Editor tip: Commerce writer Jennifer Hussein, who has sensitive skin, vouches for Indigo Overnight Repair’s supreme gentleness.
Key ingredients: indigo extract, hyaluronic acid, ceramides | Who it’s for: those seeking a quick-absorbing option | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Antioxidant Night Cream: Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Face Cream
Why it’s worth it: Quench your skin overnight with Fresh’s Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Face Cream and wake up looking like you’ve just emerged from a season-long hibernation. Sounds too good to be true? Just take it from Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist Jessica Wu, MD, who recommends this formula for its titular lotus. She calls the ingredient a “strong antioxidant that helps fight free radical damage at night when skin repairs DNA damage.” It also brings on the moisture with glycerin, shea butter, peach leaf extract, and vitamin E—resulting in one well-rounded night cream that feels as luxurious as it looks.
Editor tip: Pair the cream with Fresh’s Lotus AHA Gentle Resurfacing Serum to further support the skin’s resurfacing and recovery.
Key ingredients: super lotus, polyglutamic acid, peach leaf extract | Who it’s for: those with dull or stressed skin | Fragrance-free: no
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of using a night cream?
Night creams boast many of the same benefits as your other face moisturizers but with extra emphasis on skin hydration. “We lose water in the skin at night, so nighttime is all about locking in moisture,” Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and the associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine, explains. South Florida-based board-certified dermatologist De Anne Harris Collier, MD, concurs, adding that research has shown that repair of DNA-damaged skin cells peaks, skin cells turn over more quickly, meaning increased rates of skin blood flow and skin permeability at night. “All the more reason to apply a great night cream to take advantage of the skin’s innate repair system,” she advises.
What ingredients should I look for in a night cream?
Because night creams are primarily charged with doling out major moisture, look for hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerin. Beyond that, shop with your skin care concerns in mind. Plenty of night creams contain actives like retinoids that can benefit the changes brought on by maturing skin. If your night cream isn’t infused with an active, however, the moisturizing building blocks can still lock in your other active-ingredient serums, gels, and oils, says Dr. Gohara.
Meet the experts
- Mamina Turegano, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New Orleans, Louisiana
- David Kim, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
- Jenny Liu, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota
- Jessica Wu, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Los Angeles
- De Anne Harris Collier, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Florida
- Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and the associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
