17 Best Night Creams to Snooze Your Way to Radiant Skin
As skin-care lovers, our favorite part of the day is removing every trace of makeup with an indulgent double-cleanse and capping things off with the best night creams we can get our hands on. Here, we present the best night creams to cap off your nighttime skin-care routine and ensure you wake up with glowy and hydrated skin.
Our Top Picks:
- Best Overall: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2, $150
- Best for Dry Skin: Osea Collagen Dream Night Cream, $68
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Advanced Repair Barrier Cream, $48
- Best Brightening Moisturizer: Clé de Peau Beauté Intensive Fortifying Cream, $190
- Best for Mature Skin: Chanel Le Lift Crème de Nuit, $175
- Best with Retinol: Eau Thermale Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream, $79
- Best Splurge: U Beauty The Barrier Bioactive Treatment, $198
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does a night cream differ from a moisturizer?
- Ingredients to look for in night creams
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2
Why It's Worth It: According to Dr. Gohara, SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 is an investment-worthy option if you're looking for a good night cream. "It infuses skin-identical fatty acids into the barrier in the exact proportion that naturally exists in our barrier," she says, referring to the golden 2:4:2 ratio, which indicates the percent of pure ceramides 1 and 3, natural cholesterol, and fatty acids present in the formula. This blend addresses a slew of skin concerns, such as uneven skin tone, rough texture, overall radiance, and pore appearance.
Editor Tip: Dr. Gohara uses this one personally, applying it nightly on top of her retinoid to wake up with glowy results every day.
Key Ingredients: Ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids | Who It's For: Dry or dehydrated skin
Best for Dry Skin: Osea Collagen Dream Night Cream
Why It's Worth It: The key to Osea's Collagen Dream Night Cream and its skin-plumping formula is its blend of humectants and emollients. As hydrating glycerin draws water onto the surface layer of skin, shea butter seals in moisture for a plumper, smoother feel by the time your morning alarm rings. This formula also contains algae extract as a brightening, wrinkle-reducing alternative to retinol.
Editor Tip: Though this cream is free of synthetic fragrances, it still has a light, calming lavender scent derived from essential oil.
Key Ingredients: Algae extract, collagen (plant-derived), glycerin, shea butter, king of bitters extract, pink rock-rose extract, lavender oil, | Who It's For: Dry skin, mature skin
Best for Sensitive Skin: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Advanced Repair Barrier Cream
Why It's Worth It: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream is as classic as it gets, but for those who need a richer formula to relieve intense dryness and visible redness, consider picking up the Ultra Facial Advanced Repair Barrier Cream — especially during harsher-weather months. This buttery, fragrance-free barrier treatment feels as luxurious as creams twice its price but absorbs surprisingly fast. Glycerin, urea, and squalane provide intense hydration, while colloidal oatmeal and beta-glucan soothe sensitivity.
Editor Tip: We also appreciate that it's packaged in a tube (rather than a tub) for no-mess application.
Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, squalane, beta-glucan | Who It's For: Sensitive or reactive skin types
Best Brightening Moisturizer: Clé de Peau Beauté Intensive Fortifying Cream
Why It's Worth It: If dullness is your concern, Clé de Peau Beauté's Intensive Fortifying Cream will bring the luminance back to your complexion. This brightening cream features silk extract, which is rich in amino acids, the building blocks of all the proteins in your body that assist with skin healing, elasticity, and complexion radiance. It also contains pearl shell extract, which gives skin a glowy, illuminated appearance.
Editor Tip: This cream has a dense, custardy texture and leaves skin feeling velvety smooth, thanks to fatty acid-rich perilla and angelica acutiloba extracts. Its multitasking formulation is great for dry and hyperpigmentation-prone skin types alike.
Key Ingredients: Silk extract, pearl shell extract, perilla extract, angelica acutiloba extract | Who It's For: Dull skin, dark spots, dry skin
Best for Mature Skin: Chanel Le Lift Crème de Nuit
Why It's Worth It: Chanel's Le Lift Crème de Nuit is the closest thing to an overnight, needle-free Botox treatment on the market, but the kicker is it's not as harsh as high-concentration retinol creams. This moisturizer swaps harsh active ingredients for an alfalfa concentrate, which is rich in elasticity-boosting antioxidants, including vitamin A (which is retinol) and vitamin C.
Editor Tip: To up your wrinkle-reducing routine, use the Chanel Le Lift Pro Crème Volume, an Allure Best of Beauty 2023 Award winner, in your morning skin-care regimen.
Key Ingredients: Alfalfa concentrate, epidermist (plankton extract), silver needle tea | Who It's For: Mature skin
Best with Retinol: Eau Thermale Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream
Why It's Worth It: Eau Thermale Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream is one of the best retinol creams for beginners, especially if you have very sensitive and dry skin, and was previously recommended by Mamina Turegano, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Instead of retinol, this nourishing repair cream is formulated with retinaldehyde to promote cell turnover, elasticity, and collagen production.
Editor Tip: The brand's Thermal Spring Water acts as a soothing counterpart to any potential vitamin A-related irritation.
Key Ingredients: Retinaldehyde, vitamin E, peptides | Who It's For: First-time retinol users
Best Splurge: U Beauty The Barrier Bioactive Treatment
Why It's Worth It: Sure, it's pricey, but U Beauty's The Barrier Bioactive Treatment has a potent formula that's guaranteed to bring your complexion back to baby-level softness. This gel-textured treatment contains a blend of hydrators and exfoliants — urea, hyaluronic acid, and alpha hydroxy acids are just the beginning — that'll transform your skin to its softest state yet.
Editor Tip: U Beauty recommends using this treatment at least two times per week to see results, but the brand also notes you can use it nightly to wake up to velvety-smooth skin every morning.
Key Ingredients: Urea, hyaluronic acid, alpha hydroxy acids, sunflower wax, sodium DNA, vitamin B6, shea butter, oat extract, jojoba wax, mimosa wax | Who It's For: Dry skin, dull skin, textured skin
Best Drugstore: Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream
Why It's Worth It: Olay's entire Regenerist line is the gold standard of drugstore skin care, but when we want an overnight radiance boost, we slather on the line's Night Recovery Cream. Its rich, custardy formula is packed with skin-loving ingredients like niacinamide and glycerin to brighten and plump your complexion overnight.
Editor Tip: This formula is fragrance-free and doesn't contain harsh actives, so sensitive skin types can apply this pick without any fear of irritation.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, glycerin | Who It's For: Dry skin, sensitive skin
Best Multitasking Formula: Algenist Sleeping Collagen
Why It's Worth It: Plump and moisturize your skin with Algenist's Sleeping Collagen. This rich cream's main ingredient is a plant-based, proprietary molecule that replicates collagen, which Algenist calls its Active Vegan Collagen Complex. This complex is comprised of intertwined corn, soy, and wheat protein fibers that work together to boost your skin's natural bounce and suppleness overnight. As its star ingredient improves skin elasticity, algae-derived alguronic acid provides antioxidant benefits — dullness, fine lines, and sagging reduction, to name a few — and ceramides moisturize.
Editor Tip: If your complexion is on the drier end of the skin type spectrum, we recommend swapping this night cream for Algenist's Power Recharging Night Pressed Serum, a balmy moisturizer enriched with alguronic acid and coconut water.
Key Ingredients: Alguronic acid, active vegan collagen complex (corn, soy, and wheat protein fibers), microalgae oil, ceramides | Who It's For: Dry skin, mature skin
Best Gel Formula: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Overnight Gel
Why It's Worth It: Though it's light in texture, the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Overnight Gel is a moisturizing powerhouse for all skin types. Oily and dry skin types alike will appreciate its oil-free blend of conditioning ingredients like the brand's proprietary thermal spring water, antioxidant vitamin E, and glycerin.
Editor Tip: This moisturizing gel gets brownie points for its airtight packaging, which prevents bacteria and ingredient-oxidizing air from getting into the formula.
Key Ingredients: Thermal spring water, glycerin, vitamin E, carnosine, shea butter | Who It's For: All skin types, including sensitive skin
Best for Eczema-Prone Skin: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Night Cream
Why It's Worth It: Sensitive-skinned Allure editors are big fans of First Aid Beauty, as the brand's products are extra gentle, and more importantly, fragrance-free; the Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Night Cream is no exception, melting into the skin like butter without a trace of irritation. It's made with colloidal oatmeal to calm redness, sodium hyaluronate to attract moisture, and niacinamide to even out the skin's tone (looking at you, dark spots) and texture.
Editor Tip: Because this is a water-based formula that's paraben-free and noncomedogenic, this lotion is a great option for those with dry skin and acne-prone skin alike.
Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate | Who It's For: People with sensitive skin
Best for Oily Skin: RéVive Moisturizing Renewal Cream Nightly Retexturizer
Why It's Worth It: The inaugural product from the plastic surgeon-founded line, the RéVive Moisturizing Renewal Cream Nightly Retexturizer has staying power for a reason: Not only does it gently resurface skin with glycolic acid, but it also contains the brand's proprietary peptide to renew and brighten skin. "I've found that it's helped smooth my skin texture after a few weeks of using it, and it's kept my usually oily, breakout-prone skin clear," says Allure contributor Deanna Pai.
Editor Tip: It's worth pairing with RéVive's night cream for the neck, which is designed for evenings only.
Key Ingredients: Glycolic acid, peptides, glycerin | Who It's For: Oily skin
Best Fragrance-Free: SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid Peptide Cream
Why It's Worth It: David Kim, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, describes SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid Peptide Cream as "super creamy and hydrating, and exactly what you need on a cold, dry winter night to restore and repair your skin barrier." He also adds that it's great for people with sensitive skin because it's — like all of SkinFix's roster — fragrance-free. Key ingredients worth calling out are moisturizing shea butter, skin-mimicking lipids to restore ceramide and fatty acid levels, and firming peptides — all of which leave your skin feeling as soft as a newborn baby's bottom.
Editor Tip: The brand offers refill pods.
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, peptides | Who It's For: Those sensitive to scents
Best with Peptides: Peach & Lily Peptide Pro Firming Moisturizer
Why It's Worth It: Peptides work their magic by visibly firming skin and Peach & Lily doesn't take that lightly. That's why its Peptide Pro Firming Moisturizer is packed with 12 types of peptides to stimulate the production of protein for smoother, plumper skin. "This gel-cream texture is surprisingly rich and nourishing without the grease," Dr. Liu attests. You'll also find hyaluronic acid (comprised of short, medium, and long-chain molecules), vegan collagen, and tremella mushroom to further draw moisture into aging skin and boost radiance overnight.
Editor Tip: For an even richer treatment, Dr. Wu recommends Peach & Lily's Overnight Star Night Cream. A star-studded concoction of jojoba, squalane, and macadamia plays an essential role in boosting hydration levels, as Dr. Wu notes that "skin loses more water at night."
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides, vegan collagen | Who It's For: People targeting fine lines and wrinkles
Best for Redness: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask
Why It's Worth It: Sensitive skin types, allow us to introduce you to one of the most hydrating night creams for dry, irritated skin: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask, a 2021 and 2022 Allure Best of Beauty winner. This gel leave-on mask holds a special place in many of our editors' hearts for its cica-, niacinamide-, and glycerin-spiked formula that soothes redness and plumps skin. Our tester said that her skin "instantly felt soothed," as if there was "a veil of calm coating her skin."
Editor Tip: It's more of an overnight mask than a cream, so you need to rinse it off in the morning.
Key Ingredients: Cica, niacinamide, glycerin | Who It's For: Those prone to inflammation
Best Lightweight: Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair
Why It's Worth It: Jenny Liu, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, vouches for Tatcha's Indigo Overnight Repair, which she describes as a “serum-in-moisturizer treatment that visibly calms irritation, strengthens the skin's barrier, and balances the microbiome for a healthy, hydrated glow.” Its healing powers are derived from dryness-soothing Japanese indigo extract, moisture-locking hyaluronic acid and ceramides, and mondo grass root, a plant-based humectant.
Editor Tip: Commerce writer Jennifer Hussein, who has overall sensitive skin, says that Indigo Overnight Repair is surprisingly gentle.
Key Ingredients: Indigo extract, hyaluronic acid, ceramides | Who It's For: Those seeking a quick-absorbing option
Best with Antioxidants: Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Face Cream
Why It's Worth It: Quench your skin overnight with Fresh's Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Face Cream and wake up to rested-looking skin by morning. Sounds too good to be true? Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist Jessica Wu, MD, recommends this formula, noting that the namesake lotus is a “strong antioxidant that helps fight free radical damage at night when skin repairs DNA damage.” Other ingredients that bring on the moisture include glycerin, shea butter, peach leaf extract, and vitamin E — resulting in one well-rounded night cream that feels as luxurious as it looks.
Editor Tip: It has a light, fruity-floral scent.
Key Ingredients: Super lotus, polyglutamic acid, peach leaf extract | Who It's For: Those with dull or stressed skin
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a night cream differ from a moisturizer?
Just as people debate the necessity of eye cream, not everyone's convinced that you should invest in an overnight cream in addition to the face moisturizer you already slather on in the morning. But to all the naysayers, we'll just let the pros do the convincing. "We lose water in the skin at night, so nighttime is all about locking in moisture," Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine, tells Allure.
South Florida-based board-certified dermatologist De Anne Harris Collier, MD, agrees, adding that research has shown that repair of DNA-damaged skin cells peaks, skin cells turn over more quickly, and there are increased rates of skin blood flow and skin permeability at night. "All the more reason to apply a great night cream to take advantage of the skin's innate repair system," she says.
Ingredients to look for in night creams
As stated above, night creams mainly focus on replenishing moisture, so expect to find conditioning additives like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerin in your formulas. But, if your night cream isn't already infused with intensive active ingredients, Dr. Gohara says that people often layer retinoids before they go to sleep, so adding your night moisturizer on top is the perfect way to lock it all in while contributing additional beneficial ingredients. And because retinoids can cause sun sensitivity, nighttime is the best time to use them and other photosensitizing ingredients, Dr. Collier adds, like alpha hydroxy acids (AHA). And remember come morning, "you must apply a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher daily, especially when using retinol as part of your skin regimen," Dr. Collier says.
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best night creams, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors — along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors — in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon — is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
