Top 10 Best Night Creams
1. BEST OVERALL NIGHT CREAM
Olay Regenerist Retinol24 Night Moisturizer
PROS
- Top performer in Lab tests
- Firmed skin by 27%
- Packed with top anti-agers and smoothers like retinol, niacinamide and peptides
The winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s most recent night cream test, Olay’s light formula featuring gold-standard anti-aging ingredients retinol, niacinamide and peptides outperformed the rest at making skin look brighter and more lifted and feel softer. Backed by the Good Housekeeping Seal, it increased skin firmness by 27% according to measurements with the Lab’s Cutometer device, which measures skin laxity.
An impressive 100% of testers agreed it made skin feel softer. “This seemed to work as well as my prescription retinoid,” a tester marveled. “My face was firmer and smoother when I woke up each morning,” a second said.
2. BEST VALUE NIGHT CREAM
No7 HydraLuminous Overnight Recovery Cream
PROS
- Lightweight and non-sticky
- Soaks in immediately
- Refreshes skin
Skin that suffers from breakouts still needs hydration: Enter this lightweight gel night cream from No7. GH Beauty Lab data analysis confirmed that 86% of users found that it had a weightless texture, 90% that it instantly absorbed into skin and 93% that it didn’t leave skin feeling sticky after use. In the morning after the first application of the glycerin and vitamin E formula, 76% of testers said their skin looked refreshed
3. BEST NIGHT CREAM FOR MATURE SKIN
No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Night Cream
PROS
- Smoothed wrinkles in Lab tests
- Silky-soft, non-sticky finish on skin
Formulated with retinyl palmitate, a powerful, proven anti-ager, No7’s night cream is highly effective in reducing wrinkles, according to GH Beauty Lab experts’ analysis. Testers liked the product’s rich consistency and silky feel, saying it left their faces soft, not tacky, and was gentle on their skin.
4. BEST NIGHT CREAM FOR EYES
Roc Retional Correxion Max Daily Hydration Anti-Aging Creme
PROS
- Reduces wrinkles, including on the eye area
- Minimizes dark spots and boosts radiance
This retinol-packed cream from Roc, a GH Seal star and GH Beauty Award winner, is perfect for overnight use, even around the eye area. It made skin look 32% smoother and more radiant after just one week of use — after four weeks, users reported fewer fine lines and eye wrinkles, and after eight weeks, lessened deep wrinkles and dark spots. GH Beauty Lab pros suggest using it every other night to start to mitigate any irritation.
5. BEST NIGHT CREAM FOR GLOWING SKIN
No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Night Cream
PROS
- Budget-friendly
- Evens skin tone for a more radiant look
- Reduces wrinkles and makes skin look lifted
Packed with a powerful trifecta of illuminating vitamin C, hydrating hyaluronic acid and smoothing retinol, this cream from No7 is a top-tested formula for giving skin a radiant glow. Thanks to its powerful ingredients, it helps smooth and firm skin, while also evening skin tone. After using the cream for four weeks in our tests, 83% of testers said their wrinkles were visibly reduced, 78% said their skin looked lifted and81% said their skin tone looked more even.
6. BEST DAY AND NIGHT CREAM COMBO
L’Oreal Paris Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Day/Nighr Cream
PROS
- Multi-use formula for day and night
- 96% of women reported firmer, softer skin after use
Not only is L’Oréal’s formula a night cream, it also works well as a go-to day cream. The GH Beauty Award winner fortifies skin’s moisture barrier and helps firm with calcium and natural oils like passionfruit and apricot. One study of 52 women found that 96% saw firmer and more supple skin in just one month of use, GH Beauty Lab data evaluation confirmed.
7. BEST NIGHT CREAM FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating face Mask
PROS
- Forms a barrier to lock moisture in skin
- Deeply nourishes
- Gentle formula
CONS
- May be too heavy for those with oily or combination skin
Not your average night cream, this fragrance-free Kiehl’s overnight mask gives compromised skin an extra nourishing boost thanks to a high 10.5% level of hydrating squalane. One GH beauty editor uses the solid, butter-like formula as a last step to seal in her night moisturizer on evenings when her eczema-prone skin is extra dry or irritated. “I have no dehydrated or flaky patches on my face when I wake up,” she reports. “It’s truly amazing.” Note that the jar is a larger size than most night creams, making it a good value
8. BEST NIGHT CREAM FOR DRY SKIN
Philosophy Anti Wrinkle Miracle worker + Line Correcting Overnight Cream
PROS
- Deeply hydrates and effectively firms skin
- Non-irritating formula great for sensitive skin
This Philosophy formula, packed with skin-softening, nourishing hyaluronic acid, glycerin and squalane, was the hero hydrator of all the GH Beauty Lab test winners. It raised hydration by 34% over six hours, and it upped firmness by 29% in four weeks. The cream rated best for smoothing texture, being gentle on dry skin and its subtle scent; it also earned high marks for firming. Almost 100% of testers said it didn’t irritate or cause redness. “My skin looked better after the first night,” one remarked.
9. BEST FIRMING NIGHT CREAM
Algenist Genius Sleeping Collagen
PROS
- Top Lab performer for firming skin and evening skin tone
- Increased skin firmness by 33% and hydration by 28%
CONS
- May be too rich for oily or combination skin
Tighten sagging skin with Algenist’s dense balm, made with fortifying ceramides and fatty acids. It was the strongest of all night creams evaluated at firming skin and evening out skin tone over four weeks of use, according to Lab assessments. Cutometer calculations showed that it boosted skin elasticity and firmness by 33% over four weeks, and hydration increased by 28% in six hours in Corneometer readings. Two testers reported that it faded their dark spots. “I could really tell a difference in my skin — it was more firm and moist 24/7,” another raved.
10. BEST ANTI AGING NIGHT CREAM
Exuviance Age Reverse Night Lift
PROS
- Top performer in Lab tests for firming skin and reducing wrinkles
- Lightweight gel texture
Despite its featherweight, gel-like formula, Exuviance was a strong performer in GH Beauty Lab testing, winning for minimizing the look of lines on aging skin. The treatment, loaded with actives like glycolic acid, peptides and retinol, gave faces a “lift” too, rating at the top both in Lab evaluations and with testers for making skin look and feel firmer. According to digital imaging with the Lab’s Visia Complexion Analyzer device, it improved the look of wrinkles by an impressive 10% in four weeks and raised skin’s firmness 31% in Cutometer measurements. Several testers reported that they noticed fewer lines too.
