Can you use a moisturizer with SPF at night?

What does the SPF add at night?

Moisturizer and sunscreen do different jobs. Moisturizer helps hold water in your skin and limits water evaporation. Sunscreen protects against the sun's damaging rays. Combining those jobs in one product is useful during the day; the sun protection adds no necessary step to your bedtime routine. Choose your evening moisturizer for how well it moisturizes and whether your skin tolerates it, rather than for its SPF number.13

How should you use it before bed?

1. 1Cleanse gently. Use your hands to wash your face rather than scrubbing with a washcloth.
2. 2Apply any existing evening treatment as directed. In a general routine, retinol goes before moisturizer; follow specific directions for a prescribed product.
3. 3Apply your moisturizer. Use the product as directed rather than adding extra because you are using it overnight.

Moisturizing once in the morning and once in the evening is a useful basic routine. If you wash or shower before bed and have dry skin, pat your skin until it is no longer dripping, leave it slightly damp, and apply moisturizer within three minutes. The aim is to trap that moisture, not wait until your face feels tight.13

Do you need a separate night cream?

A separate night cream is optional, not an admission fee for an evening routine. Pick a moisturizer formulated for your skin type. A gel or lotion is generally a good facial option, while very dry skin can need a richer texture. For oily skin, look for a formula intended for oily skin and a noncomedogenic label, meaning it is formulated not to clog pores. That label is a useful shopping filter, not a promise that a particular product will suit you.23

For dry or sensitive skin, avoid fragrances and botanical ingredients that can trigger reactions. Fragrance free does not mean free of all allergens. Before using a new moisturizer on your face, test a small amount on your inner forearm twice daily for four to five days. Even a product labeled hypoallergenic deserves that test.34

What should you expect, and when should you stop?

Moisturizer can immediately plump the appearance of some fine lines by trapping water in the skin. A cream cannot deliver the results of a facelift, however ambitious its name sounds. The useful bedtime benefit is moisture retention, not an extra antiaging effect from the SPF.24

Stop using a moisturizer that stings or burns. Prescribed treatments can have different instructions, so follow your dermatologist's plan for those. If a new product causes skin irritation or a rash, stop using it and arrange a dermatologist appointment. Also seek help if consistent moisturizing does not improve persistent dry skin.134

What should you do the next morning?

Apply sun protection as part of your morning routine. A daytime moisturizer with sunscreen should offer broad spectrum protection and SPF 30 or higher. If you use separate products, apply moisturizer before sunscreen. For time outdoors, choose sunscreen with broad spectrum protection, SPF 30 or higher, and water resistance, and reapply every two hours while outdoors.1245