The Skin Nerd: do you need a night cream?

Replenishing your skin’s moisture supply is important, but are you locking it in?

Some people benefit from night creams on their skin - others not so much, says the Skin Nerd.

Night creams are the balmy goodness that you slather onto your skin before your head hits the pillow. They’re like a nourishing hug for your face, but do you really need one? The answer partially depends on your skin type – some people would benefit from one, others maybe not so much.

Naturally, those with dry skin deserve the comfort of a night cream. Dry skin types tend to lack sebaceous glands, our sebum-producing factories, which means that less sebum will be made. Put simply, sebum is a waxy substance that’s essential for the health of our skin. I like to think of sebum as our skin’s natural raincoat – it coats the surface of our skin with a “waterproof” layer, which prevents precious moisture from escaping through the epidermis, our outermost layer of skin. As if that’s not enough, sebum also moisturises the skin to keep it soft, smooth and supple.