We updated this article in May 2022 to add more information about each featured product, based on extensive testing done by the Good Housekeeping Institute as well as recommendations from dermatologists. Our original top-rated picks, selected by the GH Beauty Lab, remain the same.
The key to maximizing your beauty sleep could be adding a night cream to your evening skincare routine, say top dermatologists. "Night is the best time to treat skin and repair concerns such as water loss, skin aging and dark spots," says Howard Sobel, M.D., attending dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and founder of Sobel Skin. "This uninterrupted state is the optimum time for ‘rest and repair’ since you don’t have to protect skin against daily assaults such as UV damage, blue light exposure and pollutants, and skin is free of makeup and other pore clogging residue that disrupts the repair process."
But how is a night cream different than your typical daytime face moisturizer? "Whereas regular moisturizers focus on improving the natural moisture barrier of the skin only, night creams contain active ingredients that assist with improving the skin beyond adding moisture," explains Tonya McLeod, M.D., a dermatologist in Charlotte, North Carolina. Night creams are packed with effective skincare ingredients and powerful anti-agers that aim to address skin concerns like lines and wrinkles and dark spots, leading to a more hydrated, youthful-looking complexion over time.
Our top night cream picks:
Regenerist Retinol24 Night Moisturizer Olay Read More
Revitalift Volume Filler Night Cream L’Oréal Paris Read More
Best Night Cream for Glowing Skin
Lift & Luminate Triple Action Night Cream No7 Read MoreBest Anti-Aging Night Cream
Age Reverse Night Lift Exuviance Read MoreBest Night Cream for Dark Spots
Overnight Restorative Cream Algenist Read MoreBest Night Cream for Dry Skin
Anti-Wrinkle Miracle Worker+ Line-Correcting Overnight Cream Philosophy Read MoreBest Night Cream for Acne-Prone Skin
HydraLuminous Overnight Recovery Cream No7 Read MoreBest Night Cream for Oily Skin
TimeWise Age Minimize 3D Night Cream Mary Kay Read MoreBest Day and Night Cream Combo
Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Day/Night Cream L'Oréal Paris Read MoreTimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Night Treatment Mary Kay Read More
To find out which night creams really work, the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab scientists, who have decades of experience rigorously testing night creams, assess efficacy both in the Lab using technical instruments that can measure skin hydration and changes in wrinkles and dark spots, as well as on consumers at home, who evaluate them on ease of use and cosmetic factors. Here, read more about the best night creams you can buy according to GH Beauty Lab testing, including picks for all ages, skin types and budgets.
Take note: While these creams can hydrate and brighten your skin, they work best in tandem with a good night's sleep, the body's natural repair process. "Growth hormone, produced during deep sleep, plays a role in protein synthesis, which helps our bodies heal damage to cells, including skin," explains Christopher Winter, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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Regenerist Retinol24 Night Moisturizer
Revitalift Volume Filler Night Cream
Best Night Cream for Glowing Skin
Lift & Luminate Triple Action Night CreamBest Anti-Aging Night Cream
Age Reverse Night LiftBest Night Cream for Dark Spots
Overnight Restorative CreamBest Night Cream for Dry Skin
Anti-Wrinkle Miracle Worker+ Line-Correcting Overnight CreamBest Night Cream for Acne-Prone Skin
HydraLuminous Overnight Recovery CreamBest Night Cream for Oily Skin
TimeWise Age Minimize 3D Night CreamBest Day and Night Cream Combo
Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Day/Night CreamTimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Night Treatment
Best Night Cream for Eyes
Retinol Correxion Max Daily Hydration Anti-Aging CrèmeBest Hydrating Overnight Mask
Blue Copper 5 Prime Sleep Tight MaskBest Night Cream for Sensitive Skin
Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Face MaskBest Night Cream for Mature Skin
Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Night CreamBest Smoothing Night Cream
Resveratrol Lift Firming Night MoisturizerBest Lightweight Night Cream
Black Rose Skin Infusion CreamHow we chose the best night creams
The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab regularly tests night creams to find the most effective formulas. The Lab evaluates night creams on how well they hydrate skin short- and long-term using a Corneometer device, which gauges skin moisture levels. Lab scientists also measure changes in testers' skin over four weeks or more of daily use, including firmness with a Cutometer machine and reduction in wrinkles and dark spots via digital imaging with the Visia Complexion Analyzer.
In addition, consumer testers rate the night cream formulas on factors such as texture, scent, absorption and irritation, plus the look and feel of their skin after use. In the GH Beauty Lab's most recent test, Lab experts sent night creams to almost 200 consumer testers for their feedback and recorded over 11,200 data points to find the best night creams on the market.
How to shop for a night cream
When searching for a night cream, consider both your skin type and goals, then look for ingredients tailored to your complexion like the below, recommended by Dr. Sobel and Dr. McLeod:
✔️ For glowing skin, brightening acids (like glycolic, lactic and azelaic), retinol, vitamin C and niacinamide will help stimulate skin cell turnover, promoting radiance.
✔️ For aging skin, shop for night creams with proven anti-agers like peptides, retinol, epidermal growth factors and hydroxy acids (like glycolic) to help smooth wrinkles. Also look for protective antioxidants (such as vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and niacinamide).
✔️ For dark spots and hyperpigmentation, choose products with brightening vitamin C, retinol, niacinamide, licorice root extract or glycolic, kojic, lactic, azelaic and ferulic acids to help brighten and even skin tone.
✔️ For dry skin, seek out a richer formula like a cream or balm and look for hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, squalane, aloe and plant butters (i.e. shea) and oils (i.e. coconut) to replenish moisture.
✔️ For oily, combination or acne-prone skin, look for a lighter formula such as a lotion or gel in a formula that contains balancing and oil-reducing acids like salicylic, glycolic, azelaic and lactic; retinol can also help minimize breakouts.
✔️ For sensitive skin, try calming ingredients like allantoin, glycerin, bisabolol and cucumber extract, which soothe skin without irritating. Be sure to avoid fragrance, hydroxy acids, alcohol and petrolatum, which can irritate reactive skin.
What's the best way to use a night cream?
For optimal results, apply a night cream in your evening routine after makeup removal, face cleansing and any other treatments, such as serums and eye cream, Dr. Sobel advises. It may seem like more is better when it comes to night cream, but there's no need to slather it on as if you're icing a cake: "Smooth a pea-sized amount all over the face in a thin layer," Dr. McLeod recommends.
And don't forget sun safety: "When using a night cream with strong actives such as retinol and alpha hydroxy acids that can sensitize skin, be diligent about applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or more during the day," says GH Beauty Lab Chemist Danusia Wnek. "Keep night cream bottles and jars tightly closed to keep the product fresh and avoid accelerated degradation of the ingredients."
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
The testing methodology behind this article was overseen by Danusia Wnek, a chemist in the Good Housekeeping Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab, who develops and oversees the testing of skincare product categories including night creams, serums, moisturizers, eye creams and more, utilizing both lab instrumentation and consumer feedback to recommend the best products on the market.
April Franzino, the Beauty Director at Good Housekeeping, has over 15 years of experience researching, writing and editing skincare-related content, utilizing the expertise of the Institute's Beauty Lab scientists and top industry professionals such as dermatologists and aestheticians. She is an expert in all face and body skincare product categories, including night creams, cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers, sunscreens, exfoliators, eye creams, professional treatments and more.