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As a 30-something woman I am becoming more and more conscious of my skin and the need to keep it well moisturised and protected in the hope of slowing down the ageing process for as long as possible. I also want to ensure that I am not plastering myself in a load of chemicals and petroleum products to achieve this*.
I have already tested body moisturisers, cleansers and shower gels, so this month I thought I would turn my attention to Night Creams.
Once again, a big thank you to the manufacturers of the products listed below for consenting to be included in this feature and for providing me with samples, so I could try to give you a description of each of them from the same perspective (mine!)
If you want to see a full list of the ingredients in any of the products, just click on the link which follows each review.
If you want to find out more about any individual product, or purchase it, just click on its image.
* see our cosmetics industry information page for more about chemicals in skincare products.
Delivery free to UK.
 Skin Gentle Facial Serum. Soil Association certified organic.
Retail price £26.00 for a 28ml bottle.
A light easily absorbed oil with the soothing fragrance of rose otto, geranium, frankincense and patchouli. Leaves skin feeling soft and smooth.
What I liked best: you can also use it in the morning.
Nourishing Facial Cream. Retail price £24.00 for a 35g jar
A rich, non-greasy cream with the delicious fragrance of orange, frankincense and neroli. Leaves skin feeling smooth, toned and nourished. Also suitable for daytime use.
What I liked best: fresh fragrance.
ingredients ...
Rhythmic Night Conditioner.
Retail price £16.00 for 10 ampules.
Delivery £2.00 to UK.
Individual ampules of liquid skin conditioner for all skin types / conditions. It is more like a toner for consistency and feel on the skin, and has a lovely subtle rose fragrance. It is designed to be used at times of stress and transition, eg at the change of the seasons.
What I liked best: skin feels soft, toned and balanced.
ingredients ...
Rose & Almond Night Cream. Retail price £16.00 for a 30ml tube.
Delivery £4.00 to UK.
Rich, easily absorbed cream with a light fresh fragrance. It leaves skin feeling soft and balanced. Also lovely as a night time treat for your hands.
What I liked best: no greasy residue.
ingredients ...
 Fruitful Nights. Soil Association certified 87% organic.
Retail Price £11.99 for a 50ml tube. Delivery £2.50 to UK.
A rich cream for tired, dry or mature skin (not suitable for very sensitive skin). It has a fresh fruity fragrance and leaves skin feeling soft, toned and nourished.
What I liked best: yummy fragrance.
ingredients ...
Soil Association certified 100% organic. Delivery £5.00 to UK.
Night Cream. Price £34.81 for a 60ml jar.
This rich cream contains no water, so a little goes a long way. It is similar to a balm in texture and has a delicate exotic fragrance from cocoa butter, ylang ylang and sweet orange. Leaves skin feeling soft and nourished.
What I liked best: skin feels wonderful in the morning.
Night Time Extra. Price £30.00 for a 20ml jar.
This has a similar texture to the night cream, but is designed specifically to be used on lines and wrinkles. It has a delicate fresh fragrance of rose, lemon, neroli and lavender.
What I liked best: delicious fragrance.
ingredients ...
Delivery £4.50 to UK.
Fluidium Emulsion Night. Price £13.00 for a 30ml tube.
Designed for sensitive skin, this rich cream has a light fresh fragrance. My skin felt a little 'tacky' immediately after application, but soon settled down to feel calm and nourished.
What I liked best: a little goes a long way.
Energy Emulsion Night. Price £13.90 for a 30ml tube.
Designed for dry skin, this rich cream has the sweet exotic fragrance of rosewood and ylang-ylang and leaves skin feeling nourished and protected.
What I liked best: skin feels soft and nourished.
NB contains rosewood essential oil* (see the article Spotlight on the trade in wild plants by Chrissie Wildwood for more information).
* it should be noted that tautropfen have advised that the rosewood oil they use comes from 'approved wild collection ...[using]... sustained forest development'
ingredients ...
 Avocado Organic Night Cream with Rose & Frankincense.
Soil Association Certified.
Retail price £25.00 for a 30ml jar. Delivery £2.95 to UK.
This rich cream is similar to a balm in texture, as it contains no water, so a little goes a long way. Although it is aimed at mature skin, I believe it would suit most skin types as it is surprisingly light textured and not too greasy. It has a light delicate fragrance from lavender, rose absolute and frankincense essential oils, and leaves skin feeling soft and toned.
What I liked best: smells delicious.
ingredients ...
Organic Chinese Geranium Anti-Ageing Night Oil.
Retail price £21.99 for a 30ml bottle. Delivery £2.95 to UK.
A rich oil for all skin types with a feminine fragrance from lavender, chinese geranium and patchouli essential oils. It absorbs into the skin easily leaving no oily residue and leaves it feeling toned and balanced.
What I liked best: lovely relaxing fragrance.
ingredients ...
Night Creams. Retail price £14.40 for each 50ml tube.
Delivery £2.50 to UK.
Hamamelis (balancing)
A light cream for oily / combination skin. It has a subtle fresh fragrance.
Aloe (sensitive)
This is slightly richer than the Hamamelis version, and has a light sweet fragrance. Specially formulated for sensitive skin.
Rose (hydrating)
This is the richest of the three creams. It is designed for dry skin and has a delicate rose fragrance.
What I liked best: all 3 creams absorb easily into the skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth.
ingredients ...
 Evening Primrose Overnight Creme.
Available in the UK from Mollycoddles of Rochester.
Retail price £14.00 for a 28g jar. Delivery £2.95 to UK.
A very rich thick cream with a subtle floral fragrance. On application skin feels warm and moisturised. Although no particular skin type is recommended by Burt's Bees, I suspect it would suit dry skin best - it may be a little too heavy for oily skin.
What I liked best: also makes a lovely overnight hand treatment.
ingredients ...
 Rejuvenating Face Cream.
Retail price £24.95 for a 50g jar.
Delivery £4.95 to UK.
A rich non-greasy cream with a subtle sweet fragrance. It absorbs easily into the skin leaving it feeling soft and refreshed, with a pleasant glow. Can also be used during the day.
What I liked best: skin feels beautifully soft.
ingredients ...
Nourishing Night Cream.
Retail price £7.95 for a 60ml jar.
Delivery £2.00 to mainland UK.
A rich cream with a relaxing exotic fragrance thats not too feminine. Simply Soaps don't recommend a particular skin type for this cream, and I think it would suit most, except perhaps very oily skin.
What I liked best: also makes a great overnight hand treatment.
ingredients ...
 Avocado Night Cream.
Retail price £8.30 for a 50g jar.
Delivery £1.80 to UK.
A rich buttery cream with a natural floral fragrance from rosewater and geranium oil. Although Earthbound don't recommend a particular skin type for this cream I think it would suit normal to dry skin best.
What I liked best: simple natural formulation.
ingredients ...
A4 Age Reverse Face Cream. Retail price £95.00 for a 50ml jar.
Delivery £3.95 to UK.
A rich cream with an 'old fashioned' fragrance. It may also be used around the eyes and absorbs easiliy into the skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth.
Like the other products in this feature, it excludes petrochemicals, sulphates, TEA, DEA and parabens, but there is quite a long list of ingredients, so it may not appeal to you if you're looking for a truly 'pure and simple' product.
What I liked best: you don't need a separate day cream or eye cream.
ingredients ...
 Trilogy Pure Organic Rosehip Oil.
Available in the UK from Love Lula
Retail price £14.95 for a 20ml bottle. Delivery £1.75 to UK.
A fine amber-coloured oil with a very delicate fragrance. It absorbs easily into the skin leaving no oily residue, so its also ideal for using during the day too.
What I liked best: simple formulation (just 1 ingredient).
Ingredients:
Pure organic rosa canina oil.
Delivery £3.95 to UK.
 Paul Penders Avocado & Cranberry PM Moisturiser.
Retail price £21.50 for a 50g pot.
A rich non-greasy cream for dry and sensitive skin. It has a light fresh fragrance and soaks effortlessly into the skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth.
What I liked best: lovely light fragrance.
 Paul Penders Mangosteen & Nettle PM Moisturiser.
Retail price £21.50 for a 50g pot.
A rich non-greasy cream with a fresh spicy fragrance. This also soaks easily into the skin, leaving it feeling soft and toned.
What I liked best: easily absorbed and non-greasy.
ingredients ...
Flower Essence Jasmine Oil / Flower Essence Rose Oil.
On offer for August at £12.50 for each 30ml bottle (usually £19.50)
Flower Essence Jasmine Serum / Flower Essence Rose Serum.
On offer for August at £12.50 for each 60ml bottle (usually £19.50)
Delivery £2.00 to UK.
Henry Tianus recommend that you mix 1-2 pumps of the Serum with 1 pump of the corresponding Oil before applying to slightly damp skin. They may be used both morning and night.
They may also be used alone, which makes them very flexible: the Serums are lighter than the Oils, so you could use the Serum alone in the morning (or during the summer) and the Oil at night (or during the winter), and any combination between.
The Rose collection is designed for normal to dry/normal to oily and stressed skin and has a delicate sweet rose fragrance.
The Jasmine collection is designed for dry/very dry and stressed skin and has quite a strong floral fragrance (highly fragranced flowers tend to give me a headache, so I wouldn't personally choose this one).
What I liked best: absorbs easily into the skin.
NB the Rose Oil and Rose Serum contain rosewood essential oil (see the article Spotlight on the trade in wild plants by Chrissie Wildwood for more information)
ingredients ...
Organic Sunset Salve.
Retail price £13.60 for a 60ml jar. Delivery £1.95 to UK.
A rich buttery ointment with the subtle fresh floral fragrance of Ylang Ylang and Sweet Orange. You only need to use a little and it absorbs well into the skin leaving it feeling soft and nourished.
What I liked best: skin feels beautifully soft.
ingredients ...
Night Cream. Soil Association certified 95% organic.
Retail price £11.50 for a 50g jar. Delivery £2.00 to UK.
A rich non-greasy cream with the refreshing fragrance of lavender. It leaves skin feeling smooth and toned.
What I liked best: lavender essential oil helps to relax you at bed time.
ingredients ...
Mature Skin Elixir Cream.
Retail price £12.80 for a 60ml jar. Delivery £1.25 to UK.
A rich thick cream with a light fresh fragrance. It absorbs effortlessly into the skin leaving it feeling soft and smooth.
What I liked best: you can also use it during the day.
ingredients ...
Delivery FREE to UK.
Hedgerow Herbals Rosa Passionata Moisturising Night Butter.
Retail price £13.00 for a 20g jar. Delivery £1.25 to UK.
A hard butter when cold, but softens to a cream in warm conditions. It is fragranced with rose otto essential oil and absorbs easily into the skin leaving it feeling soft and soothed.
What I liked best: easily absorbed.
ingredients ...
Mother Earth Raindrops & Roses Night Cream.
Retail price £10.00 for a 50ml jar.
A rich water-free balm with a delicate fragrance from geranium and rose absolute essential oils. This is very economical, as you only need to use a little, and it leaves skin feeling soft and moisturised.
What I liked best: you can also use it as an eye cream.
ingredients ...
Wild Rose & Poppy Moisturiser
Retail price £16.00 for a 50ml bottle. Delivery £3.75 to UK.
A light non-greasy lotion for normal skin. It is has a light floral fragrance and absorbs easily into the skin leaving it feeling soft and nourished. Also suitable for day time use.
What I liked best: light and easily absorbed.
ingredients ...
Delivery £4.50 to UK.
Frankincense and Boswellia Serrata Repair Cream.
Price £25.00 for a 50ml bottle.
A rich cream suitable for all skin types. It has a light fresh fragrance and absorbs easily into the skin leaving it feeling beautifully soft and smooth.
What I liked best: lovely fresh fragrance.
Omega 3 Nutrifying Facial Serum. Price £32.00 for a 50ml bottle.
Suitable for all skin types, this is a light oil with a delicious peachy fragrance. It absorbs easily into the skin leaving it feeling beautifully soft and smooth.
What I liked best: light and easily absorbed.
ingredients ...
 Available in the UK from There Must Be A Better Way.
Retail price £26.99 for each 50ml bottle. Delivery £2.25 to UK.
Balancing (for normal/combination skin).
A light creamy lotion with a light fresh fragrance. Absorbs effortlessly into the skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth.
Rejuvenating (for dry/mature skin).
A rich moisturising cream with a delicate sweet fragrance. The contents of this sample sachet had separated slightly, but it still absorbed easily into my skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth.
 Purifying (for oily/problem skin).
A light lotion with the fresh fragrance of tea tree and lemon. Absorbs effortlessly into the skin, leaving it feeling soft and balanced.
Soothing (for sensitive skin).
A light creamy moisturiser with a delicate sweet fragrance. Absorbs effortlessly into the skin, leaving it feeling soft and soothed.
What I liked best: They can all be used in the morning too.
ingredients ...
Rose Night Cream. Price £7.50 for a 50ml jar.
Delivery £2.00 to UK.
A rich cream designed for all skin types. It has a feminine floral fragrance and absorbs easily into the skin leaving it feeling instantly soft and smooth.
What I liked best: skin feels beautifully soft.
ingredients ...
NB contains rosewood essential oil (see the article Spotlight on the trade in wild plants by Chrissie Wildwood for more information). However, Suvarna assure me that the Rosewood is from a sustainable source.
 Rose Lotion.
Price £23.00 for a 100ml bottle. Delivery £3.00 to UK.
A light lotion with a delicate rose fragrance, for dry and sensitive skin. Mainly recommended for daytime use it may also be used at night, and absorbs easily into the skin leaving it feeling supple and refreshed.
What I liked best: light and easily absorbed.
Rose Cream.
Price £19.00 for a 50ml jar. Delivery £3.00 to UK.
A rich non-greasy cream for dry and sensitive skin. It is suitable for both day and night time use and has a delicate frgrance, slightly fresher fragrance than the rose lotion. It absorbs easily into the skin leaving it feeling soft and soothed.
What I liked best: no greasy residue.
ingredients ...
© Ethical Earth Limited August 2006
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