There’s actually a reason why night creams were invented. To help nourish your skin better at night whilst you sleep.
Did you know whilst you sleep, your skin dehydrates throughout the night? This often results in you waking in the morning, with skin feeling tight and dry and under-nourished. That’s where night creams come into play.
Night creams are always heavier than day creams, and there’s a reason for this. This is because the lotion is penetrating deep into the pores whilst you sleep. Helping to restore and regenerate the cells. And if the cream did it’s job, you should wake up with your skin feeling soft and supple.
A lot of people believe that companies who sell day and night creams are just trying to get you to buy double the products and therefore spend double the price, but here is why you should use a night cream.
According to cosmetic doctor Ewoma Ukeleghe of SKNDOCTOR, there should be a distinct difference between the ingredients and texture of the products you apply in the morning and in the night.
As the skin’s roles change throughout the day, it’s important to adapt your skin care accordingly.
Of course, choosing skincare products is a very personal choice and will differ from person to person. Generally speaking, a day cream should be a lighter texture and include sun protection. Whereas a night cream should include active ingredients such as retinol, glycolic acid, or alpha hydroxy acids that could otherwise cause photosensitivity during the day.
Night creams provide the perfect opportunity for ingredients to do their best work while you’re fast asleep away from the sun’s harmful rays, according to Boston-based dermatopathologist Gretchen Frieling, MD.
She says “Sleep is when the skin does the heavy lifting, so nighttime products help maintain healthy skin and reduce signs of aging overnight. It’s when your skin works to restore and repair, which is why night cream focuses on moisture and recovery.”
Although the foremost aim of a night cream is to instil the skin with hydration, they also work to supplement collagen, clear up dry patches, encourage skin cell turnover and more.
Selecting the right night cream that suits your skin tone is crucial. Below are a few products that have been road tested by us so that you don’t have to:
Innisfree Black Tea Youth Enhancing Cream RRP: $52
This iridescent and silky product has a sweet and herbal fragrance. The cream is packed with hyaluronic acid (a moisturizing ingredient) that gently melts on touch to promote fast absorption of active ingredients. I found this product relieved the feeling of tightness in my dehydrated skin after washing my face and it didn’t feel too sticky after application. The innisfree Black Tea Youth Enhancing Ampoule had been nothing but kind to my skin with its gentle formula that brightened my complexion and banished some signs of fatigue.
Pure & Natural Antioxidant Night Cream RRP: $73
Beautifully fragranced, plant-based and wonderfully rich in age-defying antioxidants, this moisturiser works hard while you’re sleeping and is especially beneficial for sensitive skin, mature and dry skin. Like it’s minimalistic packaging and branding, this light white cream has a very minimal faint smell and has a very fluid texture. I’d advise cupping the hand and pumping it directly onto the palm to avoid any wastage. Although it’s a cream, the blackcurrant and rose oil content mean it glides onto the skin beautifully.
Peppy All-In-One Sleeping Mask RRP: $49
A little goes a long way with this Aussie-owned brand – I only needed a pea-sized amount of the purple gel to cover my entire face. Australian Pink Clay and Zinc Oxide create a protective veil over your skin, allowing all the active ingredients to penetrate throughout the night. You simply wash and dry your face, apply the cream and hit the hay. By the time your alarm goes off in the morning, you’ll wake up with a softer, smoother, and more supple complexion.
SYnergie Skin improvEyes Night RRP: $115
Synergie Skin ImprovEyes Night is an anti-ageing eye treatment that is focussed on nourishing the delicate eye area. This product is quite high strength so apply it sparingly as it packs a serious hydration punch that will brighten and soften your eye area right up. It also has quite a unique and innovative dispense function that I have never seen before. The peptides in this product ramp up blood flow and ‘lymphatic drainage’ to reduce puffiness, bags and darkness around the eyes, and increase elasticity and collagen present in the skin.
CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion RRP:$21.99
This lotion is for those on a budget looking for a night cream that will go the distance without a crazy price tag. If you’re someone who struggles to find a night cream that doesn’t leave them feeling greasy, this product is for you. It has all the overnight ingredients you need – hyaluronic acid is a moisture magnet and is great for deep overnight hydration, and niacinamide is excellent for sensitive, blotchy skin.
Click here for 6 night time skincare products for dry skin.
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