Don’t doubt the importance of your nighttime skin regime, as we uncover the buzz about night creams.
by paul aguirre
BEDTIME BEAUTY: THE 411
As your skin ages, it loses essential moisture. Cells become thinner, binding together becomes harder, and there’s no longer an effective barrier to keep moisture in. This causes dryness, which, in turn, causes wrinkles. Flawless skin at any age really starts with balanced, healthy lifestyle habits. Alas, the importance of proper nighttime skin care rests on making sure you get enough moisture — even while you get shuteye. You might wonder: do I need a night cream even though I have a day one? Of course! Night products are generally concentrated and formulated to be richer than day ones to help skin’s repair process at night, much more than during the day where SPF protection and primping for makeup cooperation are paramount. “Nighttime products tend to be richer and thicker while some have time-release technologies that allow your skin to regenerate and receive moisture throughout the night,” advises Toronto-based expert Christine Cho. All in all, for that great skin well into your old age, it’s best to have two different companions for your two different needs, one for daytime protection and one for nocturnal repair.
CREAM COOL: THE INGREDIENTS
Here’s the deal: a night cream (also dubbed crème sometimes) is essentially a super-moisturizer, but with that added boost to kick your skin into repair mode while you sleep. Look for formulations with antioxidant-rich pomegranate to help battle free radicals, and reach for those with white birch bark* to help restore firmness and para cress* extract to help lessen the appearance of fine lines. Royal jelly is also key here since it contains eight essential amino acids, vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, D and E to replenish resting skin. If it’s good enough for the queen bee, it’s good enough for you. Soothing shea butter around the eyes has also been known to combat puffiness and those dreaded “crow’s feet.” Organic Rosa Mosqueta* and evening primrose have also been winners when it comes to moisturizing and making damaged skin silky smooth.
