Day vs. Night Moisturizer, Is There a Difference?

DAY CREAM

During the day, our skin is exposed to UV rays, pollution, and environmental aggressors, all of which can wreak havoc on skin that’s not adequately protected. Not surprisingly, most day creams are formulated to defend skin against these assailants. If yours isn’t, pick another. (Seriously, we mean it.) “Day creams also tend to be lighter in consistency and texture,” Bhanusali says. This is because most of them—the good ones, anyway—are designed to be worn underneath cosmetics, so the formulas are lightweight, easily absorbed, and non-greasy. “They also typically have SPF in them, the single most important part of your anti-aging regimen,” he adds. To save you the SPF spiel, remember this: you need to wear sunscreen or a moisturizer with broad spectrum SPF 15 or higher during the day if you plan to be outdoors (or indoors by a window) to protect your skin against UV damage—no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Give Lancôme Absolue Precious Cells Day Cream a try; it’s worth the splurge! 

NIGHT CREAM 

It’s during deep sleep that our skin repairs and regenerates itself. So, wearing night cream that works while you snooze is recommended by derms. Typically, most night creams are formulated with higher concentrations of anti-aging ingredients—think: retinol, glycolic acid, LHA, and hyaluronic acid—that are perfect for evening use. UV damage is not a factor at night, so night creams usually don’t offer any SPF benefits. “The consistency of night cream tends to be thicker and heavier,” Bhanusali says. Since we don’t sleep with makeup on (right!?), a rich cream that takes longer to absorb should not be an issue at night. Just make sure whatever you’re using is formulated for your skin type. For normal, dry, and combination skin, try Vichy Idéalia Skin Sleep.

THE DIFFERENCE

As you can see, there’s a real difference between the purpose, consistency, and texture of day versus night creams, so it’s important to have both in your beauty bag. Now, if you were stranded on an island somewhere and only allowed to bring one cream with you (the horror!), reach for the day cream. Why? Because you shouldn’t go even one day without SPF on your skin. And though you don’t need those benefits at night, there’s no harm in having it on your skin when it’s dark out. If you only chose to use night cream, your skin would likely feel greasier than usual and wouldn’t be protected from the sun—and that, dear friends, is just not going to fly on our radar.