As someone who's no stranger to dealing with a damaged skin barrier, I've always counted on night creams to soothe, nourish and plump up my skin while I'm sound asleep.
Compared to my best moisturisers for daytime, my go-to overnight creams are not only richer in texture, but they also differ in terms of ingredients, too. While my morning skincare routine calls for a healthy dose of vitamin C for brightening purposes, my nighttime regimen heavily relies on retinoids to support a healthy cell turnover. This is because our skin's needs differ depending on our sleep cycles.
According to Caglar Odabasi, head of education at Fresh UK & Europe, “at night, our skin shifts into a regenerative and receptive mode, recovering from daily activity, and is far more responsive to nourishment and active ingredients. This is when skin cells work at their most efficient level to repair, recover and de-stress, preparing to function at its best the next day.”
The good news is that regardless of your skin type, quality night creams can help with a variety of skin concerns, such as calming rosacea flare-ups, reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and even minimising hyperpigmentation. To help you navigate through all the countless options out there, we've curated an edit of the very best formulas that impressed us most. Here's everything you need to know.
Best night creams at a glance:
- Best night cream overall: Medik8 Advanced Night Restore
- Best night cream for mature skin: Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Intensive Restorative Night Creme
- Best affordable night cream: Olay Regenerist Retinol24 Moisturiser
- Best night cream for congested skin: Summer Fridays Rich Cushion Cream
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Meet the experts:
- Dr Thivi Maruthappyu, author of Skin Food: Your 4 Step Solution to Happy, Healthy Skin.
- Dr Marisa Garshick, board-certified dermatologist.
- Caglar Odabasi, head of education at Fresh UK & Europe.
- Jon Rummins, EVE LOM UK & EMEA Trainer.
How should I apply my night cream?
“Most night creams should be applied at night after cleansing, and serums. While many night creams can be used every night, depending on the ingredients, for example if it contains retinol or other exfoliating acids, it may only be recommended a few times per week,” reveals Dr Marisa Garshick. And yes, that includes lactic acid and hydroxy acids.
What should I avoid when picking a night cream?
Although it sure can be tempting to pick a night face cream with active ingredients to treat your skin concerns, you want to ensure these same ingredients are not in your cleanser, makeup remover, toner or serum, since layering too many actives can lead to skin irritation and sensitivity.
“It is important to consider the other products that are in your skin care routine to avoid using too much of any harsh ingredients like exfoliating acids or retinoids,” Dr Marisa Garshick told GLAMOUR. “When selecting a night cream, avoid picking one that is not specific for your skin type. Additionally, for those of the dryer sensitive skin, avoid selecting a night cream with heavy fragrance.”
Daytime moisturisers vs night creams – what is the difference?
All creams deliver hydration and moisture. However, daytime moisturisers tend to focus on minimising the damage from external aggressors such as free radicals, environmental pollutants and harmful UV, while night creams are usually formulated with richer and more potent formulas to focus on skin barrier repair, as well as stimulating collagen and cell production, resulting in a plump and even complexion in the morning.
“Our skin never really sleeps; instead, it works around the clock, shifting into different modes,”says Caglar Odabasi, Head of education at Fresh UK & Europe. “During the day, it becomes stressed and is unable to function at its optimal level, so its natural barrier becomes weaker and loses vital moisture," he says.
How we tested the best night creams:
In true GLAMOUR fashion, our team of beauty editors has taken the time to test the below formulas first-hand to take note of their long-term benefits and value for money. We've made sure to review said creams over a minimum period of six weeks on different skin types, while documenting any progress and noting down any pros and cons. Find out how we test here.
Looking to revolutionise your skincare routine? Check out our guides on the best body moisturisers and lotions, best face SPFs, best face masks, best glycolic acids and best moisturisers for combination skin. And don't forget about other bestseller skincare products such as eye creams, best hyaluronic acids serums and vitamin C serums.
Enter: our edit of the best night creams to add to your routine…
Best night cream overall
Tester: Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Associate Beauty Director.
Medik8 Advanced Night Restore Rejuvenating Multi-Ceramide Night Cream
- Best for: all skin types.
- Key ingredients: vitamin A (retinol), antioxidants, ceramides.
Why we love it:For dry skin, ceramides are your best friend, and this luxurious, buttery soft cream from Medik8 has a multi-ceramide complex that replenishes and restores the skin barrier with lipids. This hydrating night cream provides deep, lasting moisturisation, so you wake up to softer, plumper skin. We also love that the antioxidant-rich formula has been created to soothe skin after retinol application to avoid irritation.
Best night cream for lifting
Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Firming Night Cream
Tester: Denise Primbet, GLAMOUR's Beauty Commerce Writer.
- Best for: all skin types, including oily skin.
- Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, vine resveratrol, vegan collagen.
Why we love it:This Caudalie cream contains resveratrol which is a potent antioxidant that works to neutralise damaging oxidants and support collagen production. The patented combination of vine resveratrol, vegan collagen booster and hyaluronic acid, created by Caudalie, results in increasing skin’s own collagen and hyaluronic acid production for improved skin texture that is plumper and firmer.
Best affordable night cream
Tester: Chrissie Moncrieffe, GLAMOUR's Creative Producer.
Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Cream
- Best for: combination and mature skin.
- Key ingredients: retinol, vitamin B3 (niacinamide), glycerin.
Why we love it:We’re always shouting from the rooftops about the benefits of using one of the best retinol serum formulations (vitamin A derivative), with it being proven to stimulate collagen production, encourage cell turnover, reduce the appearance of pigmentation and dark spots and unclog pores, making it ideal for almost all skin types when used correctly. Sunlight can decrease its efficacy, and it also makes skin more sensitive to UV so it should always be used at night, making it a great ingredient to be included in your retinol night cream. This rich cream from Olay combines retinol with powerhouse ingredient niacinamide for brighter skin and improved skin tone.
Best night cream for dry skin
Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Omega-Rich Cloud Cream
Tester: Hattie Cotmore, GLAMOUR's Associate Visuals Editor.
- Best for: sensitive and dry skin.
- Key ingredients: omega 3, 6 fatty acids, glycolic acid, salicylic acid.
Why we love it:The iconic Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery range needs no introduction, with the Midnight Recovery Concentrate renowned across the globe. As the name suggests this Mega Rich Cloud Cream, which has joined the family, has a unique whipped texture using oil in water for plumping hydration. This cream also has a soothing lavender scent, which when combined with the texture, creates a sensorial experience sure to help you unwind before bed.
You can shop exclusive offers on some of the best night cream with theseLookFantastic discount codes.
Best night cream for a damaged skin barrier
Tester: Fiona Ward, GLAMOUR's Acting Website Director.
Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Intensive Restorative Night Creme
- Best for: mature skin.
- Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, glycerin, almond oil.
Why we love it: Firming, hydrating, refining and toning – is there anything this versatile night cream from Estee Lauder can't do? And although it's certainly floating on the pricier side of the spectrum, it features a formula that contains hyaluronic acid, glycerin, almond oil and cucumber extract – everything you need to stay well-hydrated until the morning.
