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Who knew that I’d get to the point someday where I’d be sharing a blog post titled, My Two Favorite Night Creams?! 

Alas, I am no longer 15-years-old, and I do need a little boost of help – preferably at night when I’m sound asleep, and all is calm and still, replenishing and repairing.

[This article was originally published in 2018. It has been updated to reflect current thoughts, reflections, and actual product usage as of 2026.]

Sunscreen Days

Saturday was such a fun day.

I went out on the lake with my three best friends in Minnesota for one of their birthdays.

Per the usual, I put sunscreen on my face, but remembered it a little too late, and didn’t get my nose super well.

The combination of sunglasses and not fully masking the nose, left a little red-nosed streak.

I also failed to get the top of my legs covered well enough, so by the time I got home Saturday night, I was redder than usual in a few places. 

Every. Single. Time. You know?

How is it that I can make sure the kids are fully covered with sunscreen, head-to-toe, but not myself?! 

I digress.

Before bed, I lathered up with lotion for my whole body, and then of course put the night cream on thick.

Why Is It Important to Use Night Cream?

Here are my top 4 reasons I believe it’s important to use night cream:

1. A night cream can double the skin’s moisture and support anti-aging benefits. (source)
2. “After a tough day battling impurities your skin naturally rejuvenates overnight and the majority of night creams are specifically designed to enhance this process by boosting the skin with moisture and also targeting specific skin concerns like fine lines or hyperpigmentation.”
3. “Like the rest of the body, skin does the bulk of its repairing, restoring, and regenerating while we sleep, so night creams are focused on moisture and recovery. They contain the most powerful, slow-absorbing moisturizers that are designed to penetrate over the course of several hours; since there’s little to no concern about sun exposure, they also contain the highest concentrations of anti-aging compounds ingredients like retinol, glycolic acid, and hyaluronic acid, which are able to do their work without interference from sunscreens.”
4. Helps counteract oiliness, dryness, and other common skin problems.

The Gut-Skin Connection

What many people don’t realize is that your skin health is directly connected to your gut health.

When your gut microbiome is out of balance, it often shows up on your skin through inflammation, breakouts, dryness, and premature aging.

That’s why supporting your skin from the outside with clean, nourishing night creams while also healing your gut from the inside creates the most powerful results.

My Two Favorite Night Creams for Glowing, Healthy Skin

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Now that you know a little more about why night creams are essential for healthy, glowing skin, here are the two I fully recommend.

Herbal Face Food – The Cream

This has become my absolute go-to night cream, and for good reason.

Herbal Face Food is a small-batch, handmade skincare line that focuses on using only the highest quality, organic ingredients.

What I Love About It:

The Cream is incredibly rich and nourishing without feeling heavy or greasy.

It’s made with just 7 simple ingredients: organic grass-fed tallow, organic jojoba oil, organic rosehip seed oil, organic lavender essential oil, organic frankincense essential oil, organic helichrysum essential oil, and vitamin E.

The spa-like feeling is what makes this cream truly special.

Every single night I feel like I’m at an actual spa when I remove it from the fridge, and later up.

It’s rich in vitamins A, D, E, and K, plus it contains CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Key Benefits:

• Deeply moisturizing without clogging pores
• Helps reduce inflammation and redness
• Supports skin barrier function
• Rich in fat-soluble vitamins that support skin health
• Made with organic, grass-fed ingredients
• Handmade in small batches

The Gut-Skin Connection: The fact that this contains 102 botanical which are edible means that I’m not putting anything on my skin that the gut won’t also benefit from. If I wouldn’t eat it, why would I put it on my skin?!

I apply this every night before bed, and I wake up with soft, plump, glowing skin.

A little goes a long way, so while the jar might seem small, it lasts for months.

Mad Hippie Triple C Night Cream

This is my second favorite and the one I alternate with The Cream, especially when my skin needs an extra vitamin C boost.

What I Love About It:

Mad Hippie Triple C Night Cream combines three forms of vitamin C with peptides, antioxidants, and plant-based ingredients to brighten, firm, and protect your skin while you sleep.

The “Triple C” refers to three different forms of vitamin C: Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, and Ascorbyl Glucoside.

Using three forms of vitamin C means your skin gets both immediate and time-released benefits throughout the night.

Key Ingredients:

• Three bioavailable forms of vitamin C for brightening and antioxidant protection
• Reishi
• Shea butter – a rich source of powerful antioxidants vitamin A & E, crucial fatty acids and cinnamic acid
• Cloudberry
• Turmeric extract
• Chaga

Key Benefits:

• Deeply hydrates while visibly brightening, smoothing, and renewing your skin.
• Brightens and evens
• Firms and smooths
• For sensitive, dry, aging, and combination skin
• Fine line and wrinkle reduction
• Cruelty-free and vegan
• Free from parabens, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances

The Gut-Skin Connection: Vitamin C is crucial for both gut health and skin health. It supports collagen production (which you need for both gut lining integrity and skin firmness), acts as a powerful antioxidant to reduce inflammation, and helps heal damaged tissue.

When you’re dealing with gut issues, chronic inflammation can accelerate skin aging. The antioxidants in this night cream help combat that inflammatory damage topically.

The texture is creamy but lightweight, and it absorbs quickly. I love using this when my skin looks dull or when I’ve had extra sun exposure and need to repair and brighten.

This is my SECOND choice because not all ingredients are as high-quality as the Herbal Face Food – The Cream – product. However, it is less expensive as well.

The Bottom Line

After years of gut healing and learning how interconnected our internal health is with our external appearance, I’ve become much more intentional about what I put ON my skin, not just what I put IN my body.

Both of these night creams align with my values of using clean, effective ingredients that actually work. They’re investments in your skin health, but they’re worth every penny.

Your skin does its most important repair work while you sleep.

Give it the nourishment it needs with a high-quality night cream, and you’ll wake up with healthier, more radiant skin.

Let me know if you have tried either of my two favorite night creams and what you think!

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

1. The Serums That Started Healing My Skin in Days (No Botox, No BS, Just Plants)
2. 15 Internal and External Skin Health Tips
3. The Complete Herbal Face Food FAQ: Your Questions Answered

Xox,
SKH