MIRACLE TREATMENT - NIGHT

Beauty sleep isn’t just a marketing idea; research is proving ever more positively that, while we slumber, our skin is given the time to naturally repair and renew. That concept is supported by our testers’ experience and the very high scores they gave these outstanding products. Remember: we ask testers to trial products on one side of their face only, with their usual products on the other side for comparison. So do read the comments, and scroll down for these stunningly effective products, which – mostly – really do fulfil the promises made by the brands. One thing we would say: if the product contains retinol do consult the brand’s website for how best to build up usage, particularly if you have sensitive skin; do check how long you should use it for (some recommend twice a year for up to eight weeks); and please use an SPF30-50, as retinol is likely to make skin more vulnerable to UV. (You know you should anyway though…) As with Miracle Treatment – Cream, this year sees a big (and welcome) increase in the number of natural formulations.

GOLD (JOINT) AWARD Temple Spa Truffle Noir 24-Hour Skin Rejuvenation

This multi-award winning British luxury skincare brand, founded and still run by Liz and Mark Warom, has a long history with Beauty Bible – they’ve won a raft of Awards over the years, because the products always really truly deliver. This 24-hour Anti-Ageing Moisturiser is suitable for veggies, free of parabens and sulphates but does contain gluten, they warn. The brand’s truffle products are pretty legendary and this scored an average score of over 9/10 across the panel – which is a sensational result. They promise miracle working night duty and instant hydration by day. The ingredients are a feast in themselves - as well as black truffles, there’s champagne, silk and platinum, plus haematite (a powerful antioxidant) and two trademarked complexes: Deepsane and Moist-24 to leave skin looking and feeling younger, they promise. And our testers agree with five giving it full marks – 10/10.

£90 for 50ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘10/10 for this rich luxurious moisturiser, which is ideal for my dry mature skin. The first time I used it at night, I woke to find my skin instantly moisturised and smoother. After 28 days, my skin was smoother overall and plumper, fine lines looked reduced and there was minor reduction in wrinkles. After regular use I did get a comment about how unlined my skin looked compared to other people - so I took that as a compliment! I woke up looking well rested with brighter softer well-moisturised skin’ • ‘10+++++. My dry mature and sensitive skin is so much better after 28 days of using this fantastic cream. So much clearer and brighter, smooth and soft, plump and pigmentation much lighter. Skin is so much better than with my previous premium night cream. This is really a treat for the skin. It gives a lovely glow and skin never feels tight now. A beautiful cream. Amazing. I love it’ • ‘10/10 for this luxurious cream which really did smell of truffles for the first week – good enough to eat! My skin felt very soft after the first time and is if it had been given a good boost. I thought that some of my wrinkles looked less deep.  They are never going to disappear but if they soften, that's great. My skin looked more dewy and plumptious (is there such a word!) At a recent meeting I was called a "young lady". I didn't enlighten the man that I was nearly 70! If any of the products I have tested are having an effect, I think it is probably this one. I have never raved about a face cream I have tested the Beauty Bible, but I think I could rave about this one. My skin really did feel wonderfully hydrated and looks less lined. This is one product I really might want to buy.  It is the best night cream I have ever used’ • ‘About 3 weeks into using this a good friend asked me what I was doing or using as she couldn’t work out what it was but I looked great and she wondered if I had had Botox or something without telling her!!! I laughed. I have also had nice compliments from others at a time I have been under a lot of stress. Lush. Buy it now, it feels great and in a short amount of time you can look like you had a fab facial’ • ‘This is a game changer for me, have tried lots of different products but this one is the first to make my skin feel hydrated from the inside.  Lots of people noticed my skin looked more youthful. A little goes a very long way. I have never been loyal to a night cream product in the past but will use this forever. It’s nectar for the skin, a must have beauty product.’

£90 for 50ml - click to buy 

GOLD (JOINT) AWARD and BEST NATURAL This Works My Wrinkles Midnight Moisture

Another very high average score, again over 9/10, from our ten-strong panel, with nearly half giving it full marks. This British brand, originally created by Vogue beauty editor Kathy Phillips, is again an old friend with many products you’ll find in our own bathrooms. A previous Gold Award winner in 2021, this is the same formula but a bigger, more sustainable pot and it romped away with a Joint Gold this time round. The key ingredients are granactive retinoid (gentler than retinol) blended with bakuchiol, hyaluronic acid and macadamia oil. Their own research proved its worth on women coming up to and post menopause. It’s 98% natural, vegan and cruelty free with a 100% natural fragrance to help unwind your mind as well as wrinkles. The on pack promise is smoother, firmer, good-looking skin – which testers were happy to agree with.

£52 for 48ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘10/10. A fantastic overnight moisturiser, which whilst it contains retinol plant based products I found to be gently on my dry to normal, mature skin.  It felt as though I'd had an overnight facial, I found upon waking my face appeared hydrated, my skin felt softer and smoother and had a vibrant appearance, I felt as though my skin was glowing and younger looking, I love love this product. The first morning my skin felt as though I had just had a facial, it was soft, silky and felt plump from rehydration.   Whilst the cream feels quite rich, it certainly doesn't feel heavy on your skin, just well nourished. 100% does what it says, improved the appearance of my skin making it feel fresh, hydrated’ • ‘I was a little worried about using a retinol based product, but no issues. Absolutely the product have most defiantly reduced my fine lines and wrinkles, but in a very natural way, very clever product but without looking false or over done. I truly do think my skin is even in better condition, especially by reducing the look of my fine lines and improving the hydration.  It says you wake up to visibly firmer, smoother and softer good-looking skin - yes 100%. It truly works and is gentle on the skin. My husband did say he thought I looked younger and others did compliment my appearance’ • ‘10/10. For the last week I have been using this over my whole face, having completed the whole 28+ days on one half of my face. When out shopping with a friend of mine, I asked her to look at my face to see if she could spot a difference in sides and she was really shocked by how less lined the half I was using this lovely night cream looked. I would say this is one of the best night creams I have come across and my friends know I have used a lot of products over time. It does a good night's work and the results look back at you each morning in the mirror! I have loved using it as it sinks in really quickly, feeling as if it is nourishing and feeding my skin. It smells wonderful and definitely helps me fall asleep. It promised you would wake up to visibly firmer, smoother, softer, good-looking skin. I agree that with time and consistent use, this cream is worth every penny and really delivers excellent results. I love it’ • ‘10/10. I have already bought more of this miracle cream that really seems to quench my dry mature skin’s thirst. From the moment I tried this cream my skin seemed to love it. Skin felt so smooth and hydrated – I think this is the product my skin had been crying out for. Skin feels super smooth and hydrated in the morning and looks so much brighter. Love this cream. I’ve been told my skin looks good and I don’t have many lines’ • ‘10/10. Loved this product - it feels really luxury on the skin. Night creams are usually too rich and oily for me. This is rich and creates a nice barrier on the skin without being oily and causing breakouts. My skin looked even, firm and plumper. This is the perfect night cream - couldn't recommend this enough, it’s magic in a pot’ • ‘I adored the texture and aroma of this, skin certainly looked healthier after even one use. I was able to use it as a thicker layer for intense treatment or if I continued to massage in, gave a luminous glow look. I have loved every This Works product I have used as I feel they are a quality company and I trust what they do.’

£52 for 48ml - click to buy 

SILVER (JOINT) AWARD Freya & Bailey Collagen Q10 Firming Night Cream

After an Award last year in the Miracle Treatment - Cream category for a different product, we’re delighted to see another big win for this female-led, boutique batch skincare company, which produces hand crafted product lines in the UK. The ranges are vegan, natural and organic, with Leaping Bunny approval so truly cruelty free. Formulations are ‘built on no-nonsense efficacy and years of clinical expertise to shield against pollutants’, they say. As the name suggests, the key ingredients are marine (vegan) collagen and a Reparative complex (which they’ve trademarked as Moleczyme) with co-enzyme Q10 to help strengthen the all important skin barrier, which keeps pollutants out and moisture in. Add in retinol and a bunch of ten botanical oils and you have a formula that promises to tighten, smooth and firm skin while you’re in the land of Nod.

£50 for 50ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘I absolutely love this, I have religiously used this on my combination skin every night and it brightens and softens my skin from the first application. It’s a great product with a lovely scent. Its light but so impressive how it hydrates - really does do what its promises on the box. My skin condition is so much improved - less dryness and its brighter and plumper. The fine lines round my eyes are less visible and I’ve noticed a huge improvement in the feel of my skin as I put on make-up and while I’m cleansing. It has much more of a glow and looks clearer. It says skin will be plumper and more youthful: it delivered these; also it feels tighter and more toned. Make-up is easier to apply and I need less; that’s one of the main differences’ • ‘After a few weeks I also introduced the hyaluronic acid I was sent to try and using the two products together I have noticed a huge difference to the feel of my skin over night. So moisturised when I wake up and feels so soft. I hope this continues through the winter’ • ‘10/10. An indulgent rich night cream that really packs-a-punch and gives effective results. My skin felt soft and very pampered after using this night cream. I loved the fragrance and felt I could see a visible improvement. Skin looked more refreshed and plumped up after 28 days, brighter and more clear, softer and smoother, with a little reduction in fine lines’ • ‘10/10. I’ve been told I look brighter and healthier, less tired-looking, with this luxurious product, which I’ve enjoyed using. Some forehead lines are less visible and skin feels more plumped out. I can see some reduction to two annoying dark spots on my forehead; I think I massaged it into my forehead more as this is where m lines are. Two pumps was a good amount to massage into face and neck – really spread easily with no dragging’ • ‘This does what it says; a fabulous self care luxury. Sometimes I wake up forgetting I used it and catch myself in the mirror and think ‘my skin looks extra good today!’ Then I realise it’s this product that gave me the glow boost. My skin looks lovely the following morning after using this product. Instantly notice a smooth, even and glowing complexion. This one will be staying in my routine! ’ • ‘I did one side of my face only and that side definitely looked a bit more plump and the lines looked less deep. Skin was a bit brighter after 28 days, definitely more plumps and soft. I look maybe a bit younger. You don’t need much so it will last a long time’ • ‘The lightness of this product was particularly appreciated during the extremely hot weather during August - I found the fragrance refreshing to use on a warm night, and it didn't feel heavy or suffocating on the skin like a heavier cream would. I was suspicious at its lightness as a night product, but noticed a softness in my skin after 2 weeks use both visually and texture-wise. My skin appears more even-toned and slightly lighter after full usage. I used it as a nightly cream and enjoyed the fragrance. It felt like a treat to use.’

£50 for 50ml - click to buy 

SILVER (JOINT) AWARD Medik8 Crystal Retinal

Because retinol may make skin more sensitive to light (photosensitive) and thus damage, this Medik8 product is specifically marketed as ‘Stable Retinal Night Serum Vitamin A’. (Do heed our warning at the top about using an SPF, too.) You do need to phase it in as directed, before going on to daily (well, nightly) use; there are five different strengths available and the website explains these – our testers used 3. The star ingredient is the retinaldehyde, which they explain is a next-generation form of vitamin A proven to deliver results up to 11x faster than retinol, the classic form. The stability makes it more potent but still gentle in delivering visibly brighter, firmer and smoother looking skin, they say. It also promises 20% reduction in visible pigmentation. Crystal Retinal can also help the look of blemishes and congestion due to its antibacterial action. Four testers gave this full marks but the average was brought down by two testers who were underwhelmed.

£45 for 30ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘10/10. This is a lovely retinol, I have used different retinol products in the past and this has to be my favourite so far. It applies lovely on the skin and sinks in quickly. It didn’t appear to irritate my skin and after 28 days use my skin now appears smoother, plumper and more even with fine lines reduced. My skin is definitely radiant. Great for making your skin look healthier’ • ‘10/10. I enjoyed using this product and have looked into purchasing more from this brand. I felt like it was a nice consistency and was really pleased that I didn't suffer any initial irritation on my combination, sensitive skin as has happened before when using a new retinol product for the first time. I did make sure to use a lot of moisturiser afterwards just in case. On first use my skin felt smoother and after 28 days, there was a definite improvement in clarity and brightness, smoothness and plumpness with some reduction in fine lines. I felt like my age spots were reduced. I wouldn't say my skin looked younger but fresher’ • ‘Oh I had high hopes for this little tube and it didn't disappoint at all. You go slowly with this but you can see improvements in tone and texture after only a few weeks. I adored it and I've used it all and am now progressing to CR6. I can't imagine not using this, definitely a Holy Grail product. I don't score a 10 lightly but this deserved it for a massive improvement in brightness and clarity, skin tone and texture definitely improved too. And fine lines definitely plumped. Would I buy it? Absobloominglutely! ’ • ‘This is a really effective and quality product. It really has magical properties - making my skin looking and feeling so much better - younger, better texture, brighter and smoother. I have nothing but good things to say about this brilliant, really effective and quality product. It really has magical properties - making my skin looking and feeling so much better - younger, better texture, brighter and smoother. I have nothing but good things to say’

£45 for 30ml - click to buy 

BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Firming Cashmere Cream

This bestseller comes from the No1 anti-ageing skincare range in France, and has 97% natural origin ingredients. Caudalie research aims to boost your own collagen and says their existing grapevine resveratrol + hyaluronic acid patented complex is twice as effective as retinol at stimulating the natural production of collagen. Now they’ve added to the effect by including a vegan collagen booster. They recommend it for all skin types looking for anti-wrinkle activity and firmness. The brand recommends using it night and morning on face and neck after serum. This worked well for most testers, however, a couple told us they preferred to use it at night only as they found it pilled when they applied foundation.

£46 for 50ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘10/10. I loved using this product from start to finish, the quality, smell and how it applied all suited me. The texture is so soft and I could tell my dry combination skin looked plump and firmer after using the first day. I ticked every box on improvements after 28 days – this is a quality product that feels amazing to use, smells great and has brilliant effects’ • ‘Wonderful, the texture was so light it sank into my skin immediately; after 28 days my combination skin is definitely brighter and I do have more clarity. I have stopped wearing too much make-up and some days just go with blusher and lipstick. So very impressed. I didn't think it was having much impact on my fines lines around my mouth, but after a couple of months use, they do seem better, and definitely smoother. My pigmentation is definitely better’ • ‘My make-up goes on so well after this cream, and seems to stay better as there is less oiliness on the skin; I have even stopped wearing much make-up and also will go out without any makeup. My sister asked what I was using on my skin, so that is a win-win as she never normally comments’ • ‘One of the best things about this is how long the jar is lasting, you only need a very small amount on the skin as little goes far. Loving using this, and just a shame when I get to the bottom of the jar. So worth trying this as will definitely look to repurchase as it is cheaper than my normal cream. I cannot believe how long this has lasted compared to my normal cream. Have really enjoyed using this and it has made a great difference to my skin.  A bit of luxury. Thank you’ • ‘Skin felt nice, plumped, hydrated, moisturised. No instant lifting noticed. Just good moisturisation. I did leave out primer when using this cream as I felt it was too thick to add another layer of primer, and my lake up stayed on just as long without the primer, so I’d say it kept the make up on well. I love the plumpness it gives my skin, and the moisture though, and its got a nice smell too.’

£46 for 50ml - click to buy 

BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD Lumene Ajaton Nordic Ageless Radiant Youth Night Cream

From a Finnish beauty brand, this vegan formula transports you to Nordic culture with its wild crafted, naturally derived ingredients: lingonberry for protection, fermented cloudberries for radiance, Nordic heather to soothe, alongside copper peptides to help firm skin. The brand has already won a clutch of Beauty Bible Awards (including one for this product) and we’re delighted to see this Night Cream join the line-up. The name Lumene, by the way, is all about light and if any company knows how to keep your skin happy, healthy and radiant through the dark days it is Lumene. Ajaton meanwhile is a Finnish word meaning ‘to embrace age’ with the company saying that ‘we want to offer consumers skincare that gives them confidence but also let the joys and experiences of their lives shine through’. Some very high marks from the majority of testers but one felt it didn't help her skin.

£42.90 for 50ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘10/10. Being realistic I know that no product is going to make me look 21 again so what I am looking for is a product to make my normal/mature skin look fresher, brighter and less tired and this cream does exactly that. I look like I've had a good night’s sleep even if I haven't. People have said I look well even when I am feeling terrible inside. This would be my desert island product. Claims to make skin firmer and make it more radiant and it lived up to its claims’ • ‘This product is a must for all ladies (and men) with dry mature skin – it leaves the skin rejuvenated – glowing – smooth – soft and I feel I look younger. People ask if I have had work done on my face after I had used it continually’ • ‘I will certainly carry on using this cream.  It is also vegan and cruelty-free, which in this day and age people are very conscious of.  It is also recyclable which again is a plus. I cannot speak highly enough of this product’ • ‘A really gorgeous cream that smells lovely, like berries, and feels thick going on. Makes you wake up feeling like your skin has been loved. I feel as though the skin around and over my cheeks is more plump, as is the crêpey skin on my neck. It has improved the appearance of fine lines around my mouth. It says that it helps to give your skin a firmer-looking surface that seems more radiant: I don't think I have become more radiant, but I do think the skin around and over my cheeks is firmer’ • ‘This product is truly amazing and it does what it says.  It nourishes and recharges the skin overnight leaving it radiant, soft and smooth in the morning. I would recommend this product to anyone who has dry mature skin’ • ‘After 28 days, Definite improvements in brightness, and skin looks clearer and rested Definite improvements in softness and smoothness and plumpness! Definite reduction in some of the bigger lines around my mouth, aided by improved plumpness! It promised a renewed, firmer, smoother and radiant look by morning and it definitely delivered this!’ • ‘Loved this cream, it plumped and hydrated and nourished, and improved the texture of my skin, all without feeling too greasy and heavy and it smells amazing too! It's also rich in texture, but you only need a small amount of it and it sinks in quickly leaving your skin super soft! Great product.’

£42.90 for 50ml - click to buy 

BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD StriVectin Lactic Acid Nightly Retexturizing Serum

Last year, this serum from a leading US beauty lab won an Award in Instant Face Savers because it promises instant results. For this latest round, the brand entered it in this category as the formula is designed to give cumulative results over time with regular use. (It could equally have gone in Miracle Treatment – Serums…) The brand promises this can give ‘dramatic skin renewal in just one use, overnight’ based on in house tests with 35 panellists. Specifically, 100% showed improvements in radiance and 97% in softness and overall appearance. StriVectin call it ‘a dream fix’ that exfoliates and clarifies for super soft, ultra smooth skin and say it improves skin texture and luminosity for an even-toned glowing complexion, also that it visibly reduces fine lines and the look of pores. You apply to a clean face, avoiding eye area, before your night-time moisturiser. One thing to warn you: you need to use sunscreen in the daytime while using this serum (and a week after) as AHA’s such as lactic acid can increase skin’s sensitivity to UV. Testers were mostly impressed but it did apparently cause slight redness and sensitivity in two testers, probably due to the AHA. As one tester said, ‘I felt a bit of tingling but that’s to be expected with acid treatment.’

£60 for 30ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘This promised improved texture and ultra smooth skin and I think it did live up to those claims. Skin is soft, plumper and friends have comment how bright and smooth my skin looks. I feel my skin does look younger. Lovely product. There’s a light fragrance that I wasn't overly mad about but it didn't stop me using the product’ • ‘it was really easy to use and fitted into my night time routine really well.it helped to improve both my skins texture and tone. My skin looks much brighter and smoother than it did before I started using. It has much more of a glow to it now than it ever has before. Texture is much softer and fewer bumps, fine lines have reduced as have red marks from blemishes’ • ‘Brilliant, my skin looks so much brighter, this happens instantly after applying the product and I have noticed this over time during the course of me using it’ • ‘I really really liked this, it was like a night cap in a bottle for my skin. It’s a great rescue from the rubbish your skin faces during the day. The packaging is simple, no fuss and an easy bottle to use. The dose of the product is great so you don’t get too much but can pump more if you need it. The actual serum is very light, it’s like a fluid mousse (if that makes sense), not sticky or greasy in any way, As soon as I put it on its like my skin has been recharged, the formula goes in instantly. Long term I think I can see a general all round improvement and it has made me want to find out more about the brand now! ’ • ‘The serum can tingle on application, more than other products that I have used, this doesn’t last though. After using this serum for over 28 days, I have found that my make-up applies very well, I used to get my foundation clinging to dry spots I don’t have this any more. It also lasts very well too. My skin is certainly smoother, it s feels so much softer and fresher. Possible plumper to, as I feel I look less shallow. A friend, who I met for lunch, said how my skin was looking very healthy, after I had been using this product for a few weeks’ • ‘Skin felt amazing the next morning, brighter, clearer, perhaps a bit dryer, smoother, refined, make up was easier to apply. I didn’t notice any anti ageing but my skin felt clearer and less clogged after use. Skin doesn’t look younger but perhaps clearer and more refined’ • ‘Great packaging, easy to use, easy to dispense product, easy to travel with, must use sun cream, smells ok, great for facial skin and also neck and chest area, I even tried it on my back to see if it smoothed out skin, I think it would be good for hormonal acne and bacne.’

£60 for 30ml - click to buy 

BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD Weleda Skin Food Nourishing Night Cream

We trialled this for a Special Report commissioned by Weleda before the launch of the Skin Food Face Care range at the end of April 2023. So a few weeks before you’ll be able to buy it here but it’s definitely worth waiting for, according to our 30 Beauty Bible testers.. The on pack wording promises that this will Regenerate & Recover and testers almost all agreed: 23/30 (76.67%) agreed skin looked regenerated; 27/30 (90%) agreed that skin had recovered from dryness/dullness and 24/30 (80%) would buy the lavender scented product. However, one tester thought an ingredient in it gave her a sensitivity reaction and had to stop using it. Key natural ingredients include sacha inchi oil, cica and squalane, which the brand says contribute to a naturally glowy, bouncy skin. As with the rest of the Skin Food Face Care range, this is targeted at dry, very dry skin with a tendency to dehydration. It promises to strengthen the all important skin barrier to keep in moisture. It’s recommended for face, neck and décolleté.

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘It feels kind to my skin the minute I apply it and I wake up every morning with rejuvenated and happier-looking skin. My skin is calmer-looking and less stressed-feeling - and the benefits of this are huge on my overall feeling of wellbeing’ • ‘I loved this feeling. I haven’t found many creams yet that would help my skin to feel nourished and moisturised but wouldn’t make my skin greasy and overloaded with product. This product felt beautifully light yet rich, it gave my skin so much comfort. I felt no tightness, itchiness or discomfort etc from the application till morning’ • ‘My skin tone and texture have improved. I have combi skin - dry cheeks, oily T zone - and my skin feels so much more balanced and less problematic. It also looks more dewy, youthful and rested - brighter and healthier too, as if I've been on a proper detox or holiday (which is pretty impressive) ’ • ‘I am delighted with my skin and its luminosity and bounce after 4 weeks of use. It feels softer and stays softer for longer each day’ • ‘I can definitely see how much my skin texture has improved over the last weeks. I suffer from fewer breakouts, my pores look tighter, my cheek redness is almost gone completely, my textural irregularities significantly reduced or disappeared completely (especially jaw line). The skin feels plump and dense to touch. I also use less colour correcting products (BB/CC creams) as I feel my skin tone is way more than satisfactory’ • ‘I feel I don’t have to compromise with this product - I simply have it all. Starting from fragrance, through consistency and formula to great results, it’s an easy 10 out of 10 for me’ • ‘It’s a dream. Although being so nicely workable and effortless to apply evenly, it doesn’t lose any of its nourishing properties. It feels luxurious, hydrating and rich. Brilliant formula, very well balanced’ • ‘This was a real saviour for my dehydrated skin’ • ‘Get it, just get it! The cream that has it all – it’s a magic fix in a jar.’