Our editors searched Japanese e-commerce sites (such as @cosme, Amazon, and Rakuten) for the best night creams. We then chose the 12 most popular products and tested them.
We focused on three things: its moisturizing ability, its ingredients, and how it felt to use. We then compiled everything we learned into a buying guide about and list of the best Japanese night creams available online.
mybest US' editing team consists of experienced members who have backgrounds in writing, editing, translation, and more. We are dedicated to researching what makes a product or service the best to users in the US in order to create top-quality articles. From skincare, to kitchen appliances, and to DIY supplies, our mission is to find the best ones for you.
You might be thinking, "I know what a face cream is!" and wondering why this section is here, but we want to start off this article by telling you what sets night creams apart from the average face cream.
Night creams are special in that they contain an abundance of oils to prevent water from evaporating from your skin while you sleep. They also tend to contain many advanced and active ingredients that work to repair, beautify, and revitalize your skin.
We'd especially recommend night cream use for those with dry skin or those who want some extra aging care.
Here are three big things to look out for.
The main job of a night cream is to help your skin both attain and retain moisture while you sleep. That's why you should purchase only the most hydrating products. Creams that have a lot of hydrating ingredients will typically list them towards the beginning of their ingredient list, meaning they have a higher volume in the product.
Here are some examples of trusted moisturizing ingredients:
We also highly recommend reading reviews to get a better idea of their moisturizing powers.
No matter how many beneficial ingredients a night cream contains, you're probably not going to purchase it if it doesn't have a good texture. Most creams are a bit stiff, but you can find ones that are more milky or watery here and there.
Scents are also varied, but you can find unscented creams if you're not into that. You should also check reviews to see if people have said anything about the container being difficult to open and close, since you'll be using it every day.
Moisture is definitely the most important factor in choosing a night cream, but the best night creams are the ones that give you additional skincare benefits. They'll work even more magic on your sleeping skin.
Night creams that have a ton of skin care and skin repairing ingredients can work wonders at prolonging the signs of aging. Here are some ingredients you should look for:
Blemishes and wrinkles can make your skin look more aged than it is, but whitening ingredients can help with that. Look for these ingredients on the label if this is your main concern:
Astalift's notorious orange-colored cream looks like a typical, thick night cream, but it blends softly and easily into your skin.
It can leave a bit of shine after application, but you can almost feel it working down into your pores. The cucumber we used in our moisturizing power test stayed soft and moisturized even after a day had passed. If you'll only have the best, have Astalift.
No, that price isn't a typo. Yes, it left a great impression on everyone. You just need a thin layer of this plant-extract-filled night cream spread on your skin for it to penetrate your pores.
We feel like we should mention that not only did our test cucumber end the day more moisturized; it looked greener than it started. Those especially with rough skin should get a ton of moisture out of this product.
This rich but light night cream fit to our skin perfectly and made our test cucumber super soft overnight. We also liked the simple and sleek packaging.
It contains a number of plant-based extracts, but if your skin isn't that sensitive then you should be able to use this nightly. You should buy this if you're looking for something high-quality and floral-scented.
We'll admit it: we wish this White Lucent cream was just a bit more moisturizing. However, we could still recommend it as a whitening product. It also has an amazingly light texture and fragrance that was favored among our editors.
Elixir Enriched Cream is the perfect texture - not too heavy but not too light. Judging by how plump and moist our test cucumber was after our testing, you can count on its skin-hydrating power.
This cream also contains a lot of plant extracts, so you might not want to purchase this if you're not so hot on those. If you're looking for a great product with a wonderful texture, though, give it a chance!
Chifure Moisture Cream doesn't have any anti-aging ingredients to speak of, but we didn't have any huge complaints about its hydration abilities.
We will say that its oily texture sits on the skin, so we'd recommend this to those who like to feel the night cream on their skin.
It's easy to assume that all skincare creams should be used the same, but night creams are made specifically for night time - and for good reason. Here are a couple of pieces of advice we have about when and how often to use your night cream.
Night cream should be the last thing you apply to your face before sleeping so that it can work its magic all the way from the top. So that means if you have a multi-step nightly skin routine, it should go something like this:
Lotion → serum → face cream or milky lotion → night cream
We recommend using night cream only at night. Makers put more oil in them than most skincare products because they assume that it will be applied at night; that's why many of them feel so heavy.
It's not unheard of to use them at other times, but using them at a different time or under circumstances can cause things like breakouts and smudged makeup. We advise using a regular face cream for daytime.
As we get into the thick of winter, dry skin can become a real issue for many. Here are some more high-quality Japanese products to get you through it.
When you purchase products mentioned in the article, part of the sales may be returned to mybest.
The descriptions of each product is referenced from the content available from the manufacturer, e-commerce sites etc.
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