Here’s why a day cream and a night cream are equally important

Day cream, night cream… potato, potahto? Surely moisturiser is just moisturiser! Well, nope. And we’ll explain why. Here’s why a day cream and a night cream are equally important.

Your skin is a living, breathing organ that changes throughout the day –  so your skincare should reflect this.

The outer layer of your skin (the epidermis) plays a vital role in protecting your body from harmful environmental factors such as UV rays, oxidation, and airborne pollutants. To do this, epidermal cells go through phases of repair according to your natural circadian rhythm (your waking and sleeping cycle.)

During the day, your skin is mostly in protection mode, with DNA repair occurring throughout daylight hours to help defend against UV radiation. At night, your body produces new cells to replace aged or damaged ones.

Certain lifestyle factors (age, stress, diet, and so on) can cause your skin’s protect-and-repair mechanisms to become less efficient. That’s why it’s a good idea to invest in separate products for a.m and p.m skin care.

Let’s dive into the key differences between day cream and night cream. 

Why use a day cream?

During the day, your skin faces an onslaught of environmental stressors. First, there’s the sun: is a direct source of harmful UV rays that can damage cells and speed the ageing process. UV damage is a big contributor to fine lines, wrinkles, dryness, and dark spots.

There’s air pollution (yes, even in clean green New Zealand!). Major air pollutants that affect the skin include chemicals from fossil fuels, vehicle exhaust fumes, and cigarette smoke.

And indoors? Air conditioning and/or heating can dry the skin out. Makeup can clog your pores, and some cosmetics can cause irritation or even long-term damage.

Your skin’s protective abilities are not unlimited, and constant exposure to environmental stressors can sometimes exceed its normal defensive potential.

For these reasons, your skin needs extra support. A good day cream can help protect your skin against these stressors and help prevent further damage.

So, what makes a good day cream?

A cream with vitamins and antioxidants is a must: these  nutrients help shield skin cells from the damaging effects of UV rays and pollutants and support overall skin health.

The Avo Tree Day Cream contains vitamins A, D, and E to fight those nasty free radicals while stimulating the regeneration of healthy cells. Antioxidants absorb oxidative damage and strengthen the skin’s barrier function, an important part of its defense system. A healthy skin barrier also helps prevent allergens and pollutants from penetrating the skin.

The Avo Tree Day Cream also contains aloe, sweet almond oil and avocado oil to help reduce water loss during the day and retain moisture within the cells, keeping skin smooth and hydrated.

Like all good daytime moisturisers, the Avo Tree Day Cream is light in texture and super fast-absorbing. This makes it perfect for wearing under makeup or sunscreen. It also smells absolutely glorious!

Why use a night cream?

When you’ve been exposed to UV rays and pollutants all day, it’s important to dial up the replenishment and restoration. It’s been shown that stem cell proliferation and the generation of new cells occurs mostly during the night when you are less affected by environmental factors.

Interestingly, some research shows that your skin’s absorption of hydrophilic and lipophilic substances peaks at around 4:00am, with absorption slowing throughout the daylight hours. In other words, this is the best time to be using heavier, oil-based creams.

The ingredients you’d want to see in a night cream are those that boost collagen production and provide multiple growth factors, antioxidants, and anti-ageing benefits. Collagen peptides also contain signaling molecules that can help to relax and smooth the skin.

The Avo Tree Night Cream is packed with all of these things. Nourishing avocado oil is rich in vitamin C to stimulate collagen production while providing essential fatty acids to replenish the skin’s lipid content. Carrot oil is great for repairing skin damage caused by environmental stressors and supporting a clear, bright complexion. Evening primrose oil serves up another dose of omega-6 essential fatty acids to support the skin barrier.

This delicious night cream also contains Vinanza Performance Plus® – a blend of functional extracts scientifically proven to help reduce epidermal water loss. It also helps reduce melanin production (a major cause of dark spots and freckles) and delivers a host of antioxidants, helping to dampen any inflammation and reduce redness.

The luxuriously rich texture of The Avo Tree Night Cream is testament to its amazing hydration! You’ll wake in the morning with soft, dewy skin that feels deeply replenished.

Find our Day Cream here and Night Cream here.

Learn more about skincare routines on our blog with our morning and nighttime skincare routines explained here