Night Cream: Ingredients That Actually Work

Do you have a daily skincare routine? And we don’t mean just washing your face while you’re in the shower and shaving. If you care about how you look and want to protect your skin for the long-run, you need a skincare routine. 

Our daily lives expose our skin to a lot of stress. Sun, wind, pollution--they all can take their toll on our good looks, not to mention make us susceptible to serious conditions like skin cancer. 

So, if you think your skin will take care of itself, think again, and get started with a regular skin care regimen. One of the most important parts of your routine (and one of the easiest to get started with) is using a night cream. 

Night Creams Versus Day Creams

A cream is a cream, right? So, just any old moisturizer is bound to do some good, right? Sorry--wrong. 

There should be a difference in the skincare lotions you use at different times of the day. A good skincare routine will start with a daily moisturizer. It adds hydration to your skin, plus a layer of protection, often including sunblock. 

Night cream serves a different purpose. It sets up the skin for rebuilding and replenishment overnight, so your skin is healthier in the morning. A night cream will help: 

• Reduce the appearance of wrinkles and creases
• Rehydrate dry skin
• Reduce the appearance of dark circles
• Help alleviate skin irritations and blemishes
• Remove dead skin cells

Killer Ingredients

You’ll find a lot of different ingredients when you start scanning the labels of night creams. If you keep your eyes open for these ingredients, your night cream is on the right path to improving your skin!

Swertia Chirata Extract - SWT-7
This potent night cream ingredient is extracted from the Indian herb, swertia chirata. SWT-7 is a trademarked ingredient that supports the production of keratinocytes, skin cells that produce keratin.  

Having SWT-7 in your night cream promotes a stronger and firmer epidermis, the outer layer of your skin. That’s especially important as we age and this outer layer becomes thinner and less resistant to environmental stresses and inflammation damage.  

Avocado Oil
Guacamole, avocado toast — who doesn’t like avocado? But does your skin like it, too? Absolutely.

Avocado oil is chock full of antioxidants, vitamins, and skin-replenishing fatty acids. It absorbs readily into the skin for outstanding moisturizing action and skin replenishment, an essential role for night creams. 

There are some other awesome natural oils out there as well. Be sure to check for coconut oil, argan oil, rosehip seed oil, marula oil, and jojoba oil too. 

Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract
Vitamins are important for skin health (more on that later), so why not add them to your skin from a natural source. Kiwi fruit extract is rich in vitamins E and C, which are important for regenerating skin cells and protecting your skin from the signs of aging. 

Some other fruit extracts you’ll find in quality night creams include apple, papaya, lime, watermelon, and mango.

Retinol
Derived from vitamin A, retinol has powerful skin health benefits. You’ll find it in many popular night creams. Retinal promotes cell turnover and keeps your pores from clogging, keeping your skin free of blemishes and helping other skincare products penetrate the skin. 

Retinol also helps fight signs of aging, evens your skin tone by exfoliating dead skin, and promotes healthy levels of collagen. 

Vitamins 
Our bodies need vitamins for many of our basic functions. Deficiencies can hurt our health and hurt our skin. You’ll find vitamins added to many night creams to help boost skin health. When you’re shopping for a night cream, scan the ingredient list for these three potent vitamin boosts. 

• Vitamin C is common in the outer and inner layers of your skin. It aids in the production of collagen, a vital ingredient in skin health and elasticity. A healthy diet will keep your vitamin C levels topped off, and your skin will benefit from added vitamin C in your night cream, too. 
• Vitamin E has powerful antioxidant properties (like vitamin C). That helps keep inflammation down and helps eliminate puffy dark circles. It also helps protect your skin from sun damage. Vitamin E in night cream will help rejuvenate your skin after those sunny days spent outside.
• Vitamin D in its active form is called calcitriol, and it can help support overall skin health, specifically when it comes to cell turnover and combating the signs of aging. 

Alpha Hydroxy Acids 
Alpha hydroxy acids are not a single ingredient, but a range of acids that are effective ingredients in night cream. Alpha hydroxy acids are derived from a number of different plant and animal products. Some common examples are:

• Citric acid
• Glycolic acid
• Hydroxycaproic acid
• Lactic acid
• Malic acid
• Tartaric acid

Although they come from many different sources, these acids share similar properties that make them common and effective ingredients for night creams. One of the key functions is to exfoliate the skin, clearing away dead skin cells so that new ones can surface and absorb other nutrients. They also promote improved blood flow and collagen growth, and help increase product absorption so the other ingredients in your night cream work better for you.  

Hyaluronic Acid
Dry skin is just that — dry. Your skin needs water to bind with collagen to keep the outer layer moist and prevent wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid aids that process by binding to water and collagen in your skin.

Harsh weather, heat and cold, and dry air all contribute to the loss of moisture in your skin. Night creams with hyaluronic acid keep water where it needs to be to keep your skin looking healthy and fresh.  

Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is one of the most widely used natural remedies for skin conditions. Many of us know about its cooling and healing properties from bouts of sunburn or from minor skin irritations. But, aloe vera is also an effective ingredient for your night cream skincare routine.

The power of aloe vera rests in its ability to moisturize dry skin. It absorbs readily into oily or dry skin and then acts to seal in moisture. As an added bonus, aloe vera has anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe minor skin rashes and blemishes.  

Build a Smart Skin Care Routine

Adding a night cream to your routine is a great way to start improving your skin’s health and keep you looking young. There are also some other smart steps you can take to take care of your skin. Do these on a daily basis and you’ll start seeing the difference. 

• Wash your skin day and night with a mild cleanser. Harsh soaps have their place, but avoid using them excessively on your face to avoid drying the skin. 
• Go easy on exfoliating scrubs. That rough scrub may feel good, but do it every day and you’ll damage your skin. Once a week is plenty.
• Use a daily moisturizer. These differ in composition and purpose from a night cream. A good daily moisturizer also provides protection for your skin to help you through the day. 
• Use sunscreen. To make it easy, pick a daily moisturizer with SPF protection.
• Put on your night cream before bed. Enough said!

If you’re confused about what to buy, or how to get a good skincare routine started, consider using a skin care system that provides you with all the essential ingredients. ASYSTEM’s Performance Skincare System is your all in one skincare system with a twice daily invigorating cleanser, daily defense SPF moisturizer, and a rebuilding night cream, to make sure your skin looks, and feels, its best!

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Sources:

https://www.asystem.com/products/performance-skin-care-system

https://www.provenskincare.com/blog/why-you-should-be-using-a-night-cream/

https://www.xtend-life.com/blogs/skincare-ingredients/swertia-chirata-extract#:~:text=Extracted%20from%20the%20leaves%20of,epidermis%20for%20younger%20looking%20skin.

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/avocado-oil-for-skin

https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/products/fruit-extracts/

https://theskinspot.com/blogs/the-edit/5-main-benefits-of-retinol

https://www.healthline.com/health/4-best-vitamins-for-skin#1

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/alpha-hydroxy-acid#exfoliate

https://www.allure.com/story/what-is-hyaluronic-acid-skin-care