Rightly or wrongly, I’ve never been particularly fussed about using a dedicated night cream. Instead, I’ve spent years and years testing and researching the best moisturisers for my skin type and am now confident that my curated edit of moisturisers for oily skin are efficacious enough to be used around the clock. However, I appreciate that now I’m firmly in my mid-30s, there are occasions when I’d like my skincare to be working that little bit harder for me. Combined with the fact that I have two young children who love to leave their bedroom to disturb me at least once a night, and my skin is definitely showing signs of tiredness. (A nice way of saying I look absolutely knackered all the time.)
So, while years of dealing with acne means that I’m well-versed in understanding what products will balance oiliness or calm blemishes, lately I’ve been turning my attention to formulations more targeted towards majorly boosting brightness, improving tone and texture, and strengthening a compromised skin barrier. And there’s one night cream that ticks all of those boxes and more besides: Murad’s Essential-C Overnight Barrier Repair Cream.
Founded by Dr. Howard Murad in 1989 (kind of obsessed that we share the same birth year), Murad is widely recognised as one of the first modern doctor-led skincare brands. And its aim remains the same today as it did then—to use scientifically proven formulas and technologies to help improve the health of people’s skin. Sure, the cosmetic changes that we often see from using certain products are all well and good—especially if it has a positive effect on our mental wellbeing and self-esteem—but Murad is a brand that really views skincare as an extension of healthcare. I love so many products from the brand, but it’s undeniably their ethos that really speaks to me. I love that within each clinically-tested product, they’ve considered both scientific factors like how to improve cellular hydration within your skin, but also external contributors like the stress of modern living and how that can impact on the condition of our skin. So, it’s really no surprise that the Murad Essential-C Overnight Barrier Repair Cream is an impressively effective night time moisturiser.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
First things first, I love the packaging of this moisturiser. I am all about minimising how much contact I need to make with my skincare products, purely because I’m prone to breakouts—so having to dip my hands into open pots and risk cross-contamination fills me with anxiety. Thankfully, the Murad Essential-C Overnight Barrier Repair Cream comes in a press-top pot—you just push down once and the perfect amount of moisturiser dispenses cleanly out of the hole in the top for you. There’s a lid that satisfyingly clicks in place once you’re done too, ensuring that the product remains air-tight and potent (which is particularly crucial when you’re using something that contains vitamin C like this does). Other than that, the packaging is lightweight and functional, without feeling clinical and cold like some doctor brands. But, onto the real magic–the stuff inside…
THE FORMULA
Although I’m a huge fan of vitamin C serums and use one almost every morning without fail, I had never thought to seek out the ingredient in my nighttime routine. However, it’s the star ingredient in the Murad Essential-C Overnight Barrier Repair Cream and, it turns out, I’ve been sleeping on just how efficacious it can be when used overnight. Vitamin C comes in so many forms and concentrations, but here it’s THD ascorbate that’s used—a highly stable, yet potent and easily absorbed version of the ingredient. This means that not only does it offer an abundance of skin-brightening benefits, but it’s actually a great option for those with more sensitive skin as there’s less risk of irritation. Not only that, but it works to neutralise the kinds of environmental damage that often occurs during the day (think pollution and sunlight) so it helps improve the health of your skin long-term too.
Alongside the vitamin C, there’s a botanical blend of sunflower, cucumber and barley which, in all honesty, I wasn’t overly excited about, but Murad claims helps to nourish the skin barrier as well as improve dehydration and uneven texture. And despite my scepticism, the results I’ve seen really do attest to this.
THE RESULTS
At first I wasn’t sure whether the Murad Essential-C Overnight Barrier Repair Cream was going to be too rich and cloying for my oily, spot-prone skin—the texture is certainly thicker and more decadent than the usual lightweight gel moisturisers and lotions that I gravitate to during the daytime. However, I was wrong to be concerned, the moisturiser has been an utter delight to use and has actually left my 35-year-old skin feeling more plump and buoyant than it has for many years. If you’re very dry then I’d say that you might prefer something with a little more weight to it, but dehydrated, normal and oily skin types should fare well with this moisturiser—particularly if you’re over 30.
The real appeal of this night cream though is, undeniably, the way that it has improved the overall lustre and clarity of my skin. Genuinely, most nights I consider myself lucky if I manage to get 4 solid hours of sleep before a small child needs me in some capacity—and I start most days having clocked in around 6 hours total, with a couple of rounds of musical beds in between. Hence, my skin often looks almost grey in colour and the dark circles are real. However, the first time that I tried this moisturiser I awoke at 5:45am (joys) and looked in the mirror to be greeted not with a zombie-like pallor, but with subtly sheeny skin that looked, dare I say it, refreshed. I was genuinely gobsmacked at the immediacy of the results, but with continued nightly use it’s only got better. Overall, my skin looks brighter and dewier, but areas of pigmentation and redness as the results of breakouts have minimised, and the actual texture of my skin is smoother and bouncier. It’s certainly a bit of an investment at £86 a pot but, until my kids start sleeping through at least, I don’t think I could be without it now.
