Do You Need A Day Cream & A Night Cream?
If you're obsessed with skincare, you probably have two face creams: a lightweight facial day cream to protect your face against the environment and a thicker, more soothing cream to help your skin restore and repair at night.
Even if you don’t have separate facial creams for day and night, you've likely felt tempted to jump on the bandwagon at least once. Haven't you?
In this blog, we’ll tell you if you need a day or night cream — or both.
Are Separate Creams for Day and Night Necessary?
More often than not, it feels good to have an extensive skincare routine. Tons of products and a long, therapeutic process of applying different products on your face give a sense of protection.
But that’s not how it should be. Skincare is undoubtedly a vital part of our lifestyle but you should only get the necessary products. Otherwise, you might start to see some negative consequences on your skin. Plus, it doesn’t make sense to spend all your monthly savings on skincare, does it?
That being said, it's a good idea to rely on proven science to purchase a separate moisturizer for day and night.
So, is it really necessary to buy a separate night cream?
Unfortunately, the answer is no – and yes. Sounds confusing? Indeed! But we’ll try our best to explain in simple terms.
Some people do benefit from using separate night creams for their morning and nightly skincare routine. However, it is not important for everyone.
If you want to purchase a separate night cream, have a look at what your skin care needs are and what exactly your daytime moisturizer is lacking. For instance, if you are using Kiehl’s moisturizer during the daytime, look at its composition and formulation to gauge what it lacks.
So, yes, purchasing separate night-time creams is sometimes a prerequisite for an extensive skincare solution. However, it’s not always necessary.
Why Should Night-Time Creams Be Different?
As we mentioned in the last section, sometimes even the best day cream for oily skin or dry skin may not be compatible with your night-time bodily requirements.
Often, when people talk about having a separate lightweight facial day cream , they think people are just wasting their money. But that’s not the case. Night-time creams are not marketing gimmicks for some extra profit.
Instead, these creams are formulated differently to suit what your skin requires at night. People tend to forget that our body has its circadian rhythm. And that applies to our skin as well. What we mean is that our skin has different functions during the daytime and nighttime.
During the daytime, the skin is responsible for protecting us against UV rays and other forms of pollution or environmental damage. As a result, our skin produces more sebum to get some antioxidants as reinforcements.
On the other hand, our skin uses the more relaxing environment of nighttime to repair and restore itself. In this period, we have less sebum production and more microcirculation. More importantly, there are high chances of transepidermal water loss.
So, if you have a habit of sleeping at night without using a hydrating face cream , you better avoid it. It’s always a good idea to moisturize your face and skin before dozing off.
As you can see, there is a sufficient scientific explanation to back the existence of night creams. However, many dermatologists recommend keeping our skincare routine simple. In other words, if your dressing table is full of cosmetic products, you’re doing it wrong.
It’s best to get a cream that nourishes your skin well at night as well as during the day. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream , for instance, is a fool-proof solution for 24*7 hydration and effective protection against direct sunlight.
In other words, it has all the components of a daytime cream as well as a night-time moisturizer. That’s the kind of product you want on your shelf.
How Should a Daytime Moisturizer Perform?
Unless you stay cooped up in your room and inside your blanket, your morning moisturizing routine must be a priority.
Think of the onslaught of attacks that your skin faces daily. Environmental pollution, dust, harmful UV rays; there are so many things!
The job of your day cream is to protect you against these assaults. As such, an ideal lightweight facial day cream should have sufficient vitamins, minerals, and other similar compounds.
It should also be able to keep your skin hydrated for long periods. The Ultra Facial Cream , developed by Kiehl’s, is the benchmark for longevity as it keeps the skin moisturized for up to 24 hours.
Hydration and lightweight texture are key, as morning skincare routines are more extensive. It should also be able to work well with any sort of makeup. It will be okay if the cream does not have SPF, as you can pair it up with sunscreen, which is also an integral part of your skincare routine if you're outgoing.
If your moisturizer ticks all these boxes, then congratulations! You have the best lightweight facial day cream on your hands.
How Should a Night-Time Moisturizer Perform?
Night-time moisturizers perform differently. When you’re fast asleep, your skin is awake. It’s the perfect time for your skin to repair, renew, and restore damaged cells and help you wake up looking gorgeous.
In this case, the only smart move is to get a night cream that can aid this process.
Your night-time cream should contain anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. Together, they help facilitate the skin restoration process for a glowing look. The cream should also be able to hydrate intensely when needed. It would also help if the moisturizer helps the skin to lock in hydration.
Together, all of these properties can make for a wonderful hydrating face cream for your nightly skincare routine.
Should You Purchase a Separate Night-Time Cream?
As per a study , around 63% of millennials and 57% of Gen Zs take their skincare routine seriously. If you’re one of them, you must be looking to get the perfect solution for your skin requirements.
The question stands – is it essential to purchase separate facial creams for day and night?
The answer is no. Even after understanding your skin requirements, you only need that one cream that can function during the daytime as well as at night.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream alone has all the properties required for daytime and night-time skincare demands. It is lightweight in texture and has all the elements to protect your skin against environmental damage. Moreover, it also has strong hydration capabilities to help your skin relax and restore at night.
After having a pronounced skincare routine, buying another cream might be one too many for your skin. It’s always good to keep things light and simple.