How To Make Your Own Night Cream

Night creams are similar to day creams in that they both lubricate skin. While day creams should contain sunscreen, night creams should not. To help repair skin, night creams often contain substances thought to stimulate production of collagen such as seaweed or yeast extracts. Many also contain alpha-hydroxyl acids or mild exfoliating agents, and antioxidants such as vitamins A or C, as well as soothing agents such as aloe vera or plants extracts containing allantoin.

Night creams are not for everyone. Night creams contain thicker moisturizers and provide a protective barrier that keeps moisture in. As a result, they may not be necessary for people with oily skin. Do keep in mind however that as women (and men) age, the skin on the face and neck tends to become drier, so when you are older a night cream may be more appealing. Night creams also use thicker emollients such as petroleum jelly, coconut oil, cocoa butter or lanolin. If you are susceptible to acne avoid products using these ingredients, as they will clog pores.

The bottom line is that if you enjoy using night creams then go ahead and indulge. With that in mind, here are two recipes using natural ingredients that will help to make your skin feel soft and supple. Remember to always cleanse your face thoroughly before applying night cream. If you exfoliate, do so at night to remove dead skin cells, and then rinse and apply night cream while skin is still damp.

Night Cream Recipe #1

4 tablespoons of Almond Oil

1 tablespoon of Aloe Vera Gel

1 1/2 tablespoon of finely chopped Beeswax

1/2 tablespoon (7 drops) of Plantain Extract

1/2 tablespoon (7 drops) of Green Tea Extract

3 to 4 drops of Chamomile or Carrot Seed Essential Oil

Stir aloe vera gel and rosewater to a small bowl and set aside. Add almond oil, and beeswax to a glass bowl and heat in the microwave (use a low temperature setting) until barely melted. Remove and stir until completely melted. Slowly whisk in the aloe and rosewater mixture until blended. Let this mixture cool, and then add the plantain and green tea extracts and the essential oil. Pour into a glass jar and cover tightly. Store in a cool dry place.

Night Cream Recipe #2

3 tablespoons of Almond Oil

2 tablespoons of Coconut Oil

2 tablespoons of Lanolin

2 teaspoons of Rosewater

1/2 teaspoon of Glycerin

Add almond oil, coconut oil, and lanolin to a stainless steel double boiler pan. Place the pan over boiling water until ingredients are melted, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in glycerin until blended, and then stir in the rosewater. Pour into a glass jar and cover tightly. Store in a cool dry place.