Medik8 Advanced Night Restore cream is a luxurious, repairing night cream that contains a ceramide complex, cell repairing peptide, saskatoon berry and dragon fruit extract. It has quickly become one of my favourite moisturisers and is not just something I’ve reviewed and put away, but use everyday as part of my core skincare collection. Its combination of ingredients help to restore the skin’s barrier function and promote cell turnover and resulting in softer, smoother and more lifted-looking, and feeling, skin.

I have been using this night cream for several weeks now and I’m really impressed with the results. My skin feels softer and smoother and looks more radiant. It has also helped to reduce the appearance of fine lines and plumpness. I would definitely recommend Medik8 Advanced Night Restore cream to anyone looking for a luxurious, repairing night cream that delivers visible results. Also, you have no idea how many times in writing this article I’ve had to go back and change it from Advanced Night Repair

What does Medik8 Advanced Night Restore do?

Advanced Night Restore cream is designed to give you a heightened boost of nutrients, skin calming and skin-plumping agents into the skin whilst you sleep. It works particularly well if you’re using retinol or other surfacing ingredients to keep them sealed in and working throughout the night, but also counteract their side effects of irritation and potential drying. It does this with it’s ceramide complex, peptides and other botanical actives (keep reading for a full breakdown).

What skin types is Medik8 Advanced Night Restore for?

I’d say dry all the way through to combination. I don’t know how I’d feel recommending this for very oily skin unless you were definitely using some sort of nighttime retinol. I noticed zero congestion with my easily congested pores and didn’t seem to go through any sort of purge when adding this into my skincare routine.

How does Medik8 Advanced Night Restore feel?

Being a night cream, Advanced Night Restore is much richer than a standard day cream, but I found it far less cloying than other night creams as I don’t like the feeling, even when just going to bed, of having a face pack on – it makes me feel hot and uncomfortable.

Advance Night Restore has just the right balance of intense richness and what we’ll call ‘sink-in-ability’; there’s just a gently, non-greasy surface layer left on your skin that helps keep all the goodness in whilst you sleep. In the morning, my skin feels very plump but also calm – the results remind me a little of Clinique Turnaround Overnight Moisturiser but a little more nourishing

What are the benefits of ceramides in skincare?

Ceramides are a type of lipid that helps to keep the skin hydrated and protected. They are an important part of the skin’s natural barrier function, and help to maintain the skin’s moisture balance – a bit like the grouting between tiles, keeping everything in place and packed in. Ceramides in skincare are known for their ability to repair damage to the skin’s barrier function and make skin feel instantly more hydrated and plumped.

According to Medik8, the Ceramide Complex in Advanced Night Restore features an optimised mixture of ceramide 1 and 3, cholesterol and fatty acids, which they claim are almost ‘skin identical’, allowing better nourishment to the skin and restoring its protective barrier. Whilst I’m not a formulation expert, I can tell you after using many, many creams that purport to contain ceramides, this night cream seems one of the most nourishing without feeling like I’ve got a layer of fatty film smeared across my face.

What is Saskatoon berry and what does it do in skincare?

Saskatoon berry is a fruit that is native to North America. The berries are small, dark blue and have a sweet-tart flavour I believe. They are often used in pies and jams, but are gaining popularity as a healthy addition to smoothies and yogurt. When eaten, Saskatoon berry is an excellent source of vitamins C and E, as well as antioxidants and phytonutrients.

I believe for the Advanced Night Restore cream, Medik8 are using Lipoid Kosmetik AG’s Saskatoon Berry Herbasol® Extract. The company claims saskatoon berry has anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant, antioxidant, energising (hate that phrasing in skincare) revitalising (and this one), skin radiance, trace element source, vasoprotective properties and is ideal for use in anti-ageing skincare.

This was a head-scratcher as, until today, I’d never heard of a Saskatoon. But a lot of research online did point to it being a great product for antioxidant protection against free radicals as well as a good anti-inflammatory while the phytonutrients (plant nutrients) supposedly help to promote collagen production.

I’m not sure about all of those claims, but it’s certainly an interesting ingredient.

What are the benefits of dragon fruit extract and what does it do in skincare?

Dragon fruit extract is rich in antioxidants and vitamins that can help to protect the skin from damage caused by environmental stressors. Dragon fruit extract also contains polysaccharides that can help to hydrate the skin and improve its elasticity.

The main benefits of dragon fruit extract in Medik8 Advanced Night Restore are its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Dragon fruit extract is also said to be helpful in boosting collagen production and improving the skin’s elasticity. I haven’t found any studies specifically on dragon fruit extract and its benefits for the skin, but the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties seem to be well established.