The 14 Best Night Creams, Tested and Reviewed

While you get your beauty sleep, your skin is hard at work, ramping up collagen production and turning over skin cells for fresh ones to come to the surface. The best way to support your skin during this restorative process? Use a night cream. While a night mask is great for gentle revitalization and hydration, a night cream is deeply rich and is made with high concentrations of active ingredients and emollients to deeply nourish skin. They drench skin with moisture, which keeps the skin barrier protected and collagen production supercharged to help plump fine lines, firm skin, and improve your overall complexion.

There are hundreds of night creams out there and we set out to find the very best ones you can buy. We tested 20 of the most popular night creams currently available, scrutinized the creams’ consistency, absorption, and the overall effect it had on our skin over the course of two months. We also considered other important factors, like fragrance and how well it played with our other skincare products, and then ranked the effectiveness of each product based on our results, and these are the highest-scoring night creams.

Best Overall

CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream

Our Ratings

• Feel

  5/5

• Absorption

  5/5

• Effectiveness

  5/5

What We Love: The thick, whipped texture absorbs into the skin within minutes and hydrates skin from the inside-out.

What We Don’t Love: We’re all about a solid no-frills night cream, but this could be even better with some additional anti-aging benefits.

When it comes to skincare, sometimes simplicity is key, and no brand embodies that ethos more than CeraVe. Their night cream earned the top spot on our list due to its deeply hydrating, gentle formula that felt great on our sensitive skin and delivered long-lasting results.

Within a week of using this night cream, our skin felt noticeably more hydrated, and by the time the eight-week testing period ended, our persistent dry patches had cleared up completely. Thanks to the non-comedogenic, fragrance-free formula, we experienced no irritation, even with our dry, acne-prone, sensitive skin. We were also fans of the creamy consistency, which was thick but not cloying and left a dewy and healthy finish. While this night cream isn’t a multitasking formula that addresses a variety of different skin concerns, like some of the other options on this list, it’s a no-brainer for anyone looking for a serious dose of hydration.

Size: 1.7 oz | Active Ingredients: Niacinamide, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, biomimetic peptide complex | Best for: All skin types

Best Budget

L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Night Cream

Our Ratings

• Feel

  5/5

• Absorption

  4.7/5

• Effectiveness

  5/5

What We Love: Despite its super thick texture, the Revitalift Night Cream fully absorbs into the skin quickly to moisturize skin and heal dry spots.

What We Don’t Love: A little goes a long way, so there’s definitely a learning curve to finding the right amount for your skin.

When it comes to a good value, the L’Oreal Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Night Cream is seriously impressive. The moisturizer features pro-retinol and centella asiatica (better known as tiger grass) to reap all the benefits of a retinoid, but without the nasty side effects. Although the first time we applied the cream, we were worried it was a little too thick, it actually absorbed into our skin really well and didn’t leave behind a greasy or sticky residue. Instead, our skin was visibly plumper, more hydrated, and overall radiant.

Within just a week of use, our dry, patchy skin had improved. In fact, our complexion felt so soft and smooth in the morning that we found ourselves needing less and less moisturizer to get us through the day. When we applied the cream immediately after taking a shower, we noticed that our flaky dry spots looked less severe the next morning.

Size: 1.7 oz | Active Ingredients: Pro-retinol, centella asiatica | Best for: Aging, dry skin

Best Drugstore

Differin Restorative Night Moisturizer

Our Ratings

• Feel

  5/5

• Absorption

  5/5

• Effectiveness

  5/5

What We Love: Differin’s Restorative Night Moisturizer leaves skin refreshed, smooth, and moisturized — without any greasy, oily residue.

What We Don’t Love: This might not be moisturizing enough for super dry skin.

Differin’s Restorative Night Moisturizer is a great night cream for middle-of-the-road skin with a refreshingly low price tag. It can be difficult to find an effective night cream for combination skin: A too-heavy texture will cause our skin to feel too oily, while something too light won’t moisturize it enough. Luckily, the Differin Restorative Night Moisturizer struck a perfect balance for our skin, providing deep hydration without any greasy, oily residue. It was neither super thin nor too thick, so it spread across our skin easily and was absorbed within a minute or two. And best of all, it worked remarkably well on our acne-prone skin, thanks to its gentle, non-comedogenic formula.

Our one note is that this cream might not be hydrating enough for those with seriously dry skin, but if you’re looking to toe the line between a thick and thin consistency, this one’s for you.

Size: 2.5 oz | Active Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, allantoin, ceramides | Best for: Irritated, acne-prone skin

Best for Dry Skin

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Our Ratings

• Feel

  5/5

• Absorption

  5/5

• Effectiveness

  4.7/5

What We Love: This soothing moisturizer is surprisingly lightweight and deeply hydrating.

What We Don’t Love: The formula contains eucalyptus oil, which might be irritating for sensitive skin types.

A favorite among dermatologists and editors alike, it’s no surprise First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Intense Hydration Moisturizer made it on our list. This moisturizer features colloidal oatmeal, allantoin, and shea butter, all of which offer excellent healing and skin-protecting properties. And as its name suggests, the hydration it delivers is intense, but we were surprised at how light and airy it felt on our skin. It felt velvety, smooth, and ever-so-slightly cooling upon application, which made our skin really drink the cream right up, and almost immediately looked plumper and more rejuvenated. Those effects lasted — and continued to improve — throughout the entire eight weeks of testing.

However, we would like to call out that there is eucalyptus oil in the formula, which can be irritating for sensitive skin.

Size: 6 oz | Active Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, allantoin | Best for: Dry to normal skin, aging skin, eczema, combination skin

Best Splurge

Macrene Actives High Performance Extra Rich Face Cream

Our Ratings

• Feel

  5/5

• Absorption

  5/5

• Effectiveness

  4.5/5

What We Love: This extra-rich cream left our skin looking firmer and refreshed by morning.

What We Don’t Love: The jar is on the smaller side.

This majorly luxurious face cream offers a heaping dose of hydration in one very fancy glass tub. With its rich, creamy texture, it immediately nourished our skin, taking it from dry and irritated to plump, smooth, and refreshed — literally overnight. We also noticed a subtle, but distinct, tightening and firming effect over the eight-week testing period. But the results didn’t stop there: Our skin tone looked more balanced and even than it did before, likely due to the amino acids in the formula.

Clocking in at one ounce, the jar is one of the smallest on our list, but it’s genuinely worth every penny.

Size: 1 oz | Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, vitamin E, red algae, glycerides | Best for: Dry, aging or combination skin

Best for Oily Skin

Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream

Our Ratings

• Feel

  5/5

• Absorption

  5/5

• Effectiveness

  4/5

What We Love: This lightweight moisturizer provides the right level of hydration and consistency for oilier skin types.

What We Don’t Love: The formula is definitely meant for oily skin, meaning it’s not thick enough for dry or normal skin.

Night creams tend to be heavier than their daytime counterparts, which can make it difficult for grease-prone skin to find one that doesn’t turn them into an oil slick overnight. However, we were pleasantly surprised with how nicely Olay’s Regenerist Night Recovery Cream Face Moisturizer felt on our skin. It’s not oily or heavy, and it blended quickly without feeling watery. We also didn’t have to excessively massage it into our skin for it to absorb. We attribute these effects to two ingredients: Niacinamide and amino peptides, both of which help the skin retain moisture and help it look smoother.

That being said, the formula is definitely meant for oilier skin types. If you’re looking to heal serious dry spots and flaking, this likely won’t do it.

Size: 1.7 oz | Active Ingredients: Niacinamide, amino peptide | Best for: Aging, oily skin

Best for Sensitive Skin

Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream

Our Ratings

• Feel

  5/5

• Absorption

  4.8/5

• Effectiveness

  4.6/5

What We Love: The combination of hyaluronic acid, olive extract, and pro-vitamin complex results in a moisturizing formula that doesn’t feel heavy.

What We Don’t Love: We wish this came with a pump top or at least some sort of scooper.

When you have sensitive skin, trying out new products can be a nerve-wracking endeavor.  However, Cetaphil’s Rich Hydrating Night Cream put our worries to rest with their hypoallergenic and fragrance-free night cream.

This non-greasy formula felt lightweight, but still very moisturizing on our dry, sensitive skin. While we love the look and feel of hydrated skin, we definitely don’t like the feeling of anything thick or heavy on our face, and we were delighted that this cream kept our face feeling supple and refreshed. This night cream also played well with other products. Even when we used a variety of serums underneath, the night cream acted almost like a sealant of sorts, locking in all the previously applied goodness and absorbing right into the skin.

Size: 1.7 oz | Active Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, olive extract, pro-vitamin complex | Best for: Sensitive, dry to normal skin

Best for Aging Skin

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Collagen Cream

Our Ratings

• Feel

  5/5

• Absorption

  5/5

• Effectiveness

  4.7/5

What We Love: Despite its thick, fluffy texture, this cream absorbs in seconds, giving skin immediate hydration.

What We Don’t Love: The jar packaging is clunky and makes it difficult to scoop out the right amount of product.

First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Firming Collagen Cream already topped our list of best collagen creams, thanks to its wide array of benefits. It tackles loss of firmness, uneven tone, the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and dull texture.

At first, we were surprised at just how thick this cream looked — it reminded us of whipped meringue — but it glided across our skin easily. It felt creamy and velvety, and our skin drank it up right away. We loved the way our skin felt after using the cream — immediately hydrated and smooth.  After using the night cream for a week, our skin felt smoother, softer, and more radiant. We also saw a subtle improvement in the appearance of our fine lines and wrinkles, as well the amount of dry flakes that typically flare up around our nose.

Size: 1.7 oz | Active Ingredients: Collagen, peptides, niacinamide, colloidal oatmeal | Best for: Aging, dry to normal, sensitive skin

Best for Dull Skin

Fresh Lotus Antioxidant Night Moisturizer

Our Ratings

• Feel

  5/5

• Absorption

  5/5

• Effectiveness

  4.8/5

What We Love: This feels, smells, and performs exactly how you’d imagine a luxurious, high-quality night cream would.

What We Don’t Love: That luxurious scent could cause some irritation for those with sensitive skin.

At the beginning of our test, our skin had a serious case of the winter blues — it was so dry and dull that it almost hurt to touch (this tends to happen every January due in part to the dry, frigid East Coast weather). After incorporating this night cream from Fresh into our routine, our taut, dry skin became soft, plump, and all-around healthier looking and feeling. Not only did our skin feel more moisturized, but its texture also looked smoother and more even.

Because this night cream has such a rich consistency, likely due to the inclusion of shea butter and vitamin E, it spread beautifully onto our skin, never leaving a heavy or sticky feeling behind. It also smells divine — there’s a subtle peach scent from the peach leaf extract that gives the cream a light, floral aroma.

Size: 0.5 oz | Active Ingredients: Lotus, shea butter, vitamin E, peach leaf extract | Best for: Aging, dehydrated skin

Best for Acne-Prone Skin

SkinCeuticals Renew Overnight Dry Nighttime Face Moisturizer

Our Ratings

• Feel

  5/5

• Absorption

  4/5

• Effectiveness

  5/5

What We Love: This dual-action night cream exfoliates and hydrates skin all at once.

What We Don’t Love: The texture is extremely thick and it definitely takes some work to fully absorb into the skin.

When you think night cream, exfoliation probably isn’t the first benefit that comes to mind — but maybe it should, especially if you have acne-prone skin. Skinceuticals Renew Overnight Dry Cream combines soothing, nourishing ingredients, like aloe and chamomile, with a blend of lactic and glycolic acids to gently exfoliate the skin’s surface, sloughing away dead skin cells and grime. And it seriously works: Every time we put this on, we knew we’d be waking up with remarkably healthier-looking skin.

When we first started to use the night cream, our skin was dotted with hormonal acne, blemishes and hyperpigmentation. Our first impression of the cream was its body butter-type consistency, which made us hopeful that it wouldn’t wear off over time, but really go to work overnight instead. Due to its dense texture, it did take some extra effort to massage into our skin, but once it did, it felt like heaven. If we had a breakout or were extra dry, our skin felt tingly when applying the cream; it didn’t cause any redness or irritation, it just made us think that the active ingredients were getting to work. We were surprised to see our blemishes clear up and our hyperpigmentation fade.

Size: 2 oz | Active Ingredients: Botanical extracts, mixed hydroxy acid blend | Best for: Dry to normal, aging, acne-prone skin

Best Retinol

Paula's Choice Resist Intensive Repair Cream

Our Ratings

• Feel

  5/5

• Absorption

  5/5

• Effectiveness

  5/5

What We Love: This concentrated cream taps the power of retinol to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while attracting and locking in moisture.

What We Don’t Love: We noticed occasional pilling when paired with other products.

For anyone ready to incorporate an over-the-counter retinol into their routine, Paula’s Choice RESIST Intensive Repair Cream with Retinol is a great place to start. With an ultra-creamy texture filled with peptides and antioxidants, this cream kept our skin hydrated, while providing all the anti-aging benefits of retinol.

We like to use a thick moisturizer at night, so we immediately loved the way this thick cream looked, and once we saw how easily it applied and settled into our skin, we were hooked. This was our first time trying a retinol, and we noticed that our face looked firmer and brighter as the weeks went on. During the testing period, we experienced a few dermatitis and dry skin flare-ups, but on nights when we used this cream, we woke up with skin that felt more hydrated and looked less irritated.

Size: 1.7 oz | Active Ingredients: Retinol, hyaluronic acid, antioxidant blend | Best for: Aging, dry skin

Best for 30s

Fenty Skin Instant Reset Overnight Recovery Gel-Cream

Our Ratings

• Feel

  4.5/5

• Absorption

  4.7/5

• Effectiveness

  4.5/5

What We Love: Our skin looked noticeably hydrated and supple after just one use — and the results last for days.

What We Don’t Love: Though this dries down well, it can feel a bit greasy upon application.

A skincare routine for your 30s, you want to really work — it’s not enough to smell nice or look good, we’re looking for serious results that leave skin refreshed, nourishing, and luminous. That’s why we loved the Instant Reset Overnight Recovery Gel-Cream from Fenty: We woke up every day with that signature RihRih glow. Although it’s called a gel cream, it looked to us more like a cream than a gel, but when we applied it, it felt cooling on our skin and absorbed quickly like a gel. Even after it was absorbed, our skin felt slightly tacky to the touch, but by the time we woke up, our skin felt hydrated and looked plump and smooth. Even better, our skin became softer with each use and our cheeks began to look firmer, too. Overall, we thought the result was fabulous.

With this cream, you have to trust the process and be patient with the sticky residue — it will go away, it just takes some time.

Size: 1.7 oz | Active Ingredients: Kalahari melon oil, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid | Best for: Acne prone, oily to normal, combination skin

Best for 40s

The Outset Restorative Night Cream

Our Ratings

• Feel

  5/5

• Absorption

  5/5

• Effectiveness

  4.3/5

What We Love: This night cream is just easy — it was formulated without harsh ingredients or added fragrance.

What We Don’t Love: It sometimes made our retinol clump up.

Sometimes the best products are the simplest ones, and the Outset’s Restorative Niacinamide Night Cream makes anti-aging look easy. While the formula includes some powerhouse anti-aging ingredients (like niacinamide and bakuchiol serums) we also appreciated that it doesn’t contain any added fragrance or harsh ingredients known to cause irritation.

We fell in love with this night cream from the first application thanks to the silky, buttery consistency that melted into our skin within minutes. Though it didn’t completely mitigate our contact dermatitis flare-up, our skin did feel softer and appear brighter after the first week. As the weeks passed by, our complexion became even more luminous and plump, too. By the end of the two-month test, we had barely made a dent in the jar, yet our skin felt nourished and renewed.

Size: 1.7 oz | Active Ingredients: Hyaluroset complex, niacinamide, bakuchiol, evening primrose, licorice extract | Best for: Normal to dry, aging, combination skin

Best for 50s

Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Cream

Our Ratings

• Feel

  4.5/5

• Absorption

  4/5

• Effectiveness

  4/5

What We Love: The super hydrating formula has a cooling sensation upon application, and it doesn’t sting or cause irritation when massaged into extra-dry spots.

What We Don’t Love: It feels a bit greasy at first, but disappears after a few minutes.

Before adding this into our routine our skin was angry — the cold, winter weather had not been kind to us and our face was a dry, flakey mess. This thick cream swooped in to repair and protect our complexion, though. The ultra-plush texture felt a bit greasy upon application, but it also provided an immediate cooling sensation that really soothed our extra-dry spots. It did take about 10 minutes for it to fully melt into skin, but once it did we felt fresh and relaxed.

While the night cream diminished some of our dry patches, it didn’t completely mitigate the issue. Our extra flakey areas were still rather dry, but the cream overall helped improve our moisture retention, and we’re confident that with more time our skin will be in the best condition.

Size: 1.7 oz | Active Ingredients: Peptide complex, ceramides, ginger root| Best for: Aging, dry to normal, irritated skin

What to Keep in Mind

• Your Skin Type: When choosing a night cream — really when choosing any skincare product at all — it’s important to consider your skin type and specific needs. Here’s the good news: Almost everyone, even the oiliest of us, can benefit from a boost of hydration and moisture, making a night cream the perfect vehicle for targeted skincare. Still, what works for someone with perpetually dry skin won’t work as well on someone with oily skin, and so on. In terms of a night cream, you’ll want to use your skin type as a guide to help find the right consistency and texture for your needs. As a general rule of thumb, those with oilier skin should look for lighter formulas while those with drier skin should opt for a richer, more occlusive cream. Consider where you fall along that spectrum when choosing a night cream.
• Your Skin Concerns: Overnight, skin is in maintenance mode, and you have the time for ingredients to really penetrate into the skin, explains Massachusetts-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Ranella Hirsch. Consider your particular skin concerns and goals as you choose your cream. Some might be based on external factors like hormones and stress, whereas others (persistent acne, dryness, etc.) are more inherent. “Night creams usually contain active ingredients that have extra hydration or anti-aging benefits, including skin firming or brightening,” explains board-certified dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner. “Look for a night cream that contains ingredients that address your particular skin needs.” For those dealing with hyperpigmentation and dullness, you’ll want to focus on ingredients that lighten age spots and dark spots and brighten the skin. Meanwhile, those with red, irritated skin should focus on soothing ingredients that will calm inflammation, Dr. Hirsch shares.
• Active Ingredients: Once you’ve pinpointed your skin type and concerns, now it’s time to look at the ingredients. “My general advice is to start with one active ingredient at a time, especially in a richer base,” Dr. Hirsch says. “That way, if there’s any irritation, you’ll know the source.” For those dealing with dryness, look for ingredients like glycerin, oats, ceramides, and squalane. Similar hydrating and soothing ingredients are great for calming redness — ingredients like licorice root, green tea, and centella. According to Dr. Hirsch, ingredients including retinoids, antioxidants like vitamin C, green tea, and kojic acid, effectively address dullness and hyperpigmentation. Dr. Hirsch also suggests salicylic acid to help get breakouts under control, as well as congestion and oiliness, and if you’re focused on aging gracefully, look for night creams with retinoids, antioxidants, and peptides.

Your Questions, Answered

What is the difference between night cream and day cream?

Night cream tends to feature a thick base and, sometimes but not always, a combination of active ingredients meant to target specific skin concerns, Dr. Hirsch says. Because skin is in maintenance mode while you sleep, night creams are able to penetrate deeper into the skin.

“The skin undergoes normal circadian rhythms, in which specific activities occur in the morning and others in the evening,” Dr. Zeichner says. “Skin hydration has been shown to decline in the afternoon, continuing into the evening, so it makes sense to apply night cream to address the biology of the skin itself.” Your daily moisturizer is likely going to be less rich, can contain SPF, and typically serves as a better base under other products.

Is night cream different than other moisturizers?

Both Dr. Zeichner and Dr Hirsch say there are typically two main differences between night creams and other, traditional moisturizers: There’s no SPF in night creams, and they tend to have a thicker base. Because we don’t (or at least shouldn’t) wear makeup to bed, it’s a great time to apply something a bit thicker that might not sit as well under makeup. And, by putting actives in that thicker base, the occlusive properties claim to deliver more results.

Why Shop With Us

Danielle Cohen is a freelance beauty writer and editor with more than five years of experience reporting on the beauty industry and testing products. For this story, she compiled results from our real-world testing and wrote about our experiences testing the top-ranking night creams. She also interviewed two dermatologists, Dr. Ranella Hirsch and Dr. Joshua Zeichner, for their insights related to night creams.

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