There’s beauty sleep as a noun, and then there’s beauty sleep as a verb. The best night creams offer added assurance that you’ll wake up with the most radiant, smooth, and plump complexion possible (other than getting your eight hours of shut-eye in). And while you may think that your daily moisturizer does the trick, night creams do actually serve their own purpose—they’re more like supercharged formulas, designed to target fine lines, pigmentation, and hydration concerns.
“While both aim to hydrate the skin, night creams typically contain ingredients that specifically address skin concerns that are more prevalent at night, such as repairing and rejuvenating the skin,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Divya Shokeen tells Vogue. Plus, she adds, “the body’s natural repair processes are more active” while we sleep.
Vogue’s Guide to the Best Night Creams
With that in mind, these often richer textured creams can serve as both a moisturizer and an anti-aging treatment, with the inclusion of ingredients like retinols, vitamin C, and peptides. “Additional ingredients may help address concerns associated with aging, such as fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots,” board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Brendan Camp, MD tells Vogue. And in an era of over-the-top nightly routines (see: mouth taping and castor oil stomach wraps) perhaps just one multi-tasking product is all you really need to simplify matters.
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- Why We Love It: Nara Smith recently told Vogue that her “holy-grail” beauty product makes her “look sweaty and dewy, but in the best way ever.” While Smith was speaking specifically about her beloved Chanel Baume, I let out a gasp of recognition when I heard her description of it, because this is exactly how I feel about my current favorite night cream. Infused with melatonin, peptides, and antioxidants, the cream also contains cross-linked hyaluronic acid. The plumping ingredient makes the face look radiant and firm with a touch of fresh-from-the-sauna dew. Thick yet silky, the nighttime salve also has a calming effect on the skin, just in time for bed.
