When buying a night cream, look out for the ingredients, says Nazanin Saedi, MD, director of Jefferson Laser Surgery and Cosmetic Dermatology Center. She recommends products with hyaluronic acid or glycerin to hydrate the skin, along with ceramides, which “strengthen the skin’s barrier.” Peptides are also good for collagen production, and niacinamide reduces inflammation, she adds.
We researched dozens of night creams and evaluated them for active ingredients, formula type, scent, usage, additional benefits, and price.
Here are the best night creams on the market.
Price at time of publication: $40
Even though you apply this product at night, it keeps working to benefit your skin for 24 hours, continually releasing hydration to maintain your skin’s moisture level until the next application. It can be used on all skin types, and its fragrance-free, non-comedogenic formula won’t irritate people with sensitive skin, either. It is a bit thicker than some other creams on our list, which could result in clogged pores, especially if you’re acne-prone.
Price at time of publication: $18
Despite its rich, creamy texture, the product is non-greasy, sinking into your skin and providing long-lasting benefits. One note of caution, though: Sensitive skin may not respond well to daily retinol, so make sure you start off by testing a small area of your face, working your way up to an all-over application and regular frequency only if needed.
Price at time of publication: $18
The formulation is also made with many skin types in mind, as it’s hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic. That means you can treat dryness and redness without worrying that any of Cetaphil’s ingredients will irritate your sensitive skin.
Price at time of publication: $40
The lightweight gel formula, made with hyaluronic acid, goes on smoothly and coolly, to infuse your skin with moisture without aggravating acne or inducing breakouts. We also appreciate that it can be used in the morning and at night, so if it works for you (and doesn’t irritate your skin), you can double up on its usage without overdoing it or breaking the bank.
Price at time of publication: $20
The cream is oil-free, making it a perfect fit for people who are prone to oily skin, and its botanical ingredients—like Japanese leopard lily—work alongside superfoods like green tea and algae to enhance skin tone and smooth out texture.
Price at time of publication: $70
As compared to our earlier list pick of CeraVe’s Skin Renewing Night Cream, this PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion is thinner and more lightweight, making it less prone to clogging pores and irritation or breakouts. But that doesn’t mean it does nothing—hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides help protect and restore your skin’s natural barrier, and since the lotion is so gentle, it can be used in the morning or at night to repair and restore your skin’s health without any adverse effects.
Price at time of publication: $26
While the Annemarie Facial Oil may not be for everyone (users with oil- or acne-prone skin may want to skip it), others will love the way it uses botanical ingredients to smooth, soften, and energize skin. Thank squalane, a plant-based emollient, camellia seed oil, sacha inchi oil, and grape seed oil, which all work together to create an organic, chemical-free product that even some sensitive skin-people rave about. If you suffer from extremely dry skin, we recommend adding this oil to your skincare regimen.
Price at time of publication: $45
Once we narrowed down our options, we compared each cream’s benefits to its price tag. While some choices on our list may be more expensive, we wanted to give a wide range of options that would fit all needs and budgets. Based on all of these factors, we compiled this list of the best night creams.
What to Look for in a Night Cream
Ingredients
The most important words on a bottle of night cream are listed under its ‘ingredients’ section. As Dr. Saedi explained, hyaluronic acid or glycerin, ceramides, peptides, and niacinamide, are all scientifically backed to produce results. However, there are other ingredients that have anti-aging, inflammation-fighting, and skin soothing powers as well. It can be fairly confusing, in fact, to figure out what all these common ingredients are—and which ones you need.
According to dermatologist Erum Ilyas, MD, of Schweiger Dermatology in Prussia, Pennsylvania, a good first step is understanding what many of these ingredients do:
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the skin that hydrates and is unlikely to cause allergic reactions. Ceramides restore and protect the skin. Niacinamide, a. k. a. vitamin B3 has anti-inflammatory and anti-itch properties as well as antimicrobial activity; it may also reduce sebum or oil production in the skin. Peptides and alpha hydroxy acids can firm and tighten the skin.
Armed with knowledge about what these popular ingredients can be used for, you can make more informed choices about what products to buy based on their ingredient lists.
Budget
No matter what your budget is, you can find a great face cream loaded with the ingredients recommended by Dr. Saedi. If you are willing to seriously invest in your skin, then you should check out La Mer or Tatcha. However, many people swear that the less expensive brands are similarly miraculous.
“It’s important to recognize that you do not necessarily get more for paying more,” says Dr. Ilyas. “I am honest with my patients when I say I truly use drugstore brands for moisturizers and cleansers for myself.”
When trying to choose a budget-friendly night cream, Dr. Ilyas recommends taking a problem- and ingredient-based approach: avoid making decisions based on often-misleading product claims and aim to choose only one or two products that specifically tackle your concerns.
“If your only concern is to find a basic product that will restore and protect your skin, choose a night cream that has ceramides, hydrating agents, and potentially niacinamide,” she advises. “If you are challenged with acne or considering adding anti-aging products, make this a secondary product with ingredients focused on this specific task, such as retinol.”
Scent
Most of the face creams on our list are fragrance-free. While scent might seem like an afterthought, many people find that specific fragrance isn’t just a potential irritant, but may be a bit overwhelming. This is highly user-dependent, however.
“If your skin is tolerant of most products, then it may not be necessary to seek out fragrance-free products,” says Dr. Ilyas, “[but] if you do have sensitivities, fragrance-free can be a really important criterion for your night cream to meet.”
This is easier said than done, however; Dr. Ilyas explains that truly fragrance-free products are not as widely available as you may think: “Fragrance-free literally means without fragrance—the base ingredients of the product may [still] have a natural scent.”
Furthermore, she says some products will claim to be “unscented” or “non-scented,” but that this does not translate to fragrance-free. Instead, it might mean a scent has been added to mask the scent of the base ingredients.
Noncomedogenic
If you have acne-prone skin, you’ll need to be especially careful about choosing a product that doesn’t worsen your breakouts. Again, though, that’s easier said than done.
“When choosing a night cream for acne-prone skin, it’s important to keep in mind the risks associated with clogging your pores or triggering more breakouts,” says Dr. Ilyas. This is why you should look for products that are noncomedogenic, which means it doesn’t include ingredients that are known for clogging pores.
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But what is unexpected is her suggestion that, depending on your skin type, you may want to use your night cream during the daytime, too.
“Oftentimes the best creams don’t have to be solely used in the evening,” Dr. Campbell explains. “Lighter weight night cream can be used in the daytime along with sunscreen.”
“[Moisturizer] is an overarching term that includes lotions, creams, and serums,” she explains. “Creams contain more oil than water, whereas lotions contain more water than oil—which is why creams are best for drier skin and night time, when thicker-textured topicals are less burdensome.”
The recommendation? If you want a thicker moisturizer, you can certainly swap out your daytime lotion for a night cream used twice daily, but this won’t be the best fit for everyone. If you need something more lightweight during the day, you’ll want to stick with a lotion-style moisturizer to hydrate your skin without overdoing it.
“[With most night creams], hydration should improve in a few days but anti-aging benefits will take months,” Dr. Campbell says.
