Face Crèmes and Moisturisers

Face creams or crèmes, moisturisers and hydrators are a fundamental step in any skincare routine.  

At their base level, they are designed to offer essential nourishment and skin hydration, and protect water levels in the skin, while supporting skin barrier function. 

They include humectants, such as glycerin, betaine and hyaluronic acid, to draw hydration into the skin, and emollients, such as squalane or Vitamin E, to lock in moisture and nourish the complexion.  

High-performance skincare steps this up by incorporating powerful actives, such as B-Group Vitamins like niacinamide and folic acid, Vitamin C, zinc oxide, peptides and ceramides, hydroxy acids, Vitamin A derivatives including retinol and retinal, Bakuchiol and DNA Repair Enzymes.  

Face creams can be beneficial for many skin concerns: dryness and dehydration, redness and visible irritation, fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, and even excessively oily skin or blemishes and congestion.   What’s the difference between a day cream and a night cream?  There is a purpose as to why there are formulations and actives more suitable for morning or daytime application, and those that are designed to be used as part of a night-time skincare routine.  

During the day, skin will benefit from protective actives, such as niacinamide to support skin barrier function, offer antioxidant protection via Vitamin C and anti-glycation actives including L-Carnosine and Glutathione, and environmental defence in the form of zinc oxide, vitamin d pre-cursor, heat shock proteins and melanin. 

In the evening, we focus on skin repair. This is when revitalising and restorative actives are ideal to incorporate into a skincare routine to bolster the natural rejuvenation process skin is undertaking overnight. Consider peptides and ceramides to support skin barrier function, hydroxy acids to maintain skin pH, and Vitamin A – and its botanical analogues, such as Bakuchiol, alongside DNA Repair Enzymes to support skin renewal.  

This categorisation of day or night also takes into consideration how and when actives might make skin more photosensitive (that is, reactive to sun exposure), or when they need optimise sunlight hours to help activate ingredients and reach their full potential. For example, a Vitamin D Pre-Cursor, like that found in #3 The Brilliance Enriched Crème SPF15, harnesses sunlight to activate and synthetise Vitamin D within the skin, in turn supporting skin integrity and visibly calming redness. 

The right face cream formulation for you Finding the best match for your unique concerns and needs is two-fold: first, identifying the concerns you are looking to address, and secondly, understanding the best base for your skin type.  

By understanding what you’re trying to target, whether that’s a compromised barrier, dryness, blemishes and breakouts, fine lines, uneven tone or pigmentation, and what type of skin you might have (oily, dry, resilient, reactive), you will be able to better pinpoint which active complexes and delivery system will best support your skin goals.  

Those with a heavier oil flow or prone to breakouts may prefer a lighter water-and-oil-based formulation, such as a #2 The Brightening Light Crème, #5 The Refining GelCrème or #6 The Rejuvenating GelCrème. Drier, more mature types will benefit from a lipid-rich formulation like #1 The Strengthening Crème. Reactive types can find soothing nourishment in #4 The Nourishing Crème or #3 The Brilliance Enriched Crème; water-and-oil based, but with a richer texture for a comforted skin feel.