EltaMD is one of those derm-backed labels that regularly pops up on dermatologist shelves yet somehow escapes mainstream chatter. The brand’s reputation for pragmatic, science-first formulas gives it a quiet confidence I have always found appealing.
Enter PM Restore Moisturizer, a name that sounds like it moonlights as my phone’s bedtime alarm. The company bills it as an overnight hydrator that recruits niacinamide, antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and a single ceramide to rebuild the skin barrier, refine tone and deliver a smoother brighter look by morning. All of this while remaining fragrance free and non-comedogenic, which on paper makes it friendly for even reactive complexions.
I spent two solid weeks rotating this cream into my nighttime routine to see if the promises translate to real-world skin. Below is an honest account of how it fared, what it’s made of and whether it deserves space on your nightstand.
Disclosure: This review is neither paid nor sponsored. Every opinion expressed is my own experience and results will naturally vary from one face to another.
What Is Pm Restore Moisturizer?
Pm Restore Moisturizer is an overnight treatment, a category of products designed to work while skin goes through its natural nighttime repair cycle. Think of these creams as a second shift for your face: they sit on the skin longer than daytime moisturizers because you are not washing, sweating or layering sunscreen over them, giving active ingredients a sustained window to do their job.
EltaMD’s formula focuses on three functional pillars. First, it hydrates with glycerin and hyaluronic acid, molecules that draw water into the upper layers of the skin. Second, it supports the moisture barrier through a single ceramide paired with cholesterol and fatty acids, components that mimic what a healthy barrier produces on its own. Last, it aims to even tone by using niacinamide plus a small roster of antioxidants and peptides that help limit the look of dullness and early fine lines.
The texture sits somewhere between a lotion and a light cream, labeled non-comedogenic and fragrance free which positions it for sensitive or acne-prone users. It is sold in a 1.7-ounce pump bottle and meant to be applied as the final step of a nightly routine after cleansing and any serums.
Did It Work?
In the name of scientific rigor I benched my usual overnight cream for three full evenings before starting PM Restore, which felt very controlled-lab of me given my bathroom is hardly a clinical setting. Two weeks is my standard trial window and I think 14 consecutive nights is long enough to catch early wins or red flags.
Night one went smoothly. The lotion-cream hybrid spread easily over damp skin and sank in within a minute, leaving a satin finish that neither pilled under my oil spot treatment nor stuck to my pillowcase. There was a faint plastic scent from the bottle but it vanished on contact which was reassuring since fragrance often torches my cheeks.
During the first week hydration was the headline. I woke up to skin that felt comfortably plump with no tight forehead sensation that sometimes sneaks in after retinoid nights. A stubborn dry patch along my jaw scaled back after the third application and stayed quiet. Tone, however, looked pretty much the same. The niacinamide did keep redness at bay around my nose yet any promise of extra brightness was subtle at best.
The second week told a similar story. Barrier support remained solid and I never experienced clogged pores or surprise breakouts which speaks to the non-comedogenic claim. Still, the overall glow plateaued. Fine lines at the corners of my mouth were neither softer nor deeper and my skin texture felt marginally smoother but not enough that my partner noticed unprompted.
So did it work? Yes and no. PM Restore nailed dependable overnight moisture and kept my reactive skin calm which is nothing to sneeze at. What it did not do was deliver the pronounced tone refinement or lit-from-within brightness suggested on the label. I finished the bottle feeling respectful of its steady performance yet not smitten enough to dethrone the formulas already in my rotation. If you need a gentle, barrier-minded hydrator this is a safe bet, but for now I will politely pass on a permanent spot in my own lineup.
PM Restore Moisturizer’s Main Ingredients Explained
Niacinamide sits at the top of the talking points because its resume is long: it can temper redness, nudge discoloration to fade and reinforce the lipid barrier so water stays put overnight. At 4-5 percent (EltaMD does not share exact numbers but placement high in the list hints at a meaningful dose) it does its job without the sting some acids deliver.
The hydration team comes in two forms. First is classic glycerin, a small molecule humectant that acts like a sponge for environmental moisture. Second is sodium hyaluronate, the salt form of hyaluronic acid that can slip between skin cells and hold many times its weight in water. Together they are why that tight, papery feeling never showed up during my two-week test run.
Barrier repair relies on a pseudo-ceramide called Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide MEA paired with cholesterol/lanosterol esters plus fatty acids like linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic. Think of this combo as brick and mortar for the stratum corneum. By topping up what a healthy barrier already contains, these lipids keep irritants out and moisture in which is essential if you use exfoliants or retinoids elsewhere in your routine.
Antioxidant protection is quiet but present. Tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E) and thioctic acid (alpha lipoic acid) scavenge free radicals sparked by daytime UV exposure so skin cells can focus on repair instead of firefighting. Hydrolyzed rice protein rounds out the formula as a peptide source that can signal skin to look a touch firmer, though peptides usually need a longer runway than two weeks to flaunt major results.
The ingredient deck is free of fragrances, essential oils and drying alcohols which keeps the formula friendly for sensitive types. It does feature ethylhexyl isononanoate, oleic acid and stearic acid which rate medium on some comedogenic scales. Non-comedogenic means the brand tested the blend and found it unlikely to clog pores in most people, yet acne-prone users should patch test because comedogenic refers to an ingredient’s tendency to block follicles and spark breakouts.
Strict vegans may want to look elsewhere because cholesterol/lanosterol esters are typically sourced from wool grease. Vegetarians often consider this acceptable but anyone avoiding animal derivatives entirely will not. On the pregnancy front there are no retinoids or salicylic acid yet caution is the smarter play when hormones are already doing acrobatics. Always clear any topical with a qualified physician before you slather.
Worth a final mention: the preservative system leans on phenoxyethanol instead of parabens and the pH lands near the skin-friendly 5.5 mark so actives stay stable without upsetting your acid mantle. No single superstar ingredient steals the show which might explain the steady but unspectacular results that had me landing at a respectable 7 out of 10.
What I Liked/Didn’t Like
After two weeks of nightly use here is how the cream shook out for me.
What Works Well:
- Light lotion-cream texture spreads easily and sinks in fast so layering over serums or under spot treatments is hassle free
- Dependable overnight hydration keeps skin comfortable and quells minor redness without clogging pores
- Fragrance free formula with a balanced blend of humectants lipids and antioxidants suits sensitive or barrier-compromised skin
What to Consider:
- Tone brightening and fine line softening are subtle so results may feel modest if you want quick visible change
- Lightweight finish may not satisfy very dry or mature skin during colder months
- For the price you get a small bottle so cost per use leans higher than some pharmacy alternatives
My Final Thoughts
All told, PM Restore Moisturizer feels like the straight-A student who never quite makes valedictorian. It hydrates nicely, keeps a fragile barrier feeling secure and never once provoked my temperamental T-zone, yet its claims of a brighter more even complexion read louder on the box than they did on my face. After two diligent weeks and a completely cleared bench of competing creams, I logged reliable comfort but only modest radiance gains. That lands it at a respectable 7/10 in my ledger.
Who will like it? Anyone with combination, sensitive or post-treatment skin looking for a fuss-free nighttime staple will appreciate its calm temperament. Who might not? Very dry complexions craving a richer blanket, glow-chasers hunting for fast tone correction or anyone counting pennies per pump may find it underwhelming.
Would I recommend it to a friend? If their primary brief is “just keep my skin happy while I sleep,” absolutely. If they want to wake up looking as if they holidayed in St Barts, I would steer them elsewhere.
On that note let me play skin matchmaker. Nocturnal Revive Cream by Deascal is my current all-rounder crush: lush enough for winter, lightweight enough for July and kinder on the wallet. Squalane + Ectoin Overnight Rescue by BIOSSANCE brings a velvety barrier hug for parched faces, Water Sleeping Mask by LANEIGE is a cooling gel that leaves skin looking freshly rinsed in the morning and Intelligent Retinol Smoothing Night Cream by Medik8 steps in when you are ready for a gentle retinol nudge without next-day drama. I have emptied jars of each so the endorsements come from actual pillow time, not press releases.
Before you sprint to checkout, a quick nagging reminder: patch test any new cream behind your ear or along the jaw for a couple of nights first, I know I sound like an over-protective parent but your future self will thank you. Remember too that overnight moisturizers are like gym memberships, results stick only as long as you keep showing up.