My All-Time Favorite Night Cream

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I’ve tried dozen and dozens of night creams over the years, including the extremely pricey Augustinus Bader Rich Cream and the budget-friendlier, non-toxic Dime Beauty moisturizers. But it wasn’t until I found Beautycounter’s Supreme Cream that I stopped trying new ones. It was amazing. I just combined it with a face oil, and my skin suddenly felt hydrated.

So when Beautycounter shut down, I had to find an alternative. A friend recommended Oliveda’s F74 Regeneration Intense Face Cream to me and ever since, it’s the one I buy over and over. And considering I get free skincare sent to me every month as part of my job, the fact that I’m willing to spend money to buy a different moisturizer says a lot. (And I haven’t even gone back to the Supreme Cream, even though some of Beautycounter’s products are back under the new brand name Counter.)

Here’s why I love it.

Oliveda F74 Review – Regeneration Intense Face Cream

F74 is one of the richest creams in Oliveda’s lineup, without being heavy or greasy. I’ve tried other night creams designed for very dry skin (like U Beauty The Super Hydrator and Augustinus Bader Rich Cream), but they left my skin feeling greasy and almost like it couldn’t breath. While the Soothing Cream from Primally Pure felt better on my skin, if I use it too often, I break out. And all three of those were way too heavy for daytime, especially if I wanted to wear makeup.

I originally started using F74 Regeneration Intense as my night cream and used F42 Corrective Face Cream as my daytime moisturizer. But I quickly realized that F42 wasn’t cutting it, and my skin felt tight by mid-day. So I now use F74 for both my AM and PM moisturizer.

(F42 may work for you if you have normal skin and most of my other skincare products are from Oliveda’s Corrective line, designed to target signs of aging, but it simply wasn’t hydrating enough for my dry, aging skin. Here are more tips for dry, aging skin.)

When I first tried F74, I didn’t quite like it. It’s very thick and tacky, almost like elmer’s glue. But after using it a few times, I was hooked, especially when I felt my skin the next morning. It was noticeably softer and smoother.

I’ve learned that it spreads best when applied over a serum and as it warms up on your skin, it melts in beautifully. Occasionally, I notice a slight white cast for the first minute, but it disappears quickly.

Key Ingredients

• Olive Polyphenols & Hydroxytyrosol – powerhouse antioxidants that calm inflammation and protect against environmental stress. (This is the key ingredient in all Oliveda products, as explained in my full review.)
• Plant Oils & Extracts – nourish deeply without feeling greasy.
• Barrier-Strengthening Actives – help skin retain moisture and bounce back from irritation.

F74 is designed for very dry, mature, or sensitive skin, and it’s as much about repairing skin as it is about moisturizing it. It doesn’t just mask a problem; it helps address a root cause. Dry and sensitive skin needs more than just hydration; it also requires barrier support and ingredients that calm irritation.

Without that balance, you end up with tightness, flaking, redness, or all three. (And then, if you exfoliate in an attempt to remove the flaking, you make things worse.) So if your skin is prone to redness or everything seems to irritate it, this one is very likely to soothe and heal your skin.

Where F74 Fits in My Routine

I use it both morning and night, but some people choose to use it just at night and opt for a tinted SPF during the day. But I always use F74, even if I layer one of my favorite tinted moisturizers over it.

Here’s a quick overview of my current routine, and you can read more details about the products in my skincare routine blog post.

Morning:

1. LA Dope Cleanser
2. Oliveda Corrective Tonic
3. Vitamin C serum (I typically use Oliveda’s Vitamin C but I just got this Natura Bisse Vitamin C serum that’s stronger and actually really like it.)
4. F59 serum + F87 Kahai elixir – I mix these two together in my hand before applying for max results. (Here’s a full review of F59 and why I stopped getting botox since using it.)
5. F74 Regeneration Intense Face Cream

Evening:

1. Colleen Rothschild cleansing balm (reviewed here)
2. Colleen Rothschild Glycolic Acid Pads
3. AHA or F59 serum (I alternate as part of my skin cycling routine)
4. F87 Kahai Elixir (this is a nut-based retinol alternative that’s pregnancy and breastfeeding safe)
5. F74

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Works beautifully for dry, flaky, or sensitive skin
• It provides deep hydration without greasiness
• It’s luxury-level moisturizer without the price tag
• It actually improved my skin that never felt hydrated no matter how much I moisturized
• It’s non-toxic
• Safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding (I started using it when I was newly postpartum and I’m still using it while breastfeeding)

Cons

• May or may not work for oily skin (I can’t vouch for that!)
• It won’t mattify skin
• The texture can be a turn off
• You have to use a serum underneath it so it will spread evenly
• It’s a jar that you dip your finger in vs. a pump

Where to Buy F74 + Pricing

It’s not available in stores, so you need to buy Oliveda’s F74 Regeneration Intense Face Cream directly from Oliveda. It’s pricey by some standards at $99 per jar, but a little goes a long way, and you can save by putting it on a subscription or by signing up as an Oliveda affiliate (affiliate partners get 25% off all orders + other perks, explained here).

How F74 Compares to Other Pricey Moisturizers

• Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream – Both focus on barrier repair, but F74 gives me more lasting hydration. With Bader, my skin still felt a little tight by midday; with F74, it stays comfortable all day.
• La Mer Crème de la Mer – La Mer has that plush, comforting feel, but F74 sinks in faster and uses cleaner ingredients. And it’s significantly more affordable.
• Oliveda F42 – F42 is lighter and great for normal-to-dry skin, but F74 is the winner for winter, post-procedure skin, or anyone dealing with stubborn dryness.

The Bottom line

F74 gives me results that are better than a $200–$300 cream, for a fraction of the price.