A night cream is a moisturizer you wear while you sleep; it is heavier than a daytime lotion, and it helps trap hydration in the skin (plus any treatment serum or retinol you have applied prior). Furthermore, night cream usually has replenishing and nourishing properties that help your skin regenerate faster and more efficiently as you slumber. For this reason, night creams are a terrific way to “sleep off” any superficial concerns.
There are a couple of different ways to think about night creams, though, and it depends on what role you need that product to play. Primarily, they will be the last step in the regimen, and you can apply treatment serums or retinol beneath that cream, to lock in the benefits of those same active ingredients.
“Night cream should be a salvation for your skin, packed with ingredients that help the skin repair the damage done during the day, and get ready for the next one,” says board-certified dermatologist Heather Rogers, M.D., of Modern Dermatology in Seattle (and founder of Doctor Rogers Skincare). “During sleep, the body’s circulation increases, leading to better absorption of active ingredients. If the ingredients are beneficial to the skin, this is a good thing. Quality sleep allows for better skin repair and improved overall skin health, particularly if you are using products that aid in the process.”
Read on for our picks for the best night creams, as well as what to look for in those products, and how different skin types and climates should incorporate night cream into their regimen.
The Best Ingredients in Night Creams
Dr. Rogers identifies the following ingredients as ideal ones to look for in a night cream, keeping in mind that you can also get active ingredients in a treatment product, which is applied prior to the night cream. Still, the ingredients below represent the ones most suitable in protecting and replenishing skin, while sealing off those treatments so that they get maximum absorption and expression.
Squalane: “This mimics our skin’s natural oils, making it a superb moisturizer, helping to improve skin elasticity, enhance the skin barrier, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines,” says Rogers. “It is also packed with antioxidants to help protect the skin from free radicals.”
Plant oils: “Think jojoba oil or esters, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil, castor oil, shea butter,” she explains. “They all help rebuild its natural moisturizing factor, a key part of the skin’s barrier.”
Niacinamide: “This is an effective skin-restoring vitamin shown to improve skin barrier function, reduce the appearance of enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, fine lines, wrinkles, dullness, redness, and irritation.”
Centella Asiatica Extract: Also known as cica grass or tiger grass, this is a hypoallergenic extract from a medicinal herb (Indian pennywort and gotu kola). “It has powerful antioxidants that soothe skin irritation, improve skin barrier function, increase hydration, minimize scarring, and aid in restoring skin,” says Rogers.
Ceramides: “These help restore skin barrier function and decrease water loss by filling in the intercellular spaces between skin cells.”
Hyaluronic Acid: “Hyaluronic acid is an excellent skin-replenishing ingredient used to maintain water balance and is a postbiotic able to help feed and maintain a healthy skin microbiome.”
Antioxidants: “Some of the ingredients listed above have antioxidant qualities that are beneficial to the skin,” says Rogers.
Do You Need a Separate Night Cream and Daytime Moisturizer?
Skin type and seasonality are the biggest factors that determine the skincare products you use. If it’s hot and humid, you’ll probably choose something different from you would on a cold and dry day (or night). Ditto if you have oily skin instead of dry skin. So, the answer to the above question—whether or not you actually need a separate moisturizer for daytime and nighttime—varies for many people.
However, this is separate from the fact that many daytime moisturizers incorporate SPF into their formulas. Obviously, you do not need SPF at bedtime, so let’s assume that the above question is being asked under the assumption that someone is using a face sunscreen on top of their daytime moisturizer.
For Dry Skin and Climates: It’s probably likelier that you can use the same product day and night, says Rogers. If you are dry-skinned, this cream should be heavier compared to what an oily-skinned or normal-skinned person would wear, and if you are normal or oily-skinned and adjusting to a dry climate, you may likely just wear this at night.
For Normal and Oily Skin, or Humid Climates: There’s a good chance your skin has enough moisture to go for a lighter day cream, and then to incorporate a heavy moisturizer at night. “But if you have oily skin, you may only want a lighter moisturizer twice a day, for both applications,” says Rogers. However, if you sleep in an air-conditioned bedroom, keep in mind that it is both cool and dry, so you may want that denser night cream regardless.
The Best Night Creams
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Doctor Rogers Restore Face Cream
Image Credit: Doctor Rogers This formula is a perfect day-and-night cream for dry skin and arid climates. It’s anchored by squalane, shea butter, niacinamide, and glycerin for deep, nourishing doses of hydration. Those cushioning ingredients may even cut out your need for an undereye cream, so that you can invest all of your anti-aging needs into one core product.
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Aesop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel
Image Credit: Aesop This curious gel feels something like honey, but its texture gets firmer as it absorbs into your skin. It’s a lightweight layer that won’t wear heavily on oily skin types or in humid climates, and infuses your face with nourishing panthenol and antioxidant-rich Vitamin C. In laymens terms, that means it can help reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and dark spots with continued use.
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Omorovicza Rejuvenating Night Cream
Image Credit: Omorovicza This buttery recipe is infused with the healing thermal waters of Hungary. It accelerates cellular turnover with Vitamin A, which you might know as retinol, boosts antioxidant supply with plum almond oil, and improves collagen production thanks to carrot oil. Use it to slow visible signs of aging, and to take a few years off your mug with continued use, too.
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Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Omega-Rich Cloud Cream
Image Credit: Kiehl’s Rich in omega fatty acids, this whip-like night cream suits all skin types, but is especially adept at reviving tired, stressed, or dull skin in a single night’s slumber. It leaves skin looking plumper, fuller, and brighter—and as pillowy soft as the cream itself.
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Dior L’Or de Vie La Creme
Image Credit: Dior It’s not just the heavy golden jar that makes this cream special. Dior’s L’Or de Vie line of high-end skin care is made from the same plants that produce grapes used in the vaunted French wine Chateau d’Yquem. These grapes, applied topically in high concentration, have been clinically tested to produce serious skin brightening and wrinkle-reducing effects. It makes taking care of your skin feel like the luxury it is.
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Cellcosmet Cellmen Face Ultra
Image Credit: Cellcosmet Cellcosmet’s formulas are designed for people prepared to play the long game with their skin, not those looking for quick, overnight benefits. Cellmen Face Ultra has an alluring, comfortable texture, and its formula includes everything from hydrating hyaluronic acid to brightening antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E.
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Beau Domaine La Creme
Image Credit: Beau Domaine Yes, it’s Brad Pitt’s skin care line. But it’s also made with deeply researched molecules tested to slow down the aging process by resisting the impact of zombie cells, the aging cells in our skin that can influence young, healthy cells to age more rapidly. And it’s got the best packaging on this list by far.
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Sisley Sisleÿa L’Intégral Anti-Âge Fresh Gel Cream
Image Credit: Sisley People with oily skin are often left out of the night cream conversation. The notion is that excess sebum production helps skin look younger, longer—and to a certain extent, that can be true. Still, Sisley developed this gel-texture cream with the understanding that even oily skin ages eventually, and filled it with an all-star team of shea butter for barrier protection, vitamin E for antioxidant defense, and glycerin for deep hydration.
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Skinbetter Science Intensive AlphaRet Overnight Cream
Image Credit: Skinbetter Science When it comes to anti-aging benefits, few ingredients are more effective than retinol. When it comes to achieving smooth, youthful skin texture, few ingredients are more effective than alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs. Skinbetter Science’s formula combines both in this award-winning formula, which has won no shortage of fans over the years it’s been on the market.
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Noble Panacea Rejuvenation Night Balm
Image Credit: Noble Panacea There’s only one skin care brand founded by a winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and that’s Noble Panacea. Its formulas are powered by a delivery mechanism that helps active ingredients sink deeper into the skin, and deploy during the most beneficial moments of your slumber. In this case, that means glycolic acid, retinol, and collagen boosting peptides work together to help improve the appearance of your skin.
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Timeline The Night Cream
Image Credit: Timeline TImeline’s collection of skin care and supplements is powered by Urolithin A, a molecule that helps enhance the production of cellular energy. Applied topically, in concert with shea butter, niacinamide, and caffeine, it helps skin cells maintain healthy function—which means you hold onto your good looks even longer.
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Dr. Barbara Sturm Super Anti-Aging Night Cream
Image Credit: Dr. Barbara Sturm With its powerful blend of antioxidants and hydrators, this night cream delivers an instant glow on application. Overnight, the polyglutamic acid in its formula attracts and binds water, helping your skin feel firmer and stronger over time.
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Skinmedica Dermal Repair Cream
Image Credit: Skinmedica Reach for this small jar whenever you experience a sunburn or other harsh circumstance. Its algae extract and ultra-rich texture are designed to help your skin hold onto more water, which enhances its ability to protect and heal itself.
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La Prairie White Caviar Creme Extraordinaire
Image Credit: La Prairie It has a feminine scent, but this cream is uncommonly powerful when it comes to fighting back against dark spots and hyperpigmentation. If you suffer from adult acne scars or live with evidence of shaving cuts for weeks on end, think of this as a hack for getting your skin back to its smooth, blemish-free good looks.
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Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream
Image Credit: Augustinus Bader This cream is a personal favorite of Robb Report‘s lifestyle director, Justin Fenner. “I love this stuff. It pairs effortlessly with tretinoin at night, and makes my skin feel deeply moisturized and well-protected. It’s the only ‘rich’ cream that my oily skin hasn’t reacted badly to, and I love that I can use it in both warm and cold weather.”
Credit: robbreport.com
