It’s an implied fact that as we age, we all tend to follow a separate night and daytime skincare regime. And the most important part that differentiates a night care ritual from a day one is a moisturizer. The question that pops up in our mind is, “Do we really need a separate night cream?”. The answer to this is a BIG YES. Our skin functions differently during the day and the night and thus has different needs. Our day creams are usually meant to hydrate, brighten, plump, and even out the skin, while our night creams are heavier and thicker in texture and are a bit more soothing on the skin. At night, our skin preps up to repair, renew, and restore. So, having a night cream meticulously formulated to facilitate the process surely makes sense.

Health Shots got in touch with skin and wellness specialist Dr Kiran Sethi to understand the importance of having a separate night cream in your night skincare routine.

Why do you need a night cream?

1. Day-time moisturizers are sometimes not a mandate

According to Dr Sethi, in the daytime, your skin may or may not need a moisturizer because your skin might feel oily or feel more greasy post wearing a sunblock, so you might not need a cream to top your oily skin the day. However, at night, your skin is bare naked without any products applied to it. So, you anyways need a cream that suits your night skin for that extra dose of hydration and renewal.

2. Actives during the night might get destabilized in the daytime

As per Dr Sethi, some actives that are used during the day are meant only for the daytime, while some actives you use at the night get de-stabilized during the day. So, having a separate night cream is vital to ensure the proper usage of product ingredients at the right time.

3. Our skin can handle more moisture at night

At night, our skin can handle more hydration because it’s devoid of that heavy sunblock layer. Also, nighttime is the perfect time to add heavy moisture to your skin because our skin repairs itself at night. So, having a thick layer of cream on the skin is a boon at night.

Also read: The only night skincare routine you need to protect your skin for sun damage

4. The skin is free from dust or grime at night

Night is the best time for a skincare regime. “You’re not sweating at that time, and you don’t have a bunch of layers. Also, there is no dust, dirt, or grime on the skin at night post cleanup. So, the night is the perfect time to hydrate and also to reap any anti-aging properties of your cream,” says the expert.

5. At night, the skin restores itself

“The nighttime is also the time when your body recuperates, regenerates, and restores itself, so you would want to use actives that are designed for healing, restoring, recuperating, and reversing. This is the time when ingredients penetrate the most in the skin and work the best. So, that’s why you want a separate night cream,” says Dr Sethi.