The best night cream to sleep your way to hydrated, glowing skin

You may think you have your skincare routine nailed, but unless you have the best night cream standing proud on your beauty shelf, you’d be incorrect. We know what you’re thinking: is there really any difference between using your usual moisturiser and something labelled with ‘nighttime’? Yes. We were once sceptical too, but, after chatting to dermatologists and taking to Google to test the best night cream, we soon realised how different the properties and ingredients are between the two. Long story short, you need one in your life.

Ask any admirer of the beauty industry and they’ll gush at how there’s no better feeling than coming home to take their makeup off and apply their skincare products. You’ll likely know the feeling yourself of indulging in some self-care. But when you’ve used your cleanser and toner and applied your face serum or retinol, what do you reach for next? Answer: a tried and tested night cream. Here’s why.

Beauty Sleep is real (!), and using a night cream before you hit the metaphorical hay and get those all-important eight hours may just be the key to your skin looking its best ever. Night creams are packed with nourishing ingredients that help to slow down the ageing process, they’re renowned for reducing wrinkles and dark spots, plus they’re much more hydrating and thicker in texture than your day creams – they’re more of an overnight face mask, if you will.

Which brand night cream is best?

These are the brands which have the best night creams, according to dermatologists and our beauty editors.

Advanced Night Restore 50ml

Revitalizing Supreme+ Night Intensive Restorative Creme 50ml

Dermo Expertise Triple Active Hydrating Night Moisturiser 50ml

Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Masque 100ml

Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Night Cream 50ml

Do night creams really work?

Yes! A lot of the night creams on the market are rich in ingredients such as retinol, peptides, ceramides, AHAs and more – these are all clinically proven elements that help to improve our skin. Your day creams and moisturisers won’t contain as many actives as your night cream, instead they’ll feature components such as vitamin C and SPF instead of things like retinol to avoid making your complexion sensitive (especially when you’re out in the sun), so the easiest way of getting those good ingredients in is at nighttime. All skin types can use a night cream, too, even those with oily skin or combination skin and especially those who are drier.

At what age should I start using night cream?

Dermatologists and beauty experts say the earlier you start using a night cream the better. The ageing process can begin as early as 21, but most visible signs won’t start until you reach 30 so it’s best to start using products such as night cream by the time you’re 25. Dry skin will definitely age faster than hydrated types – a night cream is the easiest way to pack in that moisture. Simply cleanse and exfoliate as you would normally and then pop on your chosen night cream right before your eye cream.

You know what else makes Beauty Sleep real? Head this way for sleep masks, here for silk bedding and over here for the best silk pillowcases. 

For more from GLAMOUR UK’s Commerce Writer Georgia Trodd, follow her on Instagram @georgiatrodd.

Ready to add the best night cream to your skincare arsenal? We’ve got you. There are 23 nourishing formulas waiting below.