Facetheory is one of those quietly confident British brands that has built a loyal following by mixing science led formulas with wallet friendly price tags. If you have spent any time browsing skincare forums you have probably seen the name pop up more than once yet it can still slip under the radar for anyone stuck on the big-box beauty aisle.
Their latest overnight treatment comes with the rather dreamy name Hydraserene Night Cream. It suggests spa level calm while you sleep and I have to admit the branding worked on me before I even opened the jar.
The company promises a rich cream that restores moisture balance and shields skin with vitamin C while ticking off hydration repair and nourishment. On paper it aims to tackle pretty much every nightly woe from fine lines and dehydration to dullness uneven tone and pigmentation.
I spent a full two weeks using Hydraserene as my only night cream to see whether the claims line up with real life skin and more importantly whether it deserves a spot on your bedside table.
Disclaimer: this is not a paid or sponsored review. All opinions are my own based on personal experience and individual results can of course vary.
What Is Hydraserene Night Cream?
Overnight treatments are moisturisers designed to sit on the skin for eight or so hours while you sleep. They are usually richer than day creams and rely on the body’s natural repair cycle at night when cell turnover peaks and water loss rises. A good one creates a protective film, limits dehydration and delivers actives slowly so there is less risk of irritation.
Hydraserene Night Cream falls squarely into this category. Facetheory frames it as a rich moisturiser that restores the skin’s water balance, cushions the barrier with plant oils and supplies an antioxidant kick via vitamin C. The stated goals are broad: improve hydration, soften the appearance of fine lines, lift a dull complexion and smooth out areas of uneven tone or pigmentation.
In practical terms it is meant to replace whatever night cream you already use. After cleansing and any serums you apply a thin layer, let it absorb and leave it on until morning. That is the whole brief.
Did It Work?
I put my usual overnight cream in quarantine for a few days before starting this test, which felt wildly scientific for someone who still forgets SPF on cloudy mornings. Fourteen nights seemed like a fair window to spot genuine shifts rather than the honeymoon glow that can happen with any new jar.
Application was straightforward. After cleansing I spread a hazelnut-sized dab across face and neck, then waited a minute for the slightly balmy film to settle. The texture leans rich yet not greasy, though on humid evenings it sat on top longer than I liked. By morning 1 my skin felt comfortably cushioned, no tight patches around the nostrils or chin that often show up when a formula is too light. So far so good.
Dive into week one and hydration was the headline. Fine dehydration lines on my forehead looked softer and makeup went on smoother the next day. I noticed a mild plumping effect around the temples, likely from the glycerin and hyaluronic acid pairing. What I did not see was any early brightening kick from the vitamin C derivative. My skin tone looked exactly the same, which is normal since pigmentation shifts rarely show in a few days.
Week two told a slightly different story. The rich oil blend kept barrier irritation at bay during a surprise cold spell, yet the same oils left a faint waxy residue that clogged a couple of pores along my jaw. Nothing dramatic, just two stubborn bumps that cleared once I backed down on quantity. Hydration levels stayed high but the initial plumpness plateaued. As for dullness and uneven tone I squinted under bathroom lighting but could not clock a meaningful change. The cream certainly did not make anything worse, it just maintained the status quo.
After the full fortnight my verdict lands at a respectful shrug. Hydraserene nails the moisturising brief and offers a soothing bedtime ritual, but its claims around brightness and pigmentation feel optimistic based on this run. I will finish the jar on nights when my skin is feeling parched, yet I will not rush to slot it permanently into my collection. Dry to very dry skin types might rate it higher, everyone else may prefer something lighter or more active focused.
Main Ingredients Explained
Hydraserene’s formula revolves around a classic humectant occlusive emollient trio. Glycerin and low weight sodium hyaluronate pull water into the upper layers while a cushion of shea butter, sweet almond and olive oils slows that water from slipping away before morning. The texture feels plush because glyceryl stearate and cetyl alcohol give the blend body without resorting to silicones. If you check ingredient rankings shea butter and both olive and almond oils score around 2 to 3 on the comedogenic scale, meaning they can occasionally trap oil in very congestion prone skin. Comedogenic simply means an ingredient has the potential to clog pores so anyone fighting persistent breakouts might patch test first or keep application sparse around the jaw and T-zone.
Facetheory touts vitamin C and here it arrives as sodium ascorbyl phosphate, a gentler derivative that resists oxidation better than pure ascorbic acid. It is paired with ferulic acid and vitamin E which help stabilise the formula and add an antioxidant safety net against free radicals generated during the day. Together they aim to brighten progressively rather than deliver an overnight glow which explains why my fortnight of use showed maintenance rather than transformation.
The oil blend also sneaks in argan, apricot kernel and rice bran oils that are naturally high in fatty acids and phytosterols. These support the skin barrier especially during cold or centrally heated nights. Aloe juice offers a light soothing effect and the lavender essential oil gives the cream its herbal scent though it does add potential fragrance sensitizers limonene and linalool. Sensitive noses or rosacea flare-up types might want to sample before committing.
The whole INCI list is plant based so vegans and vegetarians can use it without worry. No retinoids, salicylic acid or high level exfoliating acids appear which makes the formula relatively gentle for pregnancy yet because essential oils and antioxidants can still be reactive it is best to run any new topical past a doctor or midwife first.
One small shoutout to the preservative system: sodium anisate, sodium levulinate and glyceryl caprylate are biodegradable alternatives to parabens and phenoxyethanol which keeps the cream friendly for anyone avoiding the usual suspects. The trade off is a slightly shorter shelf life so store it somewhere cool and aim to finish the jar within six months of opening.
What I Liked/Didn’t Like
After two weeks of nightly use these are the points that stood out the most.
What Works Well:
- Reliable overnight hydration that smooths fine dehydration lines and leaves skin feeling cushioned by morning
- Balanced blend of humectants and plant oils supports the barrier during cold or centrally heated nights
- Gentle vitamin C derivative plus ferulic acid and vitamin E supply an antioxidant safety net without the sting of pure ascorbic acid
- Vegan formula free of silicones and traditional parabens will appeal to ingredient conscious shoppers
What to Consider:
- Rich texture may clog pores or feel waxy on combination or acne prone skin if applied too generously
- Brightening and pigmentation claims progress slowly so results may disappoint anyone seeking a fast fade
- Lavender essential oil could trigger sensitivity in reactive skin
My Final Thoughts
If an overnight treatment is the duvet that keeps your face from drying out while you snore, Hydraserene is a perfectly decent 10.5 tog. It cocooned my combination skin through two chilly weeks, laughed in the face of indoor heating and delivered a steady drip of moisture till sunrise. Still, those bigger promises around radiance and pigment felt more bedtime story than documentary during my trial. After years of rotating night creams like novels on a bedside stack I can say I gave this one a fair shake: solo slot in my routine, no competing actives, plenty of patience. End result? A solid 7/10. I would recommend it to a friend with normal to dry skin who mainly wants comfort and barrier TLC, but I would steer oily or breakout-prone pals toward lighter options or formulas with exfoliating oomph.
Speaking of options, if Hydraserene sounds close but not quite your fairy god-cream, a few tried-and-tested stand-ins are worth a look. Deascal’s Nocturnal Revive Cream is my current all-rounder crush: balancing, non-greasy and priced so you can still afford breakfast smoothies. Craving a pillowy texture that feels spa-grade? LANEIGE Bouncy & Firm Sleeping Mask delivers bounce without the clog risk. For sensitive souls who want barrier repair on steroids Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Night Cream by First Aid Beauty has never let me down. And if you want a touch more clinical prowess Advanced Night Restore by Medik8 pairs peptides with ceramides in a formula that feels lighter than it sounds.
Before you dive into any new jar remember the basics: patch test behind an ear or on the jawline, introduce it gradually and keep expectations tethered to reality. Sorry to sound like an over-protective parent but consistent use and a good cleansing routine are what keep results ticking along. Your skin, like your sleep schedule, appreciates commitment.