Do You Need A Night Cream?

Why Night Creams Are A “Do”

By Gregorie Guillaume

I know, I know,  the last thing anyone wants to do at the end of a long day just before bedtime is slather on a cream on a hope and a prayer that it’ll fix overly-parched skin or can calm skin that turns red if you look at it funny.
‘But why wear a night cream’ you ask? Because skin is better able to absorb treatment ingredients throughout the night to help combat the signs of aging that start to gradually appear around the age of 30 – signs like wrinkles, sagging, loss of elasticity and it also helps to infuse skin with essential hydration that’s lost throughout the day.
 We’ve all asked ourselves the following questions at least once in our life. Do night creams really work? What’s the difference between a day cream and a night cream other than the bottle being of a different colour? While night creams brands may boast to beautify your skin more than your beauty sleep does, the fact is that you must understand your own skin to see if they really work for you.
Many women have claimed that they are perfectly happy sleeping bare-faced and that their skin doesn’t need the ‘benefits’ of a night cream. But for every woman who says this is another who swears that her skin has improved noticeably by applying these creams. Researches conducted by Lancôme and Elizabeth Arden’s laboratories show that your skin may be more receptive to creams at night.

‘Doesn’t work for me’
“But of course they would say that – they have invested millions of dollars in the formulations of their night creams,” says 26-year-old interior designer, Mamta Rathi. Rathi, who has received several compliments for her youthful skin, claims that she has never used a night cream in her life and never felt the need to do so. “Throughout my early-20s, I saw my friends slathering all kinds of creams on their face at night, but I can safely say that their skin never got a deeper glow. The one thing that did lose its glow was their wallet, after the thousands they spent on expensive brands.” For some people, night creams are just glorified moisturisers. “My skin is dry and it needs hydration especially in the summer months when I sleep in an air-conditioned environment. This is where night creams come in handy. But I hardly apply them otherwise and my skin is none the wiser,” says Paulomi Sen, a 29-year-old media professional.

‘They Do Have Their Benefits’
But others beg to differ. “Yes, night creams do work,” says dermatologist Dr Preeti Khemka. “Your skin reacts in a more favourable way to beneficial ingredients during night-time rather than day. The skin also repairs itself at night and increases blood circulation, all of which translates to better absorption which is why night creams are so much better than day ones.” Dr Khemka is one of those who believe that night creams significantly improve the skin tone and its texture, reduce wrinkles and fine lines and eliminate sun spots – basically everything that your cream promises to give you.

‘Now, Now, Let’s Break This Down Logically’
And yet there are some others who choose to follow a balanced point of view. Dr Leslie Bauman, professor of dermatology at the University of Miami is one of them. In an interview with the New York Times, she claimed that there they may be some truth to products that offer anti-ageing benefits. “Some anti-ageing ingredients like retinol are inactivated by the sun, so it makes good sense to wear them while you sleep. Also, ingredients like ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol help trap in moisture and repair the skin’s protective barrier, while salicylic acid, feverfew, chamomile and aloe vera can help soothe an irritated or inflamed complexion.” This basically translates to saying that in order to work, the product must contain skin-rejuvenating ingredients in sufficient quantities.

The Verdict?
Now that you know the pros and cons of a night cream, it’s time you make up your mind about whether it works for you. If all else fails, leave it to your skin to decide if it really needs that night cream

MY TAKE:

I just purchased a new night cream that I go back to because I love the way my skin looks and feels..I believe in night creams and always feel and see a difference compared to me wearing an ordinary day cream..My next purchase is Retin-A which I think rocks.( I have used it long ago,I need now more).I am using Avons Clinical Genics and Wrinkle Corrector..I love them both and I use them at the time..So say yes to the night cream!





-Tiffany