Whether you have a two-step or a 10-step skin care routine, you most likely have a day or night cream on your beauty shelf. But i there really a difference between the two? We break down day creams and night creams below.
What are day creams?
Day creams are generally multitasking products that moisturize skin, wear well under makeup, and sometimes contain SPF. Since you’re more exposed to the sun during the day, day creams also tend to exclude active ingredients like retinol, glycolic acid, or alpha hydroxy acids, which can all irritate the skin when exposed to the sun.
What are night creams?
Night creams typically have a heavier texture to deeply moisturize skin while you sleep. Your skin repairs itself the most at night, so night creams often feature active ingredients like acids and retinol to promote skin cell turnover.
Can I use day creams at night and vice versa?
There’s nothing wrong with using a night cream during the day and vice versa. The biggest difference you may notice is some sensitivity to the sun or a heavy and greasy feeling when using a night cream during the day. But if you’re going through a particularly dry spell with your skin, it might help to apply your night cream during the day, too.
Check out a few of our favorite day and night creams below.
Shiseido Essential Energy Day Cream SPF 20 $48
It’s never too early to start working on that spring glow. This day cream features Shiseido’s ReNeura Technology, which boosts your skin’s responsiveness to your other skin care products. It also contains SPF 20 to shield your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.
KORRES Black Pine Anti-Aging Firming & Lifting Day Cream $58
Hydrate your skin and improve firmness with this day cream that contains Korres’ ElastiLift-3D complex and black pine polyphenols. The best part? This vegan day cream is well-suited for all skin types.
Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream $68
Like a protein shake for the skin, Drunk Elephant’s polypeptide moisturizer is jam-packed with amino acids and peptides to promote firmer skin and a more even skin texture. Drunk Elephant also incorporated pygmy waterlily for extra hydrating powers.
Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream $82
This much-loved night cream is ideal for all skin types. It contains retinol, a form of vitamin A that promotes skin cell turnover for a more youthful appearance. The gluten-free, hypoallergenic formula is also made with red algae, a peptide-packed ingredient to restore your skin’s elasticity.
Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Night Concentrate $110
Fresh, dewy skin can be yours with this nighttime moisturizer. Tatcha incorporates not one but seven botanical extracts in the renewing formula including squalene, green tea, ginseng root, licorice, and wild thyme. The formula feels firm when you touch it, but melts seamlessly into the skin for a youthful-looking glow.
Herbivore Moon Fruit Superfruit Night Treatment $58
Let superfruits give you super skin with this night cream from Herbivore. The lilac formula contains hyaluronic acid with shea and kokum butter for hydration. The superfruits are antioxidant-packed and include prickly pear, goji berry, and red raspberry seed. Best of all, Herbivore’s all-natural products are vegan and cruelty-free.
xx, The FabFitFun Team
