The Skin Diary Night Repair Therapy

That is exactly who it was designed for. It uses a retinyl ester, which The Skin Diary describes as a milder form of retinoid that offers the benefits without the irritation, and the brand's testing found it well tolerated by sensitive and retinoid-sensitive skin. In the 44-person consumer trial, 98% found it gentle and 93% reported no irritation. If you have known ingredient allergies, check the full ingredient list first.

That figure comes from the Manchester Patch Test Assay at the University of Manchester: an intra-subject controlled, double-blinded study on human volunteers that models around six months of use. Benchmarked against a gold-standard vitamin A product, the cream rated equivalent to 20x more effective than retinol, alongside a 2x increase in collagen and in fibrillin. It is a laboratory measure on skin samples rather than a promise of individual results, but few night creams are tested this way at all.

Yes. The Skin Diary encourages nightly use for the best results, and because the formula is designed to minimise dryness and peeling there is no need for the twice-a-week build-up most retinols ask for.

Retinyl palmitate is a retinyl ester - a gentler, highly tolerable form of vitamin A. Retinol is more likely to cause dryness, flaking and redness while skin adjusts. Night Repair Therapy pairs retinyl palmitate with cell-communicating peptides, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid so the formula works as a whole rather than relying on a single strong active.

The brand's own timeline is: a visible softening of fine lines and smoother texture in 1 week, mainly from moisturisation; softer, comfortable skin after the first 28-day renewal cycle; a statistically significant reduction in deeper wrinkles at 3 months in its clinical trial; and sustained firmness and resilience by 6 months.

Yes. The Skin Diary says it fits easily into an existing routine - apply it after cleansing and any optional serums in the evening. Vitamin C sits naturally in your morning routine under SPF. As Night Repair Therapy is your vitamin A step, avoid layering a second retinol or retinal product with it.

Professor Chris Griffiths OBE, Emeritus Professor of Dermatology at the University of Manchester, appointed OBE in 2018 for services to dermatology. He was part of the University of Michigan team that showed topical retinoids could improve ageing skin, and developed the cream with Dr Tamara Griffiths. The Skin Diary was co-founded by Dr Clare Kiely, Professor Griffiths, Dr Tamara Griffiths and Dr Richard Barlow.

The brand designed them as a pair, sold together as The Complete Skin Ageing Duo: Age Defence Day Cream SPF 50 protects by day, and Night Repair Therapy supports renewal overnight.

The Skin Diary states that Night Repair Therapy is not suitable while breastfeeding because the formula contains a retinoid (retinyl palmitate), and most clinicians advise avoiding vitamin A during pregnancy as well. The brand's Age Defence Day Cream SPF 50 contains no vitamin A. Please check with your midwife or GP before using any skincare product at this time.