Your Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Right Night Creams

Night time is the best time for both your body and skin to relax and rejuvenate. With proper nourishment and maximum rest at night, your skin cells can regenerate much better when you are asleep.

Choosing an appropriate night cream is imperative to take good care of your skin at night. During this time, your skin can absorb active ingredients better. So, rather than choosing a random night cream, you need to understand your skin type and its needs to make a perfect choice.

Here are some essential facts about night creams, their benefits, and how you need to apply them for maximum benefits.

Highlights:

• What Are Night Creams?
• What Do Night Creams Do?
• Why Are Night Creams Important?
• What Are The Best Night Creams For Women?
• How To Choose Night Creams For Your Skin Type?
• What Ingredients To Look For Or Avoid In Night Creams?
• When Should You Start Using Night Creams?
• How To Use Night Creams For Best Results?

What Are Night Creams?

Night Creams[1] are skincare products that are to be applied at night. They help your skin moisturize, repair damage, and regenerate its cells. A perfect night cream can work wonders for your skin and keep it healthy and fresh.

What Do Night Creams Do?

As per Priya Chavan, Product Development Executive at SkinKraft, “The mechanism of action of night cream is to improve epidermal cell renewal and re-balance the cutaneous barrier by promoting hydration.”

A night cream can thereby help in the following ways.

1. Skin Hydration

During the daytime, your skin may be exposed to several factors that can dry it up, like hot air, UV rays, pollutants, etc. A night cream can rehydrate your skin overnight and restore the natural moisture, so you wake up with moisturized and fresh skin.

2. Fades Dark Circles

Did you know that dehydration is one of the reasons for dark circles around your eyes? Your night cream can help you to tackle these and fade them off.

3. Soothe Your Skin

Night creams help your skin to relax. It soothes your skin overnight so that any irritation or redness if present, can be treated while you sleep. This way, you can have smooth and even skin complexion by morning.

4. Delays Signs Of Aging

While skin aging is inevitable, you can delay the signs of wrinkles and fine lines. Depleted collagen is the key reason behind the aging signs. Using an appropriate night cream can boost collagen production and improve your skin's elasticity. This will help your skin to look younger and feel firmer. Along with fine lines and wrinkles, it also lessens sagging.

5. Improves Overall Skin Health

Regular application of a night cream helps to stimulate blood circulation and eliminate toxins. It also helps to promote your skin’s natural healing and cleansing process.

6. Tackles Dryness

A rich night cream with essential oils can help to hydrate and nourish dry skin. A creamy, nourishing thick composition allows your skin to absorb and restore moisture and quench your skin’s thirst.

Why Are Night Creams Important?

The night is the only time your skin can repair itself when you sleep. Night creams aid your skin in this repairing process. So, it is essential to clean your skin and apply a suitable night cream before you sleep. These help to moisturize your skin and fight against the damage-causing free radicals. They also help in restoring your skin’s natural glow.

Your skin is multi-layered. As you start aging, each layer of your skin becomes thinner and loses its structure due to collagen depletion. Collagen is the protein that keeps your skin firm, toned, and younger-looking. A night cream can boost the production of collagen to rejuvenate your skin and restore elasticity. It also protects your skin from early signs of aging.

What Are The Best Night Creams For Women?

Every skin is different, and so are its needs. The best night cream for your skin will depend on your skin type, age, and other factors like your living environment, season, etc. So, you need to understand your skin's needs and then find the right option for you.

SkinKraft Tip:

When looking for a night cream, make sure that no SPF component is there in your cream. On the other hand, look for antioxidants & vitamins[2] in it. So, pick up a product that is rich in Vitamins A, C, and E as they help to fight free radicals and rejuvenate your skin. Most women also prefer night creams with anti-aging ingredients like retinol, peptides, ceramides, AHA and other complex formulas.

How To Choose Night Creams For Your Skin Type?

Choosing a night cream according to your skin type is always wise. Here is how you can go about it.

1. Oily Skin

Look for light, non-greasy products like fluids or gel so they don’t clog your pores and can control oil production.

2. Acne-Prone Skin

Acne-prone skin needs a purifying cream to help in fighting acne, pimples and zits.

3. Dry Skin

Look for a night cream with a rich, creamy texture to provide extra moisture, soothe inflammation and redness, and help your skin heal and rebuild itself overnight.

4. Sensitive Skin

Look for a cream that is light in texture and also hypoallergenic. Ensure that your night cream is free of synthetic fragrances, mineral oil, parabens[3], sulphate detergents, phthalates, urea, etc. These ingredients can irritate your skin.

5. Mature Skin

Look for creams containing pro-vitamin B5, Vitamin E, and glycerine, as these components help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Ingredients like collagen, retinol, ceramides, peptides, lipids, panthenol, soy extracts, etc., are also suitable for mature skin.

What Ingredients To Look For Or Avoid In Night Creams?

When choosing a night cream, you need to pay attention to the ingredients list on the container to opt for the right product. Here are some essential ingredients that are good for your skin.‌

1. Retinols[4]

This is an anti-aging component that comes from vitamin A. It is beneficial to lessen the signs of aging, such as wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots. Retinols also help to brighten your skin and improve your complexion.

2. Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) & Beta-Hydroxy Acids

These two ingredients are acidic in nature and provide gentle exfoliation. It helps your night cream penetrate through the deeper layers of your skin. 

3. Hyaluronic Acid

It helps to retain the natural moisture of your skin and delay the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

4. Vitamin E

Antioxidant properties of vitamin E help your skin to rejuvenate and improve your complexion.‌

5. Resveratrol [5]

This is an antioxidant that helps to reduce the signs of aging.‌

6. Ceramides

This protein helps to protect the outer layer of your skin from environmental toxins. It also locks in moisture.

7. Glycerin

This is a moisturizer that helps to repair damaged skin. ‌

8. Lactic Acid

This is an exfoliant that helps to remove the outer layer of dead skin cells. It allows other ingredients to reach into the deeper layers of the skin.

It is also important to be wary of toxic chemicals that can cause harm to your skin. Here are some components that you must avoid in your night creams.

• Components like formaldehyde, Paraformaldehyde, Methylene glycol, and Quaternium 15 are already marked as carcinogenic components[6].
• Mercury is another ingredient that can damage your kidneys and nervous system.
• Dibutyl and diethylhexyl phthalates and Isobutyl and isopropyl parabens can interfere with your natural hormone production.

When Should You Start Using Night Creams?

Choosing a suitable night cream according to your age and skin type can help you get rid of some common skin issues.

• Before 20s: You can start using a rich night cream before your twenties if you have dehydrated skin. When your skin develops any problem or damage, you should promptly remedy it without making it worse.
• Your 20s: This is a good age to start using a night cream. However, a moisturizing night cream can be a good choice at this age. This will allow your skin to repair damage from the sun and lack of sleep.
• Your 30s: In your thirties, it is wise to choose an anti-wrinkle night cream. It will help slow down skin aging, refine its texture, and restore radiance to your complexion.
• After 40: After forty, look for an anti-aging cream that can keep your skin hydrated, rejuvenate your skin cells and stimulate collagen production.

How To Use Night Creams For Best Results?

Here are the simple steps of using a night cream for the best result.

• Clean your face thoroughly with a gentle cleanser and dry it gently.
• Apply the night cream in gentle upward strokes and circular motions using your fingertips. Avoid the area around your eyes. But don’t miss your neck when applying the cream.
• It is good to apply the cream about 30 minutes before your bedtime.

Wrapping Up

Night creams are perfect skincare products that work through the night to rehydrate, repair damage, and rejuvenate your skin.

A gentle massage on the face with a night cream before bedtime is a perfect way to pamper your skin at night and prepare your skin for the next day. This end-of-the-day beauty regimen is highly beneficial for your skin. However, it is imperative to choose a product that has the right ingredients and suits your skin type.

Begin By Knowing Your Skin