermatologist in a white coat and construction worker in a hard hat stand in a laboratory setting with a woman in blue, appearing to conduct a humorous product test

Dermatologists are busier than ever, dealing with record numbers of patients with irritated and confused skin. Unsurprisingly, it's usually the result of a 12-step routine assembled from TikTok recommendations and glossy magazines. The clinician solemnly shakes their head and says, quite simply, stop! Your skin barrier doesn't need half a dozen serums or creams. So, put the bottles down, they say. A relief for those whose skincare routine has become too complicated and horrifically expensive.

CeraVe's new UK campaign, Demanded by Hardworking Skin, arrives at exactly the right time. It's based on its AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF50, a 2-in-1 product that combines hydration and sun protection in a single step. And it's designed to rebel against the complexity that seems to have overtaken the entire category.

CeraVe products arranged on a desk beside a retro monitor displaying the campaign message "Demanded by Hardworking Skin

A hand holding a CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF50 tube being presented to another person against a blue background

Created with DEPT, the campaign features a deadpan faux laboratory where influencers are subjected to a series of product "tests". It's a format that's a bit tongue in cheek. The lab nods to CeraVe's dermatologist-backed credentials, while the dry and funny tone speaks to those of us who've already figured out that some expensive lotions and potions aren't worth it.

Technically, the campaign was built from the short-form up. DEPT scripted six-second placements first, before it constructed the 20-second hero film. The idea was that nothing would get lost in translation between the different formats. A shared British voiceover, clinical-grade art direction, and consistent motion language tie it all together across paid digital and social channels, with amplification from media partner Publicis.

"Skincare has become increasingly noisy," says Christopher Bodger from CeraVe. "Our AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF50 is the UK's #1 Day Care SPF for a reason, and this campaign gives consumers a reason to trust that one well-made product can do the job of many."

Three people in a laboratory setting stand among hay bales and a pig, conducting a faux product test for CeraVe's skincare campaign

CeraVe Dry Skin Lab campaign display featuring monitors with skin analysis graphics, product bottles and a pendant lamp on a white shelf with grid tiling

DEPT's Sasha Jackson puts it more bluntly: "In a digital world of endless new influencers, FYPs dogged with tutorials, and guidance given by anyone with a ring light, this campaign posed an opportunity to be the tonic in your feed." Like my dermatologist said, the simpler, the better.

This is the third campaign from the DEPT and CeraVe partnership, which began in 2025 as part of the company's broader relationship with L'Oréal, and the first since it was appointed CeraVe's lead creative agency for 2026.