Posted: Thursday 16 February 2012 10:39am
Skip back a couple of decades and most creams labeled for night time use looked and felt like clotted cream. But the time has long gone when all night creams were simply richer versions of their daytime counterparts. Today, the after dark skincare category is just varied as its daytime counterpart with serums, anti-ageing lotions, creams and repair products promising to improve skin texture, firm up sagginess and deeply hydrate skin during sleep.
There’s a lot of truth in the claims, too. As we sleep our skin rebuilds and repairs itself and the new generation night creams and serums are formulated not only to work with or stimulate the cellular regeneration, but also to even out skin tone, firm the tissues and strengthen the protective barrier. It’s important, though, to choose skincare with the right ingredients in proper concentrations. More so as winter approaches when chill winds and indoor heating can dry out and irritate the skin further.
Skincare formulated for use at night doesn’t – ahem – work overnight. You have to allow four to five weeks to see results and use the products regularly. A recent US study also discovered that the skin’s temperature increases during sleep and warmer skin absorbs more of a product’s active ingredients. So it’s also crucial to cleanse skin properly before applying a night cream to allow it to penetrate more effectively.
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QUALITY PRODUCTS AT A REASONABLE PRICE
Night creams aren’t only perceived as richer in texture, they have an expensive image as well. But reasonably-priced brands such as L’Oreal, Nivea, Olay and Garnier are just as potent as many of their pricier counterparts because of the vast research and development budgets of the multinational companies who own them.
L’Oreal Paris has a raft of targeted night products which assist cellular regeneration, including – Revitalift Night, $30.95, Youth Code Rejuvenating Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream, $35.95, with 20 percent more moisturising actives, Age Perfect Intense Nutrition Rich Repairing Night Cream, $34.85, lorealparis.com.au – a great choice for the over-50s.
Other kind-to-the-budget buys to consider are: Garnier Youthful Radiance Multi-Action Night Cream, $13.95, 1300 659 259 – with grape antioxidants for overnight repair, LACURA Renovage Rejuvenating Night Cream, $19.99, from ALDI stores, the cheapest cream on the market containing the apple stem cell extract used in prestige creams costing five or six times its price, Nivea Vital Triple Action Soy+ Night Care, $19.95, nivea.com.au, a top buy for women starting to experience the effects of hormonal decline on their skin, and Olay Regenerist Intensive Night Revitalising Cream, $32.49, olay.com.au, with Olay’s patented amino-peptide complex to recover moisture lost from the skin overnight.
Sensitive skin? Try Burt’s Bees Sensitive Night Cream, $29.95, burtsbees.com, which contains cotton extract to intensely moisturise the skin for 8 hours as you sleep. Or Natio Sensitive Skin Green Tea and Chamomile Night Cream, $19.95, natio.com.au to soothe and protect.
AFTER DARK POWERHOUSES
Quality night creams go a long way in fighting the effects of ageing, from soothing and repairing the skin to boosting collagen production. When your skin is giving you nightmares, smooth on these powerful performers to neutralise skin-damaging free radicals, firm and tone the skin.
- Clinique Youth Surge Age Decelerating Night Moisturizer, $100, clinique.com.au. Packed with effective antioxidants from Vitamin C to mulberry extract, this wonder worker helps to boost the skin’s elasiticity and reduce visible lines.
- Dr LeWinn’s Smoothing Complex S8 Double Intensity Night Cream, $99.95, drlewinns.com.au. If deeper wrinkles have become a major worry, this award-winning cream contains a hefty 10 percent of Argireline, a potent peptide that plumps expression lines and firm the skin.
- L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Night Cream, $98, loccitane.com.au. Hero ingredient – organic immortelle oil – boosts micro-circulation and collagen production and also protects against premature cell ageing.
- RoC RETIN-OX Wrinkle Correxion Regenerating Night Cream, $54, 1800 774 590. One of the most reasonably priced retinol-rich products available, this is a effective choice for women with deeper wrinkles.
- Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Resist24 Night Cream $95, major department stores. Formulated for dry and very dry skin, skin looks smoother and wrinkles less obvious within a few days of treatment.
- Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Night Cream, $115, department stores. The Genifique range was the biggest-selling skincare launch in Lancome’s 77 year history. A night cream was a logical addition to the lineup to target gene expression in the skin and help repair barrier function during the night. After a few weeks use of this luxe cream your skin will look smoother and plumper.
Your say: Do you use a night cream? What are your favourite skincare products? Share with us below.
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