This Is Why You Need A Dedicated Night Cream

Do you use a night cream? If not, you’re not alone. With more baffling, advanced skincare available than ever, it can be hard to determine whether you really need to go that extra mile with a night cream – or if just using a daily moisturiser will cut it. And the dazzling range of night creams for dry skin and night creams for oily skin can make choosing the best product for your skin type even more daunting. We spoke to Dr Maryam Zamani to find out about the benefits of using a night cream and how best to apply it, to help you make your mind up. 

What is night cream?

A night cream is usually a heavier, thicker moisturiser that works to hydrate, nourish and revive the skin overnight. They can be used to help enhance your nightly skincare routine as they often contain additional skin-loving actives that aren’t suitable to use during the day. Night creams also tend to be richer in texture so that they prevent moisture loss overnight.  

What does a night cream do?

It may sound basic, but it’s not always completely clear what a night cream does, or why you might need one. “At night our skin, minds and bodies self-repair and restore,” says Dr Zamani. “A night cream gives a higher, more intense dose of active ingredients that penetrate the skin more deeply whilst we sleep to help this regenerative process,” she continues. “While asleep we can bolster collagen and elastin production, help improve skin hydration and reverse signs of ageing, and a night cream supports this.” 

What are the benefits of using a night cream?

A night cream has many benefits, including giving deep hydration as you sleep. When we sleep, skin can lose hydration through evaporation, and a night cream can help lock in skin hydration for a more supple, radiant complexion in the morning. Night creams can also control sebum in oily skin – with the use of ingredients like retinol to help with sebum production – as well as improving collagen and elastin production. 

Why use a night cream?

Skin has the perfect opportunity to regenerate during the night while we are asleep. While your body is rested and your skin is not exposed to any harmful elements, skin regeneration is triggered and activated at around 11pm, and reaches its peak by 1am. During sleep, your skin cells renew around three times faster than they do during the day due to boosted blood circulation – making it the perfect sweet spot for deeply nourishing the skin with a night cream.

Best night creams

Anti-aging night creams

myBlend Revitalising Anti-Ageing Cream, £210

Unique and high performing peptides, along with hyaluronic acid and fermented ingredients can be used day and night for a nourishing, pro-age boost.

Clarins Extra-Firming Night Cream, £69 

With ingredients such as kangaroo flower and moonstone hydrated silica, this luxurious cream helps skin cells to regenerate overnight.

 

Hydrating night creams for dry skin

Clarins Hydra-Essentiel [HA2] Night Cream, £40

Packed with hyaluronic acid and organic leaf of life extract, this powerhouse hybrid is one of the most hydrating nighttime formulas around. Apply a generous helping after cleansing and serum application.

MZ Skin Rich Moisturiser, £150

A hydrating, brightening and firming concoction to instantly quench dry skin.

Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream for Very Dry Skin, £84

With service tree bud extract as the main ingredient, this cream is ideal for anyone who needs to add extra nourishment and hydration to their complexion.

Night creams for sensitive skin

Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair, £80 

A fragrance-free, calming and glow-inducing night cream that works to strengthen the skin’s natural moisture barrier and reduce irritation, redness and dry patches.

Augustinus Bader The Ultimate Soothing Cream, £225 

A super-rich cream that calms, soothes and hydrates skin from its core to reveal a radiant, brighter complexion.

Night creams for oily skin

The Inkey List Omega Water Cream, £9.99 

Oil-free and water-based, this is the ideal nightly moisturiser for anyone with an oilier complexion.

 

SkinCeuticals Daily Moisture Cream, £77 

A lightweight, pore-minimising and quickly absorbing night cream that will leave oily skin feeling balanced and hydrated.

 

Clarins Multi-Active Night Cream, £49

Perfect for combination skin, this revitalising night cream works to plump, firm and hydrate during sleep.

FAQs  

Can You Use Night Cream During the Day?

Depending on the formulation, a day and night moisturiser can be used for both. “Some like a richer, deeper product in the evening to really nourish and enhance skin while they sleep, and prefer a lighter moisturiser in the day that can be layered with SPF and other ingredients,” says Dr Zamani. “Others just prefer the same texture night and day, or want a lighter product if they are more prone to blemishes,” she adds. But, Dr Zamani has one word of warning if you’re thinking about doubling up your day cream as a night cream too. “If you use the same moisturiser in the am and pm, remember to find one without SPF, and just apply your SPF separately during the day.”  

Can You Use Your Day Creams at Night?

According to Dr Zamani, it all depends on which skin concern you’re trying to target. “Depending on what you are targeting, the same cream can be used in the day and the evening,” she says. “In the evening, we have skincare targets of cell renewal which would usually mean using a thicker texture in order to provide better long-term hydration,” she continues. Ultimately, it depends on the formula of the product and what you hope to achieve. 

Can You Use a Serum and a Night Cream Together?

You can layer a night cream or a day cream over a serum – and this can be done in the morning and evening to target specific skin concerns. “In the evening, I recommend using a serum to assist in regenerating the skin (such as one filled with antioxidants and other regenerative ingredients), followed by a night cream,” says Dr Zamani. 

Can You Put Your Night Cream Over Retinol?

Using a night cream over retinol can maximise its effects, therefore, it is a good idea to apply a night cream with your retinol if your skin can tolerate it. Plus, if you are using a retinol serum – leave 15 minutes for it to soak into skin, and then apply any other creams.  

Final word: A dedicated regimen tailored to your skin type is worth investing in. At Beauty Daily you can find personalised skincare programs, brilliant new gadgets and skin-enhancing LED masks, along with targeted treatments plans like banishing lip wrinkles, how to clean clogged pores or even get a better night’s sleep tonight – check in weekly to see what’s new.

 

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