The best night cream formulas to nourish and repair skin overnight

Reviewed by: Fiona McKim

RRP: £37 for 50ml | Key ingredients: Squalane, antarcticine, apricot kernel oil, sweet almond oil, salicylic acid | Fragranced: No

This is night cream in its most honest form and it's hard to picture anyone trying Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream and thinking, "not for me, thanks." Why? Because at its heart this is just an excellent hydrator, which should be the true purpose of any night cream. It contains a combination of water-binding and barrier replenishing ingredients to pull in moisture and keep it there, with nourishing natural plant oils like apricot kernel and squalane from olives to give skin an ultra-plumped feel. It also contains a tiny smidgeon of beta hydroxy acid, salicylic, which helps to keep pores clear and congestion-free.

The light, slippery texture is unique and teeters towards the edge of gel-cream territory, but it is still luscious enough to satisfy those whose idea of the best night cream errs on traditional ointments. It sinks in quickly but leaves skin soft and bouncy-feeling, plus it layers well over other night treatments or under makeup, lending a juicy glow under natural makeup looks. It's unfragranced, so smells of nothing in particular, just clean and mildly soapy. Due to that slippy formulation, a little spreads a very long way, making it very good value to boot. Honestly, what more could you want? We have a jar on standby at all times.

Reasons to buy: You want trusted all-rounder that just works

Reasons to avoid: You want something fragranced

Reviewed by: Fiona McKim

RRP: £85 for | Key ingredients: Honokiol, resveratrol, hyaluronic acid, peptides | Fragranced: Yes, natural origin

This is a perfect example of how the best night cream can combine multitasking benefits with the sensorial aspects of skincare. The main thing to shout about ingredient-wise is honokiol, a floral extract that works on our Ten-Eleven Translocation (TET) enzyme. This enzyme was discovered thanks to a decade-long partnership between Caudalie and Harvard Medical School's Dr David Sinclair, who concluded that TET can help reverse aspects of aging skin such as lines, firmness, dullness, and uneven tone and that honokiol can rev said enzyme and its effects up.

Aside from this impressive and unique science, this cream offers all the things we've come to know and love about Caudalie as a brand—the recyclable and refillable jar, the vegan formula of 97% natural origin, and the brand's signature antioxidant-packed resveratrol. It feels absolutely delicious in texture, super-creamy with a subtle, spa-like aroma. It is fairly thick so would make particularly welcome skincare for dry skin, but we loved it on combination skin too. This isn't the kind of night cream that disappears into nothingness, we awoke with a still-soft, plump, glowing complexion.

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Reviewed by: Courtney Leiva

RRP: £16.50 for 52ml | Key ingredients: Ceramides, hyaluronic, niacinamide | Fragranced: No

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you: this non-comedogenic lotion really can rival the best night cream options at five times its price, it's simply a matter of managing expectations. The key ingredients here are ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide—all gentle giants that hydrate and condition the skin and are well tolerated by most skin types. Ceramides, which this brand has made their name on, are particularly good news for sensitive or reactive types. These natural lipids can help replenish your skin barrier, the outer layer of your skin that when depleted can cause irritation, inflammation, and a generally unhappy complexion.

Superstar ingredients aside, the texture of this lotion is impressive; it’s lightweight and absorbs quickly into the skin without any greasiness or nose-tingling unnecessary fragrance. No, it isn't going to radically re-texturize your skin or shift hyperpigmentation (try the best Vitamin C serums for that) but what it can do is soothe, nourish and replenish over the top of your active treatments. The packaging may not be glamorous, but on a practical level, you can't knock a handy pump bottle. And if it's a simple, effective well-priced night cream you seek, this could be one of the best face moisturizers for the job

Reasons to buy: You want something fuss-free that's dermatologist-approved

Reasons to avoid: You want a more luxurious-looking and feeling buy

Reviewed by: Fiona McKim

RRP: £8.99 for 50ml | Key ingredients: Fermented clary sage, kakadu plum, red algae, Symbright® | Fragranced: No

The INKEY List can generally be relied upon for certain things: easy to understand products, active ingredients in effective doses and basic-looking but functional design. Symbright Moisturiser ticks all those boxes. While the light monochrome tube doesn't exactly exude dressing table appeal, that utilitarian nature is exactly why many will find it to be the best night cream. Nothing is wasted here on fancy jars and fragrances; instead, the focus is firmly on ingredients and results.

The aim here is turning around dull skin, evening out any tone issues, and of course like all the best night creams, moisturising. Two antioxidant-rich ingredients provide the brightening – kakadu plum extract and a complex based on fermented clary sage, then we also get moisture-binding glycerine and mineral-rich seawater for healthy hydration. The texture is a little looser than your average night cream and feels refreshing on the skin, making this one of the best night cream for oily skin buys as well as combination types. We found it left our face feeling soft after one use, with a healthy sheen and no residue, so you could happily use it night and day. It's also not artificially fragranced, which could well be good news to many; it smells faintly fruity in an inoffensive, subtle way.

Reasons to buy: Budget-friendly price; great for future purchases

Reasons to avoid: You want something that feels super luxe

Reviewed by: Fiona McKim

RRP: £98 for 50g | Key ingredients: Red camellia extract, red camellia oil, hyaluronic acid, lactic acid | Fragranced: Yes

The intersection between natural, eco-friendly skincare products and ultra-luxurious ones tends to be pretty slim. But if anyone can make sustainable sexy, it's Chanel. This gorgeous. refillable and 97% naturally-derived moisturiser is part of a new category for the brand, No.1 De Chanel, spanning skincare, fragrance, and makeup (including one of the best foundations we've tried in ages) all connected by the inclusion of red camellia flower. In this night cream, we get skin-revitalising red camellia included three ways: in oil form to deeply nourish, in extract form to work as an antioxidant and protect from dulling environmental damage, plus a base of red camellia flower water to refresh and hydrate.

That aside, skincare stalwarts make an appearance such as hyaluronic acid and we are particularly impressed by the inclusion of lactic acid, the gentle alpha hydroxy acid that will slowly refine skin texture over time and encourage a glow (which we found appeared pretty instantly on testing.) We also found this had one of the best night cream textures we tried – a "Goldilocks" sweet spot of not too rich and not too light, and although it is fragranced, which may put off very sensitive types, it is, of course, a Chanel-formulated fragrance and as classy as they come.

Reasons to buy: You want something beautifully scented and efficacious

Reasons to avoid: You prefer fragrance-free formulas

Reviewed by: Lucy Abbersteen

RRP: £65 for | Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, shea butter, sunflower oil, coconut extract | Fragranced: Yes

If your skin skews towards the oily end of the scale but you still want something deeply moisturising for your skin, this cream strikes exactly that balanced. Definitely a skin-softening cream texture, but lightweight and reasonably quick to absorb, too, Murad's Restorative Hydro Hyaluronic Cream contains several different weights of hyaluronic acid to get hydration to various levels of the skin, as well as some shea butter and sunflower oil to nourish any areas of dryness that are common in combination skin.

"My skin is pretty oily, believe me, and I know when a night cream is too heavy for my skin because I wake up with skin that is... slicked," says our Contributing Beauty Editor Lucy Abbersteen. "This does not do that. It's comfortable, deeply moisturising and a treat for my dehydration-prone skin – even in the summer months when I tend to reach for lighter skincare textures."

Reasons to buy: Nourishing, hydrating and not at all greasy

Reasons to avoid: You're working with a smaller budget; this is more of a commitment to repurchase

Reviewed by: Courtney Leiva

RRP: £88 for 60ml | Key ingredients: Alguronic acid, vegan collagen, ceramides, mary thistle | Fragranced: Yes

This luxury night cream may be pricey but, based on its unique ingredients list, it’s definitely worth the splurge. The formula includes plenty of innovative ingredients, including the patented alguronic acid (an algae-based extract that has been shown in studies to boost skin hydration) plus active vegan collagen, replenishing ceramides, and Mary thistle. This combination of powerful conditioning ingredients can soften and strengthen the skin over time while improving texture and dullness.

So, what's it like to use? The most noticeable thing immediately is the aroma. Ultra-soothing botanical notes of rosemary and atlas cedar help create the best night cream scent of the bunch and one that would certainly help you wind down for your beauty sleep. The texture of this cream is a lot like your best body moisturiser – a silky and buttery feel that slips over the skin easily. However, because of this balm-like texture, those with oily skin may want to avoid this particular product. That aside, this is an enjoyable-to-use cream that should appeal to a wide spectrum of skincare fans. Vegans, in particular, won’t want to miss this plant-derived collagen – especially since many skincare products still use animal-sourced collagen in their formulas.

Reasons to buy: Vegan collagen option

Reasons to avoid: You don't want a slippy texture

Reviewed by: Courtney Leiva

RRP: £14.99 | Key ingredients: Retinol, centella asiatica (AKA tiger grass) | Fragranced: Yes

If this best-selling firming cream from L’Oréal has been on your wishlist for a while, or your are simply looking for the best night cream to tackle skin texture issues, now is definitely the time to employ these three little words: add to cart. Firstly, it includes retinol, the cell turnover boosting ingredient that can help smooth out fine lines, dull and rough-textured skin. Plus it also packs in centella Asiatica, or Tiger Grass. This calming and soothing plant-based ingredient is effective in treating wounds, psoriasis, and inflammation-linked aging skin,

Considering that many of the best retinol creams are expensive, this night cream makes a well-priced introductory product for those who are new to using the wonder ingredient. It is affordable, hydrating, smoothing, and softens fine lines over time. However, as with all retinol-infused products, you’ll need to be patient and consistent when using this cream, start slowly using it a few nights a week to ensure you won't react. For retinol veterans, though, this is probably as straightforward and effective as things get, and the extremely budget-friendly price tag is a real added bonus.

Reasons to buy: Reasonably-priced retinol cream

Reasons to avoid: You want a punchier level retinol cream

Reviewed by: Courtney Leiva

RRP: £33 for 40ml | Key ingredients: Vitamin C, wild rose oil | Fragranced: Yes

Roses aren’t just loved for their good looks and pretty scent in the best rose perfumes. When used in skincare, extracts of rose boast powerful antioxidant effects that can be helpful in treating inflammatory skin disorders, according to a 2017 review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Pair that with brightening and protecting Vitamin C, and you have one of the best night cream options to send dullness and dark spots packing.

While this night cream’s rich texture drenches dry skin in much-needed moisture, be advised that oily and acne-prone skin may find it feels a little bit much, so if you are looking for a skincare routine for acne ensure this doesn't cause congestion in your pores, or cause breakouts in combination areas. The fragrance is beautiful, floral, and not overpowering. Plus, if the smell of roses tends to relax you and can help soothe you off to sleep, this cream will surely earn its rightful place on your nightstand. However, if your skin is sensitive to fragrances or you just don’t like scented products in general, you may want to stick with one of the non-fragranced night creams on our list.

Reasons to buy: You want something largely powered by botanicals and natural ingredients

Reasons to avoid: You want something unscented