Beauty Sleuth #13: What’s In A Cream?

Is there any difference between a night cream and a day cream? An eye cream vs a neck cream? And what about a body lotion? What are all these different lotions and potions and do I need them all? Let’s dig in a bit deeper and find out!

There are two main differentiators between creams/lotions/potions/butters etc: (1) ingredients and (2) delivery format. 

Let’s take ingredients first. There are both active and inactive ingredients in skincare, and both have an effect on the skin. By definition, active ingredients affect the structure and function of skin and are regulated by the FDA. Other ingredients fall under the term “inactive” and some may be “performance ingredients” like antioxidants and peptides; these change the “appearance” of the skin. The big difference between a day cream and a night cream, for example, is the ingredients within each. Your body has more time to repair itself at night; it’s when your body recovers from a busy day, and your skin cells undergo repair and turnover slightly faster to help your complexion appear bright and healthy-looking when you wake up. So typically, active ingredients in night creams are those that help with cell renewal, fine lines and wrinkles, even brighteners. The ingredients and the amounts typically effect the price of the product. In contrast, ingredients in day creams may include sun protection, and the creams may be less emollient so that additional SPF applied afterwards will absorb better and that your skin will not be too shiny or greasy. Often day creams must be formulated differently than night creams so that makeup will blend over the top of the cream more easily. The primary job of a day cream is protection, whether from the sun, wind or other environmental damage to the skin and the ingredients will reflect this. Both day and night products should be applied to the neck as well.

Eye cream ingredients are often different too. That’s because skin in certain areas of the face is prone to deeper wrinkles. For realz! Because skin around the eyes tends to have fewer oil glands and appears thinner, wrinkles appear more pronounced. The eye cream I love is a known as a “triple threat” because it’s ingredients are helpful to (1) minimize the appearance of crow’s-feet, (2) help reduce the appearance of both puffiness and dark under eye circles and (3) brighten the eye area with optical diffusers. This eye cream can be used day or night - not all can as some are too occlusive to wear makeup or sunscreen over them. So definitely check out what the eye cream label says it does. For me, I have found that I need something stronger than eye cream for my crow’s feet. I use a topical patch that is applied three times a week for one month. These patches melt hyaluronic acid into the wrinkles overnight, and over time with consistent use have helped to drastically reduce my crow’s feet. 

Your skin is your largest organ. Did you know that your skin will regenerate itself approximately every 27 days? It is constantly changing. The skin on your body is different from the skin on your face and neck. Your face tends to have thinner skin, more oil glands, and hair follicles differ wildly depending on where they are on your body. Obviously the skin on the bottom of our feet, for example, is much thicker than on our neck or around our eyes. And we treat our skin differently depending on the area, right? Body skin, for example, is subject to chafing and irritation from clothing, and dries out from hot water and harsh soaps we use, and it becomes drier and flakier with age. 

So again, ingredients matter. WebMD points out that “some of the compounds found in advanced facial skin products, are also used in body creams and moisturizers. But products for the thicker skin on the body are formulated differently than those made for the delicate, thinner skin of the face and hands. So it’s important to look for products designed specifically for the body.” I find that some ingredients cause a different reaction on my facial skin than on my body skin. I have a terrible reaction to argan oil, for example. Generally, you want to make sure you are protecting your body’s skin when exposed, from detrimental environmental factors as well as sun damage. 

Now about delivery mechanisms? Gels, oils, creams, lotions, butters, sprays etc. These are all different ways of delivering the ingredients to your skin. Your choice will depend on the ingredients you want to apply, as well as the type of skin you have - for example, acneic skin may react poorly to a thick cream and may prefer a lighter gel or lotion. A concentrated oil might be too much for your skin if applied directly to it.  Rushed for time? You may enjoy a spray moisturizer (dry oil spray for example), that is fast to apply, while still providing moisturizing benefits. Suffering from crepey skin that is really dry? Then a ”body butter” is suggested as it adheres to the skin and blocks out environmental factors while keeping the skin’s natural moisture locked in. 

Just remember: What you do every day with regards to your skin will have a greater benefit for your skin’s appearance than almost any procedure you could receive in your dermatologist’s office or a spa on an occasional basis. So find a routine that works for you for both your face and your body and your skin will love you for it.