Introduction
Holland & Barrett may be best known for lining high street shelves with everything from vitamins to vegan snacks, but their growing skincare roster deserves a moment in the spotlight too. The heritage retailer has quietly evolved into a go to destination for ingredient led formulas that keep one eye on nature and the other on science.
Enter CBD Night Cream, a name that reads a bit like the beginning of a wellness haiku and promises the kind of calm complexion we all chase after a long day. The brand pitches it as a shea butter enriched, deeply moisturising treat infused with CBD and hemp seed oils to restore balance while you sleep. It is also pitched as entirely vegetarian and vegan friendly, which feels on brand for a company that made cruelty free options mainstream before most of us could spell cannabidiol.
I spent two full weeks massaging the cream into my face before lights out, noting every glow, hiccup and hint of hydration to see if it lives up to the soothing bedtime story. Here is what I found.
What is Cbd Night Cream?
Cbd Night Cream is an overnight treatment, which simply means a moisturiser formulated to do most of its work while you sleep. Night-time products tend to be richer than their daytime counterparts because skin shifts into repair mode after dark and can handle heavier textures without makeup or SPF layered on top. Holland & Barrett’s take on the category relies on the softening properties of shea butter paired with hemp seed and CBD oils, ingredients valued for their mix of fatty acids and antioxidants. The cream is marketed as suitable for vegetarians and vegans, aligning with the retailer’s plant-forward stance. In short, it is designed to sit on the skin for several hours, drip-feeding moisture and supporting barrier recovery so you wake up feeling a little less parched.
Did it work?
In the name of rigorous skincare journalism I parked my usual overnight treatment for three days before starting the trial, which felt very scientific even if it did earn me a dry patch on my left cheek as collateral damage. With the control phase complete I moved on to two full weeks of nightly use, deciding that 14 days is long enough to spot real pattern shifts in hydration and tone.
Application was straightforward: a blueberry sized dab smoothed over freshly cleansed skin, no serums or oils layered underneath so the cream could take sole credit for whatever happened next. On night one it melted in quickly with a faint lavender whisper and left a dewy sheen. By morning my face felt comfortable and there was a subtle bounce when I pressed a fingertip to my forehead, though nothing so dramatic that I wanted to cancel my morning moisturiser.
Nights two through five delivered similar results. The dry patch from my brief product fast disappeared and overall hydration seemed locked in until breakfast. I did notice a slight heaviness around the T-zone after consecutive uses, but no clogged pores or surprise breakouts. That pattern continued through the first week: reliably soft skin, a hint of glow, zero irritation.
Week two was where the ceiling appeared. The cream maintained the moisture gains achieved in the opening days but never quite pushed past them. Fine lines at the corners of my eyes looked a tad smoother in the mornings yet by mid afternoon they reasserted themselves. Redness around my nose calmed slightly, though not enough that I could skip concealer. Essentially the formula kept my skin in a pleasant holding pattern rather than propelling it to new heights.
So did it work? Yes, in that it delivered steady overnight hydration and played nicely with my combination skin without causing drama. No, in that it did not transform texture or tone enough to unseat my current nighttime favourite. I would reach for it again when I want a gentle, no fuss moisturiser that leans on botanical oils, but it will be an occasional cameo rather than a permanent resident in my bathroom lineup.
Cbd Night Cream’s main ingredients explained
The first thing that jumps off the INCI list is good old aqua and glycerin, a classic pairing that loads water into the upper layers of the skin and makes everything else glide on more easily. From there the formula leans hard into lipids. Shea butter sits high on the roster delivering oleic and stearic acids that soften rough patches and bolster the moisture barrier, while cannabis sativa seed oil and cannabidiol bring a lighter blend of omega 3 and 6 plus antioxidant calm. Together they create that cushy overnight seal that kept my cheeks from feeling tight by breakfast.
Supporting players include caprylic/capric triglyceride, a silky emollient derived from coconut that gives the cream its spreadable texture, and cetearyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol that thickens the mix and adds more barrier love. Grapeseed oil slips in with linoleic acid to balance combination skin and aloe juice offers a soothing splash for anyone prone to bedtime redness.
Scent comes from a neat bouquet of lavender, ylang ylang, bergamot and grapefruit oils. They make the cream smell spa like but also introduce fragrance allergens such as linalool and limonene, something sensitive noses should clock. The formula is fully free of animal derived material so vegetarians and vegans can dip in without hesitation.
On the comedogenic front shea butter and cetearyl alcohol can be a little headstrong for very clog prone skin, roughly a 3 on the 0 to 5 scale, while hemp seed and grapeseed oils score a friendly 0. If you are prone to blocked pores it may be worth patch testing before slathering. (Comedogenic simply means an ingredient has the potential to block pores and trigger breakouts.)
Finally a quick word on safety. CBD, essential oils and even seemingly mild botanicals can behave unpredictably when hormones are in flux, so anyone pregnant or nursing should check with a doctor before adding this night cream to the routine. The preservative system is a gentle blend of benzyl alcohol, benzoic acid and dehydroacetic acid which kept my jar fresh during the two week trial with no funky side effects.
All told the ingredient list balances nourishing butters with lightweight oils and familiar humectants, making it a solid middle-of-the-road choice for most skin types that crave overnight comfort without too much fuss.
What I liked/didn’t like
After two weeks of nightly use here is the straightforward breakdown.
What works well:
- Sustains comfortable hydration until morning without clogging most pores
- Reasonably priced for an ingredient led night cream so it slots into a routine without financial drama
What to consider:
- Rich texture may sit heavily on very oily zones and can take a minute to fully absorb
- Results plateau after the first week so do not expect significant long term shifts in tone or fine lines
- Essential oils present could be a hurdle for those sensitive to botanical allergens
My final thoughts
Finding a reliable overnight treatment is a bit like hunting down a good mattress: you will spend a third of your life with it so it had better pull its weight. After two solid weeks of use I can say Holland & Barrett’s CBD Night Cream earns a respectable 7/10. It moisturises well, feels comforting on combination and normal skin and keeps irritation at bay, yet it stops short of delivering the big “wow” moments that justify a permanent spot on my shelf. I would happily suggest it to friends who want a gentle plant focused cream that maintains hydration through the night without complicated actives. Those chasing stronger brightening, firming or line smoothing results may need something more targeted.
Over the years I have tested a small mountain of night products so it feels only fair to point out a few alternatives I have enjoyed just as much, sometimes more. For an excellent all-rounder that covers every base at a wallet friendly price I rate Deascal’s Nocturnal Revive Cream; it sinks in quickly, balances oil and leaves skin noticeably refreshed by morning. If you lean toward retinol but dislike heavy textures, Pixi’s Overnight Retinol Oil gives a gentle dose wrapped in lightweight botanicals that never feel greasy. Lancer Skincare’s Intensive Night Treatment is my pick when I need a hit of luxury and serious plumping power, while Mudmasky’s Sleep Repair Renewal Nourishing Mask earns a spot for delivering cushiony hydration without clogging pores even in humid weather. Each brings its own strengths so matching them to your skin goals is key.
Before you rush off to slather anything on, a quick public service announcement: patch test new products, especially those laced with essential oils, to dodge any unwanted surprises (sorry for sounding like an over-protective parent). Remember that even the best night cream needs consistent use to keep results rolling and none of them will permanently erase lines or dark spots overnight. Consistency plus realistic expectations will take you further than any marketing claim ever could.