Bedtime can be the best time to apply skincare as the cream has hours to soak into your skin and do its thing. It’s not called beauty sleep for any old reason…

However, it can be a little tricky to find the right fit. That’s why we’ve rounded up 9 of the best night moisturisers of 2012 for all skin types, including dry, mature, and sensitive in this essential guide.

What is night cream?

Night creams are generally richer and more concentrated than your standard face cream – the sort that feel too heavy to wear day-to-day or under your makeup.

They usually contain higher concentrations of antioxidants, nourishing butters, retinols, and other hydrating ingredients, which are generally better absorbed while you sleep.

Why is night cream used?

Night face creams are formulated to work best at night, when your skin is more focussed on regenerating much faster than in the AM. This is because it doesn’t have to protect you from UV damage or pollutants from the environment.

Research suggests that our facial skin loses more water through evaporation (transepidermal water loss) at night than it does in the day.¹This makes it all the more important to keep your skin well-hydrated during the night to help combat this.

Switching your regular day cream for a richer night cream typically promotes plumper and more hydrated skin – who wouldn’t want to wake up to that?

Which night cream is best?

Choosing the best night cream is important – everyone’s skin is different.

For example, mature skin tends to respond well retinols and other potent healthy-ageing compounds, while sensitive skin would shy away from such potent ingredients and opt for soothing extracts.

We have chosen the best night cream for each skin type below to help you choose.

9 of the best night creams 2021

After analysing the ingredients and pouring over customer reviews, we have found the 9 most-loved night creams here at H&B according to individual skin needs:

The best night cream for dry skin

Vitaskin Vitamin C Collagen Boosting Night Cream

Wake up to a youthful and healthy glow

If you love a sweet orange scent and soft, hydrated skin, this night cream could be for you.

This collagen-boosting night cream contains carefully chosen ingredients that recharge your skin overnight.

Collagen is what helps your skin stay strong and hydrating, making it a great match for dry skin.

What are the benefits of collagen for the skin? Find out here

Key benefits:

Hydrating night cream: vitamin C and other ingredients help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Full of omega oils: kiwi seed, sea buckthorn, sweet orange oils

What our customers think:

Jojo56789 – The BEST… Hydrating non greasy – 5/5 stars

“The best! I have combination skin so tend to be oily t zone. This cream absorbs really quickly, and skin feels velvety soft but no residue or grease. This is the only cream/ oil I’ve used that just sinks right in C and I wake up with soft not greasy skin. Reasonably priced I LOVE IT.”

Kat – My skin looks plumper, it’s glowing – 5/5 stars

“I have never been so happy with a cream. My skin felt amazing after one use, my skin felt refreshed and looked plumper and it smells fabulous. Love it.”

The best night cream for oily skin

Q+A Chamomile Night Cream

A treat for tired, stressed skin

Calming chamomile meets nourishing skin care favourites in this gentle night cream.

Carefully chosen ingredients work together to hydrate the skin and help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation.

It’s great for oily skin as it’s gentle and light, whilst still giving it the hydration it needs.

Key benefits:

Soothing: chamomile and other gentle ingredients calm and soothe tired skin
Rejuvenating: helps to reduce signs of ageing and reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation
Hydrating: helps to improve skin appearance, leaving it soft and hydrated

What our customers think:

Rose2.0 – Amazing – 5/5 stars

“This night cream is so silky and smooth, and it smells so nice! My skin feels amazing after putting it on every night.”

Sam74 – Lovely, rich and kind! – 5/5 stars

“I have been using this for about a month and really love it. It feels really rich but absorbs easily without any greasy residue and leaves skin really soft. I've used much more expensive creams and have been really underwhelmed but this is awesome.”

The best night cream for sensitive skin

Sukin Sensitive Calming Night Cream

Calming night cream for sensitive skin

Delicate skin? Sukin has you covered! This calming night cream contains gentle ingredients to give your skin what it needs while you sleep.

Rosehip, borage and evening primrose oils enhance skin appearance and texture, while cucumber and chamomile hydrate and soothe the complexion.

Key benefits:

Luxurious: rosehip, borage and evening primrose oils nourish the skin while you sleep.
Soothing: cucumber and chamomile help soothe the complexion and calm the skin
Moisturising: delivers intense hydration and helps to relieve redness due to dry skin

What our customers think:

Bella_87 – Beautiful product – 5/5 stars

“A very nice night cream, gentle and light, but rich at the same time. Very healing on dry patches also.”

Jkwilliamson1 – Beautiful stuff – 5/5 stars

“Absorbs beautifully. Noticeably smoother skin after just a couple of weeks. I love it.”

The best hyaluronic acid night cream for mature skin

Trilogy Age Proof Replenishing Night Cream

Regenerate and rejuvenate your complexion while you sleep

Bring a touch of luxury to your night-time routine with this replenishing night cream by Trilogy.

It combines nourishing bio-actives including hyaluronic acid, co-enzyme Q10, and the innovative Glycablend™. All with a delicate, sophisticated fragrance and an unbeatable texture.

Key benefits:

Top class: deeply nourishing and easily absorbed, with a luxurious texture and sophisticated fragrance
Regenerates skin: restores suppleness and elasticity, while helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Nourishing bio-actives: including co-enzyme Q10, hyaluronic acid and Glycablend™

What our customers think:

Palli – 100% satisfied – 5/5 stars

“Amazing cream. Super hydrating. I would definitely recommend it"

Beauty junkie Gina – Loving the scent and the texture! – 5/5 stars

“Delightful scent, lovely fluffy texture, highly pampering to put on one's skin. Haven't used it long enough to say whether it reduces wrinkles but will certainly be re-purchasing. :)”

The best retinol night cream

Vitaskin Vitamin A Rejuvenating Night Cream

Rejuvenate your skin overnight with retinol

VitaSkin retinol night cream is full of retinoids, carrot seed oil and other ingredients to help nourish your skin as you sleep.

This vitamin A and vitamin E night cream work together to help brighten and even skin tone, while helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Key benefits:

Packed with retinoids: to help promote collagen products and reduce fine lines and wrinkles
Vitamin rich: high levels of vitamin E and vitamin A to help brighten and even skin tone

What our customers think:

Jarmi – Gentle yet effective – 5/5 stars

“Wonderful night cream. Gentle yet effective with a pleasant aroma. Every day I look forward to my evening skin routine.”

Pie92 – Visible Results – 5/5 stars

“I have been using this night cream for around 10 days now and I'm seeing visible results already. Skin is feeling and looking smoother, pores minimised, tighter and plumped. Even the stubborn frown line between my eyebrows is looking better. Not greasy and nice balmy feel once on the skin. Bit of flaking in the morning but that just shows its working!”

The best organic night cream

Natura Siberica Age-Defying Night Recovery Face Cream

Organic night recovery

Wake up to soft and velvety skin with this age-defying night cream by Natura Siberica.

Inspired by plants, this night cream contains organic Snow Caledonia and Siberian pine oil, delivering vitamins and usnic acid to this skin.

Key benefits:

Plant powered: organic Snow Cladonia hyrolate and Siberian pine oil are nourising
Deep moisturisation: antioxidants, vitamins E and F, and usnic acid help nourish and soften the skin
Organic: certified organic

What our customers think:

Allie T – Will definitely be buying again – 5/5 stars

“Fabulous smell and I haven’t had any reactionary break outs from it. (I have pretty sensitive, acne-prone skin). Very happy with it as I was specifically looking for a night cream with hyaluronic acid in it. I think I’ve found my new night cream.”

Lana – Love the Natura Siberica night cream – 5/5 stars

“Like the cream. It smells lovely and has a light texture. Will definitely buy again.”

The best resveratrol night cream

Andalou Resveratrol Q10 Night Repair Cream

Expertly formulated with age-defying technology

Renew and regenerate skin overnight with this night repair cream.

Enriched with a fruit stem cell complex, resveratrol and co-enzyme Q10 to help moisturise the skin and rejuvenate the complexion.

Key benefits:

Innovative: fruit stem cell science help uplift skin tone and texture overnight for velvety soft skin
Renews and repairs: regenerative resveratrol, coenzyme Q-10 and antioxidants help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

What our customers think:

AnitaLaczkó – Best ever – 5/5 stars

“The best night cream ever. No controversial ingredients in it, does not cause break outs. In the morning I have brighter, more healthy looking skin. You only need a little amount. Rich, but does not make the skin greasy. Well moisturising. LOVE IT! 3rd time I purchased and definitely will do more.”

TracyA – Skin superstar! – 5/5 stars

“First tried this as a sample, when I found out H&B stocked the Andalou range I was over the moon. I’ve tried for years to find a face cream that suits my skin. This cream showed an improvement in my skin straight away. It absorbs instantly leaving no sticky or oily residue and skin is instantly plumped and feels refreshed. I have seen an improvement in all aspects of my skin, it has calmed the sensitivity and has really hydrated my dry skin. I have also noticed a great improvement in wrinkles. Can’t recommend highly enough.”

The best luxury night cream

Whamisa Organic Flowers Nourishing Cream

Top of the range night cream

Although you can use this moisturiser at any time of the day, its intensely rich formulation makes it the perfect luxury night cream/sleeping mask.

Mango, cacao, avocado and shea butters provide powerful hydration, especially for dry and mature skin. Forget plain water, this cream uses botanical extracts from aloe instead for lasting moisturisation.

Enjoy soft, glowing skin with this premium-quality cream.

Key benefits:

Rich butters: including mango, cacao, avocado and shea butters for youthful and supple skin
Perfect for dry and mature skin: with botanical extracts from aloe instead of plain water for lasting hydration

What our customers think:

Gosia – Love it – 5/5 stars

“Another great product. All their cosmetics are top notch. I won’t be using anything else for a while. It works great on dry, sensitive skin. I’ve noticed a massive difference just after few days.”

Sunay – Beautiful – 5/5 stars

“I got this on sale at Edinburgh store. I love skincare and I am super picky about what I am putting on my face. That cream got my attention because it is Korean and when I saw the ingredients list, I knew I had to try this. It is really a great quality nourishing cream. My super sensitive skin seems to love this organically fermented cream. I will try other products form the same line.”

The best night cream mask

Beauty Kitchen Seahorse Plankton Knight Rescue Mask

Leave on mask for deep hydration

Not just a night cream, this rescue mask stays on overnight to deeply hydrate your skin.

Biologically-proven microalgae works its magic as you get your beauty sleep, leaving you with plumped and firm skin. Simply wash it off in the morning for a glowing complexion.

It also contains calming essential oils like lavender oil to help you drift off to a good night’s sleep.

To top it all off, 1% of sales from the Beauty Kitchen Seahorse Plankton range goes towards supporting The Seahorse Trust.

Key benefits:

Biologically proven microalgae: plumps and firms the skin while proving deep hydration
Lasting nourishment: leave these nourishing ingredients to do their thing overnight and wash off in the morning for bright skin
Calming essential oils: with lavender and ylang ylang to help you fall sleep

What our customers think:

LAG9 – My favourite beauty kitchen product! – 5/5 stars

“I tried this as I was looking for a night moisturiser that didn’t clog my pores. I have oily and acne prone skin so it reacts with most products. But not this one! It’s quite thick so you don’t need much for a full face application so the bottle lasts for ages. My face feels really soft, brighter and hydrated the next day without being overly oily.”

Noo noo – Great – 5/5 stars

“This is another great product from the beauty kitchen range, it’s really good as a night cream but I wouldn’t use it daily unless you had dry skin maybe just 3 times a week, it feels really nice on skin and with the essential oil as added benefits and smells good.”

The final say

We hope this guide has helped you understand the importance of a good night cream, and which may work best for your skin. Now, go and get that beauty sleep!

Last updated: 5 November 2021