There are very few beauty products that can span generations and still hold their icon status, but Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Serum happens to be one of them. Growing up, I shared a bathroom with my mom, so you can imagine how getting ready in the morning at 7 a.m. typically went. That said, I did get full access to snooping through her beauty products. I vividly remember a gold and brown dropper bottle sitting atop her skincare shelf like a shrine, falling into the unspoken category of “do not touch.” Years later, Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Serum is still a mainstay in her skincare routine and has officially entered mine.
From sharing a vanity for 18 years to now, my career as a beauty editor, my mom and I have found ways to bond over beauty in everyday moments. She'll ask for recommendations on a new eye cream, or we’ll try a sheet mask together. Another beauty ritual is sharing her Advanced Night Repair serum, which we pass back and forth when I’m back home, making the glow-inducing formula part of our shared routine.
The ingredient list is packed with multitaskers that deliver a wide range of skin benefits. It's powered by peptides and barrier-supporting ferments to promote collagen production and support skin repair over time, hydrators like glycerin and hyaluronic acid to plump and smooth, and antioxidants paired with caffeine to help energize and protect your face from environmental stressors.
“It’s my go-to serum and a non-negotiable part of my nightly routine,” my mom tells me. “After facing the weather, stress, and whatever my day may bring, once I apply this serum to a clean face, I feel my skin perk back up.” For context, she has a two-hour-long commute every single day, so a hardworking skincare routine is not a luxury, but a necessity.
“In the morning, I wake up with refreshed skin that feels more hydrated and smoother,” she says. “This product has always been a game and skin changer for me.”
I'm personally a fan of it due to its texture—it's lightweight and silky, never sticky or greasy, and absorbs into the skin within minutes. It layers seamlessly under moisturizer, retinoids, or whatever else your nighttime routine includes without any heaviness or tackiness. A few minutes after applying, there’s a visible radiance that makes skin look smoother and well-hydrated, setting my face up for a truly restorative night ahead.
For the record, it’s not the best option for acne-prone skin, so I avoid applying it to reactive areas like my chin and jawline. That said, it works wonders on my forehead and cheeks, where I’m less prone to breakouts and could use some extra help with preventative aging.
Overall, Advanced Night Repair is a serum that works for both my mom and me, hydrating, smoothing, and helping repair the skin overnight while we sleep. It also targets early signs of aging like fine lines, loss of firmness, and uneven texture. Whether you’re 26 or 65, it’s a skin-loving serum that’s worth the splurge and definitely deserving of its storied reputation.
Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.
