Beauty

Do You Really Need a Night Cream?

Updated on: July 27, 2022

Do You Really Need a Night Cream?

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Do You Really Need a Night Cream?

The short answer—if it’s glowing, supple, healthy-looking skin you’re after—is yes. Use the right one before bed and you’ll wake up to radiant, moisturized, fresh-looking skin that needs less (or no) makeup, feels great all day, and, in many cases, will have people demanding, “What are you using on your skin?”

Night creams and serums are typically made with high concentrations of active ingredients to support skin while you sleep—the interval when skin, like the rest of the body, shifts into repair mode. All the skin-reviving active ingredients, oils, and extracts can go to work, undisturbed, without getting broken down by sunlight or perspiration or simply getting rubbed off during the course of a day, which is another reason night creams can make such an enormous difference.

  1. 1

    FOR SUN DAMAGE, SPOTS, WRINKLES, DULLNESS, TEXTURE, AND MORE

    goop Beauty GOOPGLOW Dark Spot Exfoliating Sleep Milk, goop, $98/$89 with subscription
    goop Beauty GOOPGLOW Dark Spot Exfoliating Sleep Milk goop, $98/$89 with subscription
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  2. 2

    CERAMIDE-INFUSED CREAM WITH BAKUCHIOL AND ASHWAGANDHA

    Furtuna Skin Fior di Luna Nightly Renewal Cream
    Furtuna Skin Fior di Luna Nightly Renewal Cream goop, $285
    SHOP NOW
  3. 3

    HYDRATION FOR ALL SKIN TYPES

    Dr. Barbara Sturm Night Serum, goop, $310
    Dr. Barbara Sturm Night Serum goop, $310
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  4. 4

    DELIVERS RESULTS FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

    Tata Harper Fortifying Moisturizer, goop, $130
    Tata Harper Fortifying Moisturizer goop, $130
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  5. 5

    LIFTS AND FIRMS

    Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Firming Night Cream, goop, $69
    Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Firming Night Cream goop, $69
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Night creams help plump fine lines, firm, and improve your complexion because they’re often made with high levels of emollients to nourish skin deeply. When your skin is dry, it doesn’t just look and feel bad; the lack of moisture can affect collagen production. Night creams drench skin with moisture and, in doing so, help keep it feeling firm.

Note: It’s important to go clean with night cream to avoid potential toxic ingredients and endocrine disruptors, as well as petroleum and the silicones often found in conventional moisturizers that create the feeling of hydration but have no real skin benefit.

Bonus: The Best Way to Maximize Night Cream

Exfoliate. This helps any skin care sink into skin to do its work. Once a week, the GOOPGLOW Overnight Glow Peel dissolves dirt and oil with glycolic acid and fruit extracts, leaving skin smoother, brighter, and ready to drink up whatever you smooth on the next day. For sensitive skin, the flower-acid-infused daily toner exfoliates super effectively but is gentle enough to use day and night.

  1. For Normal Skin:
    15% Glycolic Acid
    goop Beauty GOOPGLOW 15% Glycolic Acid Overnight Glow Peel, goop, $125/$112 with subscription
    goop Beauty GOOPGLOW 15% Glycolic Acid Overnight Glow Peel goop, $125/$112 with subscription
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  2. For Sensitive Skin:
    Flower Acids
    goop Beauty GOOPGLOW Flower Acids Resurfacing Toner, goop, 45/$40 with subscription
    goop Beauty GOOPGLOW Flower Acids Resurfacing Toner goop, $45/$40 with subscription
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