The Results Are in: Skin Experts Say These Are the Only Night Creams Worth Using

As a beauty editor, it’s not a surprise that my bathroom cabinet is embarrassingly well-stocked with skincare. But during a recent edit of my overflowing stash, I noticed that one category of products was pretty much non-existent—night creams. While there was a time that I had once used them religiously, in recent years I’ve found myself looking past the marketing spiel and picking out evening moisturisers based on how I want my skin to look come morning. If it’s texture and lines that I want to target, I’ll use a retinol moisturiser, if I want to tackle pigmentation or boost glow then I’ll reach for a vitamin c-infused formula, or if my skin just needs a big drink of hydration then I’ll seek out hyaluronic acid or peptide creams. But, in the words of Carrie Bradshaw, I couldn’t help but wonder if my skincare routine was missing a trick.

Now that I’m approaching my mid-30s, I definitely think that my evening skincare routine could be working even harder for me—and perhaps the added efficacy lies in a night cream.

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(Image credit: @sofiarichiegrainge)

"Effective night creams should contain ingredients that support the skin’s recovery process,” agrees Dr. Ifeoma Ejikeme MD MBChB MSc, Founder of Adonia Medical Clinic and Simple’s Skin Expert. "One key ingredient to look out for is ceramides which help the skin maintain its barrier function, but ingredients like hyaluronic acid, retinol, peptides, and antioxidants are also important to aid in skin repair, hydration, and collagen production.”

But is there any real difference between a night cream and a day cream, or is it just packaging? The difference, it seems, lies in the texture. "Night creams are typically richer and heavier than daytime moisturisers,” explains Dr. Ejikeme. "Because of this they are particularly beneficial for those with dry or mature skin. However, there are different night creams suitable for a broad range of ages and skin types.”

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(Image credit: @aysha.sow)

Ahead, I asked Dr. Ejikeme and other top skin experts to share the evening moisturisers that they genuinely recommend to create a comprehensive list of the very best night creams on the market.

1. Simple Water Boost Skin Quench Sleeping Cream Moisturiser

2. Medik8 Advanced Night Restore

3. Skin Proud Sleep Hero

4. CeraVe Moisturising Cream

5. iS Clinical Retinol+ Emulsion

6. Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Firming Night Cream

7. The Perfect Peel Night Shift Overnight Gradual Peel Cream

8. Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Magic Water Cream

9. La Mer The Moisturizing Soft Cream

10. Bramley Cloudberry Balancing Face Cream

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Mica Ricketts

Mica Ricketts is a freelance beauty editor, copywriter and regular contributor to Who What Wear UK. She also writes for titles including Marie Claire Refinery 29 and Cosmopolitan, and previously worked at Who What Wear UK as Beauty Editor. With experience in both editorial and content management, she also works with beauty brands and small businesses on brand messaging and content strategy. As a busy mum of two, she is passionate about finding efficacious beauty products that can disguise all signs of tiredness with minimal effort.