Finding the Best Night Creams & Nighttime Moisturizers

Perfecting a skin care routine requires both time and research—and that holds true for finding the best night cream. Just as you wouldn’t pick the first house you see when you’re looking to move, it may not be your best bet to pick the first nighttime moisturizer you come across. No doubt you’ve heard about the importance of using a night cream as part of your daily skin care routine, along with facial cleanser and your daytime moisturizer. But how exactly do you pick the best night moisturizer for your skin’s individual needs? That’s where we come in. We’re here to give you the complete scoop on picking the best drugstore night cream for your skin care routine, whether you have mature skin and are in need of extra hydration or are just starting to use anti-aging skin care products. Plus, we have tips on how to upgrade your nighttime skin care routine as a whole!

WHY YOU SHOULD USE A NIGHT CREAM

Before we dive into finding the best night moisturizer for you, let’s go over why it’s important to use a night cream in the first place. Here’s the deal: As you likely already know, moisturizing in the morning and at night is a must. As for why you shouldn’t just moisturize with the same product regardless of the time of day, there are different features to look for in daytime and nighttime products. A day moisturizer with likely be lighter and may be formulated with SPF. A night cream can be thicker, for maximum moisturizing, and may be formulated with ingredients that increase sun sensitivity.

HOW TO FIND YOUR PERFECT NIGHT CREAM MATCH

Answer these two questions to help you find the right night cream for your skin.

Question #1. What is your skin type? It’s important to help keep your skin hydrated regardless of your skin type. But, with that said, how you take care of oily skin will differ from how you take care of mature or dry skin. For example, if you have oily skin, a lightweight night cream may be a great option, whereas if you have dry skin, you may want to opt for a thicker formula. So, keep your skin type in mind when it comes time to pick your product.

Question #2. Do you have any anti-aging concerns? Whether you have wrinkles and fine lines or a desire to brighten up an otherwise lackluster appearance, oftentimes night creams are formulated to help address specific anti-aging concerns.

OUR BEST NIGHT CREAMS FOR EVERY SKIN CARE CONCERN

The first step in perfecting your bedtime skin care routine is to find the best night cream for your skin’s unique needs. Whether you have dry skin, dark spots, sagging skin, or fine lines and wrinkles, there’s a night cream out there for you—and we’re here to help you find it. Below, find the details on our best night creams.

L’Oréal Pairs Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Honey Night Balm: Have mature, very dry skin? This is the perfect night balm for you! Formulated with nurturing oils and manuka honey extract, the hydrating moisturizer melts onto skin for incredible nourishing comfort with long-lasting, non-greasy, non-sticky hydration.

How to use it: Smooth the balm over your face, neck, and chest each evening after cleansing. Apply the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Manuka Honey Eye Gel to your under-eye area to massage away the look of puffiness, under-eye bags, and dark circles.

L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Night Cream: As you age, your skin may start to look and feel less firm, and the appearance of wrinkles may become more visible. If wrinkles are a major concern for you, look to a night cream with retinol. One of our best anti aging night creams, this moisturizer is formulated with Stimuplex and Pro-Retinol and provides long-lasting hydration.

How to use it: Gently smooth the night cream over your face and neck after cleansing with the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Radiant Smoothing Cream Cleanser. Before calling it a day, apply the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream.

L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Night Cream: Another aging skin concern? Sagging skin! If you’ve experienced this, a night cream that improves elasticity is a must. This night cream for mature skin, which is formulated with soy seed proteins, does just that. With continued use, you’ll see a younger-looking complexion.

How to use it: After using your facial cleanser, apply the night cream gently onto your face. Let it absorb completely.

L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Night Cream: Dull skin is another common skin care concern that we’re confident you aren’t interested in dealing with. To boost radiance and help nourish skin, try this night cream formulated with LHA, which helps with surface skin renewal.

How to use it: After cleansing and applying a serum, smooth this night cream over your face using circular motions until thoroughly absorbed. Consider pairing it with the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Nourishing Cream Cleanser and L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Golden Serum.

L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Triple Power™ Anti-Aging Overnight Face Mask: Want to take things a step further? Take a break from using night cream and opt for an overnight face mask instead. It’s the perfect way to show your complexion a little extra TLC. This mask is a luxurious, hydrating leave-on option that forms a protective mask to cradle skin.

How to use it: Apply it to clean skin before bed and leave it on overnight to see results.

5 OTHER NIGHTTIME SKIN CARE HABITS TO ADOPT

Besides applying night cream before bed, there are a few other nighttime skin care steps you should take.

NIGHTTIME SKIN CARE HABIT #1: TAKE OFF YOUR MAKEUP

Going to bed with a full face of makeup on is not exactly the best idea. Here’s why: When you sleep with your makeup on, all that product residue can mix with oils and debris on the surface of your skin, leading to clogged pores (which can, in turn, lead to breakouts and blackheads). Yikes!

Make things easy on yourself: Use micellar water, like the L’Oréal Paris Micellar Cleansing Water Complete Cleanser - All Skin Types, to remove your makeup in one step. Micellar water is made up of tiny micelles—oil molecules—suspended in a solution to gently lift makeup up and away from your skin, no rinsing (or harsh rubbing) necessary. To use micellar water as an eye makeup remover, saturate a cotton pad with the cleansing liquid, then hold the pad over your eyes for a few seconds. Wipe gently to remove. For use all over your face, wipe the pad gently over your skin until it’s clean.

NIGHTTIME SKIN CARE HABIT #2: WASH YOUR FACE

Next step! Wash your face with a hydrating facial cleanser. As we told you before, you should choose skin care products based on your skin type. For example, if your skin is usually dry, pick a cream facial cleanser that’s specifically formulated to hydrate dry skin while simultaneously lifting dirt, oil, and sweat away from the surface of your skin. Use the facial cleanser of your choosing every morning and evening. Lather it into wet hands and gently massage it onto your skin using circular motions. (Just make sure to avoid the delicate eye area!) Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.

NIGHTTIME SKIN CARE HABIT #3: USE A SERUM

After cleansing your face, smooth on a serum, like the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum. Another great option is the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, which contains hyaluronic acid and immediately replenishes for visibly plumped, youthful-looking skin. You can even use both serums in the same routine, just apply the hyaluronic acid serum first, following by the serum formulated with vitamin C.

NIGHTTIME SKIN CARE HABIT #4: USE AN EYE CREAM

Regardless of your age, adding an eye cream to your nighttime skin care routine can help prevent puffiness, dark circles, under-eye bags, and wrinkles.