17 Best Night Creams 2022

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. GH’s beauty director 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.”

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 skin and its subtle scent, and it 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.

Mary Kay’s night cream, a GH Steal star, was formulated specially for oily and combination skin types. Made with anti-aging vitamin B3 and peptides, it’s oil-free and non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores. The formula also absorbs quickly and feels non-greasy, GH Beauty Lab evaluation found. After five weeks of use, 85% of women found it enhanced skin’s youthful glow, Lab data analysis confirmed.

Despite its featherweight, gel-like formula, Exuviance was a heavy hitter 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.

Skin that suffers from breakouts still needs hydration: Enter this oil-free gel night cream from No7, a GH Seal star. GH Beauty Lab data analysis confirmed that 86% of users found 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.

A GH Seal star, Mary Kay’s night cream hydrates and fights top signs of aging, like deep lines and uneven skin tone. And even though it’s formulated with powerful retinol, it’s still gentle enough if you have sensitive skin. Data revealed that when applied nightly, the overnight treatment effectively smooths wrinkles and improves skin tone, while leaving skin moisturized for up to 10 hours.

Not only is L’Oréal’s formula a night cream, it also works well as a go-to day cream. It 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.

This retinol-packed cream from Roc, a 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 every other night to start to mitigate any irritation.

A GH Beauty Lab test winner, Caudalie’s cream delivered real moisturization results in evaluations — boosting skin hydration by 43% in just six hours and was best at smoothing texture. It’s formulated with moisturizing grapeseed oil and resveratrol, a free-radical fighting antioxidant. Six testers reported how “smooth” the cream felt as it went on and made their faces feel.“It moisturized my skin into the morning,” one raved. “I woke up looking refreshed,” another said. They also gave it perfect marks for not being greasy or irritating.

Packed with hyaluronic acid and peptides, Osmotics is a winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s test of overnight masks, face masks that are created to be left on skin overnight in place of night cream for a more intensive treatment. The lavender-scented gel formula increased skin’s hydration levels by an impressive 45% in Lab measurements with the Corneometer machine. Testers also liked its tightening and refreshing effects on the face.

Packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid and line-smoothing retinol, No7’s GH Seal star night cream is a top formula with multiple skin benefits at a great price. Thanks to the powerful ingredients, it helps smooth and firm skin, while also evening skin tone. After using the cream for four weeks, 83% of testers said their wrinkles were visibly reduced, 78% said their skin looked lifted, and 81% said their skin tone looked more even.

This Sisley Paris cream has a lightweight gel-like texture infused with rose water that soaks into skin, so it’s not too heavy or rich. The rose water‘s scent makes it a luxurious aromatherapy treatment, too — it really feels like a pampering indulgence at the end of a long day, GH’s beauty director says.