Sun Bum might be best known for beach friendly sunscreens yet its growing skincare line is quietly building a devoted following. The brand’s laid-back surf culture vibe pairs with formulas that usually punch above their price point, and I will admit I approached its Restoring Night Cream with optimistic curiosity.
The name alone sounds like lullaby material, promising complexion rehab while you check out for the night. According to Sun Bum, this cream leans on antioxidant rich Banana, barrier-loving Niacinamide and soothing Vitamin E to drench skin in hydration and wake it looking refreshed. Cruelty free and vegan credentials sweeten the pitch, as does a formula free of the usual cosmetic red flags.
To see if the reality matches the sunset-coloured dream, I swapped my regular overnight treatment for Restoring Night Cream for a full two weeks, using it exactly as directed. What follows is a straight-talk account of how it performed and whether it deserves a spot on your bedside table.
Disclaimer: this review is not paid or sponsored in any way. Every opinion here is based on my personal experience, and skincare results can vary widely from person to person.
What Is Restoring Night Cream?
Restoring Night Cream is an overnight treatment, meaning it is designed to work while you sleep when skin is naturally in repair mode. Unlike day creams that focus on protecting against environmental stressors, overnight products aim to replenish moisture levels and support barrier recovery during the hours when cell turnover is at its peak.
Sun Bum’s formula leans on three headline ingredients: antioxidant rich Banana to help fend off free radical damage, Niacinamide to support a stronger skin barrier and more even tone, and Vitamin E for additional soothing benefits. The texture is billed as ultra hydrating and suitable for all skin types. It is cruelty free, vegan, dermatologically tested and avoids common additives such as parabens, phthalates, sulfates, mineral oil, formaldehyde and synthetic fragrance.
A dime sized amount is meant to be applied to clean, dry skin each night, covering face and neck. The goal is to wake up with skin that feels soothed, nourished and replenished without needing an extra step in the morning routine.
Did It Work?
In the name of science I benched my usual overnight serum for a few days before starting, which felt wildly professional given the lab is really just my bathroom mirror. Fourteen nights seemed like a fair test window so I applied one true dime sized scoop after cleansing every evening and resisted the urge to layer anything else on top.
Night one I noticed the cream’s texture sits in that Goldilocks zone of thick yet spreadable. It smoothed on like softened butter, left a subtle tropical banana scent that faded within minutes and settled into a velvety finish that stayed faintly dewy till morning. I woke up pleasantly hydrated but not gobsmacked.
By night five my cheeks, which lean dry, felt comfortably cushioned through the mid-day slump and I saw fewer flaky spots around my nostrils. Niacinamide’s reputed tone evening talents were slower to reveal themselves though a slight reduction in post-blemish redness peeked through around the one week mark.
Texture wise the cream behaved well under my oilier T-zone until about day ten when I noticed a couple of stubborn clogged pores along the jaw. Nothing volcanic, just enough to remind me that coconut oil and dimethicone can be frenemies for combination skin. A quick clay mask kept things from escalating but it cost the product a few brownie points.
By the end of week two results plateaued. My skin felt consistently moisturized, the barrier looked calm and makeup glided on more smoothly each morning. What I did not see was the promised next level radiance or any dramatic smoothing of fine lines. Solid support act, not a headliner.
So did it deliver? Mostly yes. Restoring Night Cream lives up to its soothing, hydrating claims and does so without irritation but it stops short of game changing transformation. I will finish the jar yet I will not rush to reorder, though I can see it suiting normal to slightly dry skin types seeking reliable nighttime comfort without sticker shock.
Restoring Night Cream’s Main Ingredients Explained
Front and center is the banana complex, a cocktail of fruit, flower, leaf, peel and pulp extracts that supplies antioxidants like dopamine and vitamin C derivatives. These help neutralize rogue free radicals created by UV and pollution exposure, which in theory slows the march toward dullness. The extracts also contain natural sugars that act as humectants, so they pull ambient moisture into the upper layers of skin overnight.
Niacinamide sits higher on the list and that is good news. This multi-tasking form of vitamin B3 can reinforce the lipid barrier, soften the look of enlarged pores, temper redness and support more even tone over time. At two to five percent most people see visible improvement within a month; Sun Bum does not publish its exact percentage but the placement suggests a likely sweet spot.
Vitamin E (tocopherol) works in tandem with the banana antioxidants. It is fat-soluble, so it nestles into the stratum corneum where it limits oxidative stress and calms irritation. Vitamin E also aids in stabilizing other actives inside the jar which extends shelf life.
The texture owes its buttery glide to coconut oil, shea butter and dimethicone. Coconut oil scores a 4 on the comedogenic scale, shea butter a 0-2 and dimethicone a 1-2, meaning they can occasionally clog pores in acne-prone or very oily skin. (Comedogenic simply means an ingredient has the potential to trap dead cells and sebum creating blackheads or whiteheads.) If you are breakout-prone keep an eye out and consider spot testing first.
Supporting players include glycerin, a classic humectant, and a plant-derived emulsifier blend that keeps oil and water happily married without the need for petroleum-based stabilizers. A duo of lactobacillus ferment and sunflower extract offers a mild probiotic-antioxidant boost which may help maintain a healthy microbiome.
The formula is free from parabens, phthalates, sulfates, mineral oil, formaldehyde and synthetic fragrance and every ingredient is plant-derived or lab-synthesized making the cream suitable for vegans and vegetarians. There are no retinoids, salicylic acid or other actives typically flagged during pregnancy yet every obstetrician will echo the same mantra: when in doubt ask first. If you are expecting or nursing run the INCI list by your healthcare provider before slathering it on.
Overall the ingredient deck is thoughtfully composed for barrier repair and gentle overnight nourishment though the inclusion of richer emollients nudges it closer to combination-dry territory. Sensitive noses will appreciate the lack of perfume although the faint banana trace from the extracts may still slip through for a few seconds.
What I Liked/Didn’t Like
Here is the quick rundown after two weeks on my nightstand.
What Works Well:
- Supple, buttery texture spreads easily and locks in overnight moisture without feeling greasy
- Niacinamide, vitamin E and the banana complex offer a thoughtful mix of barrier support and antioxidants
- Vegan, cruelty free formula skips common irritants so it played nicely with my somewhat sensitive skin
- Light natural banana note fades fast which keeps bedtime calm for scent sensitive users
- Price sits in the accessible middle ground for an ingredients forward product
What to Consider:
- Coconut oil and dimethicone may not suit very oily or acne prone skin and contributed to a few clogged pores for me
- Results top out at solid hydration and reduced flakiness so payoff may feel modest if you want dramatic brightening or line smoothing
- Rich finish can pill under additional layers which limits cocktailing with heavier serums
My Final Thoughts
After fourteen nights of commitment I can say Restoring Night Cream feels a bit like a dependable acoustic set rather than a full stadium show. Hydration and barrier comfort? Nailed. Dramatic luminosity and line-blurring wizardry? Not quite. Still, for normal or slightly dry skin that simply wants to wake up feeling plush without the complication of strong actives this is a solid pick. If you battle excess oil or are highly clog-prone the coconut-dimethicone duet may test your patience so you might prefer a lighter gel or a retinol-laced option instead.
On my personal scale it lands at a respectable 7/10. I would recommend it to friends who crave a cruelty free vegan night cream with a silky finish and minimal scent yet I would pair that recommendation with a gentle nudge to patch test first. For my own shelf I will likely finish the jar then rotate back to formulas that deliver a little more oomph in the brightening department.
If you love the idea of a comforting overnight hug but want alternative playlists, here are a few I have used and rate highly. Nocturnal Revive Cream by Deascal is an excellent all-rounder that somehow suits dry zones and shiny T-zones alike while keeping the price tags friendly. When I crave a lighter water-gel texture I reach for Water Sleeping Mask by LANEIGE which drenches skin without any pore drama. On nights when my barrier is waving a white flag Squalane + Ectoin Overnight Rescue by BIOSSANCE steps in with cushiony repair rich in lipids and gentle antioxidants. Finally if you want to dip a toe into low-level retinol territory without waking up flaky Intelligent Retinol Smoothing Night Cream by Medik8 offers gradual resurfacing wrapped in a nourishing cream base.
Before you slather anything new remember the basics: patch test behind the ear or along the jaw for a few nights first, introduce only one new product at a time and keep realistic expectations because skin improvements need steady use to stick around.