Our team is dedicated to finding and telling you more about the web’s best products. If you purchase through our links, we may receive a commission. Our editorial team is independent and only endorses products we believe in.
Jessica Hoyer, a globetrotter thanks to an international ad agency career, began to feel her skin was lackluster. At 31, as she added motherhood to her roster and disruptive sleep became her new reality, she grew concerned her skin would suffer further as studies were showing “even one hour too little sleep for a few days damages the skin and leads to more wrinkles.” She sought out skincare products that could work harder while she was horizontal. When she did not find them, she spent seven years creating her own: ByNacht.
ByNacht, which translates to “by night,” may have been born out of necessity, but it’s no sleepy brand. Hoyer assembled a team of renown experts – from dermatologists and neurologists to sleep experts and aromatherapists – to ensure the line delivers results.
Read on to learn more about the brand that can give you great skin in your dreams.
BEAUTY SLEEP
There’s nothing better than a night of good sleep. But sleep’s restorative power must be coupled with the right products to make a difference in your skin. Skin has a circadian clock – during the day, skin is in a protective state, warding off elements (sun damage, environmental pollution and more); at night, in repair mode, skin cells regenerate as oxygen and nutrients are cycled through. We also lose approximately 1 liter of water overnight – through trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) – making skincare with proper hydration critical to offset the depletion.
ByNacht is designed specifically to optimize skin’s receptiveness at night. Aromatherapeutic balms and oils, which the brand coined “sleep perfectors,” lull your body to rest and trigger nocturnal skin regeneration. Skin renewal rate doubles between 11pm and 4am, allowing ByNacht ingredients to reach their maximum efficacy. As our skin temps rise during slumber, ingredients can penetrate deeper: “Capillary blood flow is much higher, which makes the skin more permeable for applied substances,” according to Hoyer. Water loss is both replenished by ByNacht’s intense hydration and retained for morning.
THE PRICE OF EXCELLENCE
In speaking with TQE, Hoyer revealed that efficacy and integrity – rather than marketing claims – drove development. And led to unusually long lead times. With efficacy at the forefront, Hoyer leveraged learning from “every major scientific study” to determine how “skin renewal, wound healing, growth hormones, collagen production, fibroblast renewal and overall turn-cell over - basically everything that is needed for amazing skin - is only happening at night” to create the brand concept. Yet she struggled to find a lab willing to embrace her vision, as her undertaking was costly given the potency of the highly effective ingredients. Hoyer also faced pushback as she strove to use minimal preservatives, to minimize irritation and unnecessary ingredients.
ByNacht ultimately resourced natural ingredients and active botanicals from small certified fair trade farms in Germany and Austria. Hoyer’s dedication paid off, and she’s found devotees among industry leaders who demand the best, from renowned makeup artist Gucci Westman to clean beauty retail pioneer Jessica Richards. I’m now in her legion of fans.
A NEW RITUAL
In addition to stunning skincare benefits, I love the ritual of ByNacht. Even when exhausted, it encourages me to take greater care of myself – contrary to my progressively hasty evening regimen – with this skincare routine:
Several nights a week, I slather on this rich, unscented creamy mask and relax for 20 minutes, while the enzymes and antioxidants work to eliminate free radicals and restore my skin's barrier function. After rinsing, I am left with dewy hydrated skin.
One of the three “perfectors” to aid sleep, this rich balm exudes aromas (Ylang Ylang flower, Melissa Officinalis leaf, and Lavandula Angustifolia oil) that relax you. After rubbing hands together, I pat the balm on pulse points (under nose and on chest/neck; I forgo soles of feet but it’s another great portal).
When pressed, Hoyer confessed that this is her favorite serum. It combines 8 different hyaluronic acids for intense hydration with a blend of 13 extracts. The extracts range from barley and hop (which accounts for the product’s faint Guinness scent) for pore refining to intelligent moss cell to boost cell metabolism. I apply it each night and feel my skin tone is more even and hydrated by morning.
Having rarely paid attention to my décolleté previously, I savor this product. Celebrated for its hyaluronic acids, Marine Collagen, Persian Silk Tree, antioxidants, amino acids and vitamins which collectively help restore moisture, maintain elasticity and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, it hydrates and smoothes the delicate skin I had previously ignored. Goodbye morning chest wrinkles.
Designed to prep your skin for overnight regeneration as well as exfoliate, I use this product several times weekly. Ingredients include four fruit acids (for polishing skin), the mineral extract Malachite (to stimulate collagen) and green tea leaf extract (to calm and soothe); ten minutes before rinsing off is all it takes for rejuvenated-looking skin before bed.
While ByNacht calls out “anti-aging” benefits such as fine lines and wrinkles, Hoyer is not suggesting you can turn back time, nor that you want to. “Our products labeled as anti-aging are really powerhouses in terms of active ingredients. It’s an indicator of what this product can do for your skin concerns. When it comes to aging itself, “it should be celebrated and enjoyed.” I couldn’t agree more.
FIVE MORE REASONS BYNACHT SKINCARE IS DREAMY:
- ByNacht has a portfolio of additional offerings – from cleanser, toner, multiple serums and eye cream – that address every skincare concern.
- ByNacht relies on data and modern scientific research – not trends or marketing claims – to ensure the brand “creates real change in your skin.”
- The stunning packaging upholds the same level of quality as the product itself. With its environmentally friendly, and clear minimalist design, the brand also prides itself on being gender neutral. Everyone deserves great skin.
- Having grown up enveloped by her parents’ charity work, Hoyer is committed to giving back with ByNacht. She is an active ambassador for SOS Children's Foundation, and creates charitable partnerships and donations to support and empower people globally.
- ByNacht aims to be completely climate neutral in 2023.