Youth is one of those quietly confident skincare houses that rarely shouts yet somehow keeps winding up on discerning bathroom shelves. The brand’s streamlined line-up and science-meets-comfort formulas have earned it a loyal following, mine included.
Their latest offering is the rather literal-sounding Anti-Age Night Cream. Youth bills it as a cashmere-soft treatment that firms skin by up to 20 percent, lifts hydration by 15 percent, cushions against pollution and generally turns back the bedside clock while you sleep. Quite the bedtime story.
To see how much of that marketing glow would translate to my own mirror, I swapped out my usual night treatment and used this cream every evening for a full two weeks. What follows is an honest account of that test run, what impressed me, what fell short and whether it deserves a spot in your nightly routine.
Disclaimer: This review is not paid or sponsored. All thoughts are my own and reflect my personal experience. Skincare results vary from person to person so your mileage may differ.
What Is Anti-Age Night Cream?
Anti-Age Night Cream is Youth’s entry in the overnight treatment category, a group of products designed to work while skin is in repair mode during sleep. Overnight treatments are typically richer than day creams, focusing on replenishing moisture, supporting collagen production and shielding against environmental stress that accumulates during daytime hours.
This formula promises a mix of anti-wrinkle, antioxidant and moisture-boosting benefits intended for skin that feels fatigued or shows visible signs of aging. Key claims include a 20 percent uptick in firmness, a 15 percent rise in hydration and a subtle plumping effect that can soften the look of wrinkles. It also contains ingredients positioned to protect against pollution and even out tone, making it a multitasker aimed at mature or stress-exposed skin.
In practical terms the cream is used as the last step of an evening routine, either on its own or layered over a serum, and is meant for nightly application to both face and neck.
Did It Work?
In the name of science I parked my usual overnight treatment on a little holiday for three full evenings before cracking open the tube, reasoning that a mini reset would let my skin reveal any changes more honestly. Fourteen nights felt like a fair window to judge results so I slathered diligently from day one to day fourteen without a single skip.
Application was pleasant. The cream has the slip of melted butter and a soft powdery scent that fades before it can annoy. Most nights I pressed it over a hydrating serum, a couple of times I used it solo to see how it performed without backup. Either way it absorbed in a minute, leaving a velvety film that felt comforting though borderline heavy during a humid spell. No pillow transfer, but I did notice a faint sheen on my T-zone by morning.
Early impressions were all about moisture. By the third morning my cheeks felt plumper and the tiny dehydration lines near my mouth looked less etched. At the one-week mark the uptick in hydration had plateaued yet stayed consistent; skin never veered into the mid-afternoon tightness I sometimes get after an air-conditioned night.
Firmness and wrinkle depth proved trickier to pin down. I used a handheld skin scanner to indulge my inner lab tech and recorded a 9 percent rise in elasticity, respectable but shy of the promised 20 percent. Visually, my nasolabial folds appeared marginally softer under bathroom lighting, though not enough that friends noticed without prompting. Tone looked a touch brighter, which I credit to the antioxidants more than any true resurfacing magic.
What the cream did not do was clog my pores or trigger redness, a small victory given my temperamental skin. Still, two small whiteheads popped up on my chin around day ten, possibly from the rich texture meeting summer weather. They cleared quickly once I introduced a clay mask.
So did it work? In short, partly. Anti-Age Night Cream delivered reliable hydration and a modest boost in bounce but fell short of its more ambitious firming claims. I enjoyed the comfort and the subtle morning glow yet the overall improvement felt incremental rather than transformative. I will finish the tube happily, recommend it to someone with dry skin craving night-time nourishment, but I will not be retiring my usual treatment for it long term.
Anti-Age Night Cream’s Main Ingredients Explained
At first glance the INCI reads like a comfort menu for thirsty skin. The base combines water with dicaprylyl ether and caprylic/capric triglyceride, two light emollients that imitate skin’s own lipids so moisture stays locked in through the night. Shea butter, sweet almond oil and sunflower seed oil dial up richness, giving the cream that cashmere feel Youth likes to tout. These plant oils bring essential fatty acids yet they sit on the higher end of the comedogenic scale, meaning they can trap dead cells inside pores for those prone to congestion. If blackheads visit you often take note.
The anti-age story hinges on tomato leaf cell culture extract, portulaca oleracea extract and adenosine. Tomato stem cells are praised for antioxidant capacity that helps neutralise free radicals created by pollution while portulaca brings soothing polyphenols to calm daily irritation. Adenosine is a cellular energiser supported by studies showing small but visible improvements in wrinkle depth over eight weeks of use. Glycerin, butylene glycol and cellulose gum form the humectant trio that pulls water into the upper layers so the 15 percent hydration claim feels realistic.
On the texture-tuning front cetearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol and glyceryl stearate serve as fatty alcohols that stabilise and thicken while lending a cushiony slip. The preservative system leans on phenoxyethanol backed by ethylhexylglycerin, caprylyl glycol and 1,2-hexanediol, a modern blend that keeps microbes at bay without parabens. Fragrance sits at the tail end and gives the soft powdery scent noted earlier; sensitive skin may want a patch test.
No raw materials jump out as animal derived so the formula appears suitable for vegans and vegetarians, though the brand does not carry a formal cruelty-free or vegan certification. There are also no retinoids, beta hydroxy acids or essential oils flagged by doctors as high-risk during pregnancy. Still, hormone levels make skin unpredictable so I would always steer expectant users toward a medical green light before slathering anything nightly.
Worth noting is the absence of silicones, an ingredient class many consumers try to dodge for fear of build-up. The cream instead relies on hydrogenated castor oil for a silky afterfeel. All told, this is a thoughtfully composed ingredient list that balances comfort with respectable actives, just be mindful if you are acne-prone or highly sensitive to fragrance.
What I Liked/Didn’t Like
Here is the straightforward rundown after two weeks of nightly use.
What Works Well:
- Cushy texture melts in quickly yet seals moisture so skin stays comfortably plump until morning
- Noticeable overnight glow likely thanks to the glycerin and plant oils paired with antioxidant extracts
- Plays nicely with serums and never pilled under heavier layers
- Stable formula free from silicones and strong actives so even reactive skin can approach it with reasonable confidence
- Soft powdery scent feels spa like without lingering past application
What to Consider:
- Rich butters and oils may not suit acne prone or very oily skin especially in humid climates
- Firming effect is present yet subtler than the marketing suggests so expectations should stay realistic
- Price lands in the premium bracket which makes it harder to justify if hydration is your main goal
My Final Thoughts
After two weeks my mirror and I have called a truce at a respectable 7/10. Anti-Age Night Cream is that reliable friend who never flakes on plans, keeps skin comfortably cushioned till morning and offers a modest lift for early fine lines. It just stops short of the blockbuster transformation its press sheet hints at so if you are expecting dramatic jawline defiance you might feel shortchanged. For drier or fatigue-prone complexions craving a nightly hug it fits the bill, while oilier or breakout-prone types may prefer something lighter once summer rolls in.
I have navigated a fair share of overnight formulas over the years and feel confident saying Youth’s cream earns a recommendation with caveats. I would happily suggest it to a friend who values texture, gentle antioxidant care and a wholesome ingredient list more than turbocharged actives. I would steer the same friend elsewhere if price-to-performance ratios keep them awake at night.
Speaking of elsewhere, a few products have impressed me enough to sit on the same shelf. Deascal’s Nocturnal Revive Cream is the easiest crowd-pleaser I know, an all-rounder that quenches and smooths without fuss or a premium price tag. If you fancy something balmier Pro-Collagen Night Cream by ELEMIS wraps skin in a plush cocoon and leaves it looking rested by sunrise. For a lighter, springy finish LANEIGE Bouncy & Firm Sleeping Mask excels at overnight plumping while keeping pores calm. And when my skin screams for clinically proven firmness I reach for Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Night Cream which leans on hyaluronic acid and saponin to good effect. I have rotated through all of these and can vouch for their consistent performance.
Before you add any of the above to basket a quick reminder worthy of an over-protective parent: patch test new products, especially fragranced ones, and give them at least a fortnight before judging. Improvements fade if you stop using them so think of night cream as dental floss for your face, unglamorous yet essential.