Do You Really Need a Day and Night Cream?

There's no cut-and-dried answer about whether you really need separate day and night creams, since there are so many factors involved. But... it does make things easier, especially when it comes to ingredient lists.

Take actives, for example: Gmyrek says that any retinoid or vitamin A cream, should only be used at night, since they are rendered inactive by sunlight. And as previously mentioned, a double dose of retinol would be too strong for most skin types.

Another case for separate creams is when using different anti-aging actives. "If you are using anti-aging creams then I do recommend using two different ones (one for a.m. and one for p.m.)," says Gymrek. "This is so you can benefit from different active ingredients in the two formulations."

Honestly, you might be looking for different things, morning and night. Wesley says that a morning skin care routine can be about healing, nourishing and protecting skin. This can be different from at night, where actives get to work without interruption while the body is resting and healing.

Image via Imaxtree