While we sleep, our skin switches from protection to repair mode.
It is my absolute full time job (and I really love my job) to find you the best natural alternatives to mainstream skincare, and night creams are a perfect example. In my 30s I just used a simple rosehip oil before bed and woke up looking smooth and glowy. Then I recently turned 50, and I can tell you first hand that as our skin matures it needs more overnight support. The good news is that natural night creams now use clinically studied actives like plant stem cells and copper peptides.
What happens to our skin while we sleep?
During the day, our skin is in protection mode, defending itself against UV rays, pollution and environmental stressors. That is what our daytime skincare is there for, daily defence. At night the job changes. Skin cell renewal is at its highest while we sleep, so our skin puts its energy into repairing the day's damage, and what it needs from us is overnight support. A good night cream should plump, smooth and hydrate while we sleep, as well as support our skin's natural repair and renewal process and encourage collagen production. And as oestrogen levels change through our 40s and 50s, our skin's ability to retain moisture and produce collagen changes too, which is why this overnight step becomes so important. The sleep itself matters just as much as the cream, and I wrote about what a good night's sleep does for our skin in my guide to the benefits of a good night's sleep.
Day creams vs night creams: what's the difference?
Both matter, but they have different jobs. A day cream is lighter, made to hydrate and sit comfortably under sunscreen and makeup. A night cream is richer and more concentrated. With no SPF or makeup to work around, it can carry higher levels of actives and deeper hydration, and because it goes on right before our skin switches into repair mode, everything in it works alongside that overnight renewal.
My top 7 natural night creams
These are all oldies but goodies. Every one has been a best seller for me for well over a decade, and I alternate between them myself.
1. Mukti Queen of the Night Crème
The name says it all. This is a rich overnight treatment made with antioxidant-rich Queen Garnet Plum, a Ceramide Complex to strengthen the skin barrier, and plant stem cells and peptides to plump and hydrate. Australian native botanicals including Kakadu Plum, Strawberry Gum and Bush Tomato round it out, and in Mukti's clinical trials, 98% saw an improvement in moisturisation and skin smoothness. The cream itself is marshmallow pink from the plum, with a very subtle rose scent.
If you are tossing up between this and the Mukti Marigold Hydrating Crème, the Marigold is a rich, buttery day cream that can double as a night cream, and Queen of the Night is the dedicated overnight treatment.
2. Vanessa Megan Marine Collagen Firming Night Cream
Firming is the focus here, and it's vegan, so the "marine" comes from Australian Banksia, Tasmanian Kelp and marine algae rather than fish collagen. It's made with IBR-Dormin to support overnight cell regeneration and plant extracts that support the skin's own collagen, in a blend of plant oils, butters and marine minerals that replenish moisture, slow overnight water loss and strengthen the skin barrier.
3. Weleda Skin Food Face Care Nourishing Night Cream
This is the overnight version of the original Skin Food, made just for the face. It carries the same signature botanical blend of calendula, chamomile and pansy, joined by squalane for hydration, sacha inchi oil to nourish and cica to support the skin's overnight repair. In Weleda's clinical testing, 72% felt immediate moisture within 15 minutes and 93% agreed skin felt instantly nourished. It is certified natural and part of the full Skin Food face range.
4. Metamorphosis Aurora Matrix Firming Night Cream
The natural dupe for Crème de la Mer, and then some. Made for peri and menopausal skin, it uses copper peptides, CO2-extracted CO₂llageneer®, 24k gold and pearl powder to support collagen production, illuminate the complexion and promote skin firmness. The texture is velvety and sinks in for deep overnight hydration.
5. Andalou 1000 Roses Fortifying Night Cream
A lovely option for sensitive and reactive skin, this one is built around alpine rose stem cells, rosa centifolia extract and postbiotics to soothe and restore the skin's barrier overnight, with allantoin to calm and five oils including shea butter, rosehip and evening primrose to hold moisture in. In Andalou's consumer testing, 100% agreed skin felt soothed and less irritated.
6. 100% Pure Multi-Vitamin + Antioxidants Ultra Riche PM Treatment
A rich overnight cream built on vitamins. Stabilised Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Niacinamide and plant-based Bakuchiol work alongside antioxidant CoQ10 while you sleep, and the richness comes from shea butter, cocoa butter and avocado oil. Kelp, Irish moss and gotu kola add extra support, calendula soothes and evening primrose oil nourishes, for visibly brighter, smoother skin by morning.
7. LAMAV Omega-3 Advanced Night Cream
Built on chia and raspberry seed oils, both rich in omega-3, this one also has natural hyaluronic acid to hold moisture in overnight. Clinical studies on its wakame seaweed extract show a 9% reduction in wrinkle depth and a 17% increase in skin elasticity, and kakadu plum supports natural skin renewal, with a calming scent of lavender, neroli and bergamot. It is certified organic, and there is a 5ml size too, so you can try it before you commit.
Before your night cream goes on, start with a thorough cleanse. My guide to double cleansing explains why it makes such a difference to how our night creams work.
About the Author ~ Irene Falcone
Irene Falcone is a clean beauty writer and co-host of a wellness podcast. She has spent more than 15 years reading the back of beauty labels, and is a Telstra Business Women's Awards winner and a judge for the Clean + Conscious Awards.
Leave a comment