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The skin needs proper care and maintenance to keep it young, supple, and healthy. While most skincare regimens involve multiple steps, moisturizing at night is a common and important component.
After a long day of exposure to chemicals, irritants, sunlight, and other environmental pollutants that can damage your skin, it is recommended to wash your face with a cleanser to remove all the dirt and makeup.
Toners, serums, and exfoliants can follow, depending on your choice. However, it is vital to use a moisturizer at the end of your skin care routine before sleeping.
You may apply the same sunscreen you use in the morning, but a hydrating night cream with skin healing properties is regarded as the star product that greatly enhances your skin care routine.
Skin cells exhibit increased metabolic activity at night, which is when they repair themselves as you sleep. Using night creams with beneficial ingredients can aid this natural skin repair process. (1)
Additionally, face, lip, and eye night creams moisturize the skin and provide anti-aging effects at the same time. These actions help reduce the appearance of both coarse and fine wrinkles and facial lines. (2)
Ingredients to Look For in a Skin Repair Product
The ideal formulation for a good skin repair cream, serum, or lotion must include these active ingredients:
- Peptides
- Vitamin C
- Retinols and retinoids
Be wary of overpriced products that are sold under the category of skin repair but are devoid of any such helpful ingredients and work merely as basic moisturizers.
Moreover, many commercially available creams may contain harmful chemicals that may deliver quick results but will greatly aggravate skin damage in the long run. To avoid such false, expensive, and potentially harmful products, you can try making a night cream at home using natural ingredients, such as apples.
Know the Ingredients
You can use the following ingredients to make a nourishing and revitalizing night cream at home.
1. Apple
Apples have high water content (about 85%), and 13% of an apple is made up of carbohydrates. The high water and fiber content of apples aids weight loss, (3) help improve heart health, (4) controls diabetes, (5) alleviates gut problems, (6) and lowers cholesterol levels. (7)
Apples are also rich in nutrients, including calcium, plant compounds, phosphorus, and potassium, each contributing various health benefits. (8)
Apples can also help maintain skin health as they have high amounts of vitamins A, B, and C. Apples have been anecdotally used as skincare agents for long, although such use is not supported by sufficient research.
2. Olive oil
Olive oil contains antioxidants and fats that help delay aging and provide the skin with deep moisturization.
The phenolic contents of olive oil have antioxidant properties and have a higher potency than vitamin E. Additionally, olive oil offers anti-inflammatory effects when consumed regularly.
Several cultures report the use of olive oil as a time-honored skin and hair care product. (9)
3. Rose water
Rose water can help improve skin tone and reduce pigmentation, among other benefits. However, the skin benefits of rose water are not widely researched, and as a result, no conclusions can be drawn. (10)
Disclaimer: Your facial skin is extremely thin and delicate, so it can get easily irritated by any new topical ingredient. To limit adverse skin reactions such as burns and rashes, perform a patch test of the night cream on the underside of your arm before use. If irritation occurs, avoid its use.
Needless to say, people who are allergic to any of the ingredients of the night cream should not use it. People with sensitive skin are advised to take special precautions before trying out any topical remedy.
Homemade Apple Night Cream Recipe
Here is a nourishing and rejuvenating night cream that you can make at home to pamper your skin after a stressful day.
Ingredients:
- 1 apple
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup rose water
How to make:
- Cut an apple into two halves and remove the seeds.
- Chop the apple into small chunks and transfer into a blender.
- Add olive oil to the blender.
- Blend the ingredients for 5–7 minutes for a smooth and thick puree.
- Transfer the mixture to a double boiler and warm it for a few minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the double boiler and allow it to cool.
- Add the rose water and mix.
- Transfer the cream into a clean container.
- Store the cream in the refrigerator. It is good to use for up to a week.
How to use:
- Use a cleanser to clean your neck and face.
- Pat your skin dry.
- Apply the homemade apple night cream using your finger with gentle upward strokes in a circular motion.
- Leave it on overnight.
- Use warm water to rinse your face in the morning.
Note: You may use the cream on your hands and legs as well. This homemade cream can generally be safely used with all skin types, including sensitive skin.
Additional Tips That May Add More Benefits to the Cream
- For a double boiler setup, fill a pan halfway with water and put it to boil. Put the apple mixture in a small bowl and place the bowl over the boiling water. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes and turn the heat off.
- You may add a teaspoon of honey or vitamin E oil to the cream for added benefits. These ingredients can help hydrate the skin, fade blemishes, and stimulate skin cell renewal.
- Substitute red apple with green apple. The green variety promotes an even skin tone, owing to its higher malic acid content.
Final Word
A night cream is an indispensable part of any good skincare routine. While many night cream products are available commercially, they are often laden with chemicals.
Substituting them with homemade creams made out of natural products is not only beneficial to the skin but also a cost-effective and chemical-free option.
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