This Luxe Overnight Serum Is Beauty Sleep In A Bottle

When you think of "beauty sleep," you might think of plush mattresses, silk pillowcases, or maybe an overnight mask from your favorite K-beauty brand. And while rest is essential for staying in tip-top shape both mentally and physically, it's also when your skin gets to work.

That's right: When you're enjoying your trip to snoozeland, that's when your skin gets hard to work — which is what inspired Nocturnal's hero serum.

"If you’re not getting the proper sleep your body needs, cortisol levels remain high, interfering with cellular activities like wound healing, and even skin hydration," dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, tells Refinery29. "This even can contribute to acne breakouts." Founded by beauty industry veterans Katey Hassan and Daniel Kiyoi, Nocturnal's Polar Night Renewal Serum is smart, luxurious skincare in a bottle — and it's definitely not your everyday night serum.

Packed with peptides, niacinamide, oat-derived lipids, and evening primrose, Polar Night is made to brighten, hydrate, and address signs of aging. However, the most notable innovation IMO lies in a patent-pending delivery system — which actually matters so the potent ingredients you're paying for get readily absorbed by your skin. But at the end of the day, all of the fancy technology in the world doesn't matter if my skincare doesn't yield results.

I may not have wrinkles and fine lines yet (I'm 32, but still get routinely asked if I'm still in college — a slight annoyance that I will one day love, I'm sure), so I can't speak much to the fine line-reducing ability of Polar Night, but I will say that my overall bounciness and texture have vastly improved since incorporating this into my PM routine. (I even keep it on my nightstand to reapply right before bed.) In the morning, I wake up with soft, smooth skin that isn't screaming for moisture.

And here's the thing: Is it expensive? Yes. However, I always recommend investing in your serum or moisturizer (as opposed to cleansers) since they tend to be more concentrated in actives and stay on your skin for a longer period of time. The 30mL full size lasted me a few months with nightly use, and I just replaced it with a refill pod. (Which, when the packaging is as gorgeous as Nocturnal's, it genuinely makes me want to reuse it forever.) And since I've been using Polar Night, I've haven't wanted to book a facial or invest in richer moisturizers since my skin is already happy and hydrated. Serums that work smarter and harder? Here for it.