15 Best Night Creams for All Skin Types, Tested by Lab Experts

The winner of the GH Beauty Lab's most recent night cream test, Olay's light formula featuring gold-standard anti-aging ingredients retinol, niacinamide and peptides outperformed the rest at making skin look brighter and feel softer. It increased skin firmness by 27% according to measurements with the Lab’s Cutometer device, which measures skin laxity.

A tester favorite, an impressive 100% of users agreed it made skin feel softer, although a handful said it didn't soak in quickly. “This seemed to work as well as my prescription retinoid,” a tester marveled. “My face was firmer and smoother when I woke up each morning,” a second said.

RELATED: Our Beauty Lab Pros Put Olay's Regenerist Retinol24 Entire Line to the Test

This retinol-packed drugstore cream from Roc, a GH Seal star and GH Beauty Award winner, is perfect for overnight use, even around the eye area. It made skin look 32% smoother and more radiant after just one week of use — after four weeks, users reported fewer fine lines and eye wrinkles, and after eight weeks, lessened deep wrinkles and dark spots. Some users reported reactions to the product, so GH Beauty Lab pros suggest using it every other night to start to mitigate any irritation.

Smooth on this "creamy" Clarins formula to wake up to more hydrated skin. In GH Beauty Lab Corneometer testing, it raised skin moisture levels by 37% over six hours, one of the highest measurements in the Lab's most recent test. Though it didn't perform as well at reducing wrinkles, the night cream upped skin firmness by 29% over four weeks in Lab Cutometer readings. It also ranked at the top among users for not causing redness or irritation.

"It made my skin so soft and hydrated that I stopped using my daytime product," a tester noted. Another said: "Family and friends told me I looked younger and more rested and wanted to know what I was doing differently."

RELATED: 13 Best Face Moisturizers for Dry Skin, According to Testing

Counteract dull skin and much more with this indulgent Dior night cream, made with exotic plant extracts. Although it's a splurge, it excelled in GH Beauty Lab testing at brightening, hydrating, smoothing and firming. In calculations with the Corneometer and Cutometer respectively, it boosted skin moisturization by 35% in six hours and firmness by 33% in four weeks of use. Visia Complexion Analyzer measures found it reduced wrinkles by 7% in the same time period.

It's pricey, but testers also gave it the best score for brightening skin and improving tone. "After a week or so, I noticed my skin seemed brighter when I looked in the mirror in the morning," one marveled. Another agreed: "In the morning, my skin looked much more radiant and plump, like baby skin."

SkinBetter Science's night treatment, a GH Beauty Award-winner, is supercharged with age-fighting actives including retinol, glycolic and lactic acids, and peptides to smooth skin's surface. GH Beauty Lab testing with the Cutometer machine showed that it increased skin firmness by 28% in four weeks. It also earned the top score for smoothing texture in Visia Complexion Analyzer measurements, however it was not very hydrating compared to other formulas.

Testers gave it high marks for absorbing quickly. Two reported that their "fine lines were diminished." Another echoed that it "minimized some fine forehead lines."

An oil-free, gel-like formula infused with soothing chamomile and antioxidants makes GH Seal Star Mary Kay's night treatment the perfect match for oily skin types. GH Beauty Lab data evaluation confirmed that it is non-comedogenic (not pore-clogging) and doesn't cause skin irritation, while significantly decreasing wrinkles, including on the forehead, starting at two weeks of use. Note that the lightweight texture may not feel hydrating enough for those with dry skin.

Malini Fowler, M.D., a dermatologist in San Antonio, Texas, recommends this Revision Skincare formula, which acts like an anti-aging retinol treatment (with a 0.25% concentration) and night cream in one. It is a splurge, but also "a true retinol that's formulated with moisturizers and antioxidants to help with irritation," she says.

This Origins mask, applied like a night cream as a last step in your skincare routine, was a winner in the GH Beauty Lab's overnight masks test. In Lab moisturization measurements with the Corneometer machine, it improved skin hydration by 36% over a course of six hours.

Ingredients such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid help moisturize skin and niacinamide can improve skin discoloration and elasticity. "I really noticed a difference the next morning in my super dehydrated skin when I used it; it felt soothed and much softer," says our expert who is a personal fan of the product. The thick formula may be too heavy for oily skin, though.

Despite its featherlight, gel-like formula, Exuviance was a heavyweight performer in GH Beauty Lab testing, winning for minimizing the look of lines, even on older skin. The treatment, loaded with actives like glycolic acid, peptides and retinol, gave faces a “lift” too, rating at the top both in Lab evaluations and with testers for making skin look and feel firmer. According to digital imaging with the Lab’s Visia Complexion Analyzer device, it improved the look of wrinkles by an impressive 10% in four weeks and raised skin’s firmness 31% in Cutometer measurements.

And testers agreed, with one remarking that "it did seem to make a difference on my wrinkles" and another saying "my skin smoother, more even and had less fine lines over time." A drawback: Some commented that they experienced a bit of irritation and breakouts.

This Philosophy formula, packed with skin-softening, nourishing hyaluronic acid, glycerin and squalane, was a GH Beauty Lab night cream test winner thanks to strong moisturization without irritation. It raised hydration by 34% over six hours, and it upped firmness by 29% in four weeks in Lab assessment.

The cream rated best for smoothing texture and being gentle on skin; it also earned high marks for firming. Almost 100% of testers said the fragrance-free formulation didn’t irritate or cause redness, however some said it didn't soak in quickly. “My skin looked better after the first night,” one remarked.

A GH Seal star, Mary Kay's night cream hydrates and fights top signs of aging, like deep lines and uneven skin tone. And even though it’s formulated with powerful retinol, it’s still gentle enough if you have sensitive skin. Data revealed that when applied nightly, the overnight treatment effectively smooths wrinkles and improves skin tone, while leaving skin moisturized for up to 10 hours. While the scent is subtle, it does have a slight medicinal aroma.

RELATED: 10 Best Retinols for Sensitive Skin, Tested by Experts

Formulated with retinyl palmitate, a powerful, proven anti-ager, No7’s night cream was highly effective at addressing several mature skin concerns in GH Beauty Lab testing. The formula reduced wrinkles by 13% and increased firmness 34% over four weeks per measurements with the Visia Complexion Analyzer and Cutometer, respectively. It also raised skin moisturization by 32% in six hours, however it didn't perform as well at fading dark spots.

Testers gave it high marks for not causing irritation, absorbing quickly and having an appealing texture that wasn't too sticky or greasy. "It made my skin look younger and supple," a user reported.

A GH Beauty Lab test winner, Caudalie's cream delivered real moisturization results in evaluations — boosting skin hydration by 43% in just six hours and was best at smoothing texture. It’s formulated with plant-derived ingredients like moisturizing grapeseed oil and resveratrol, a free-radical fighting antioxidant.

Six testers reported how “smooth” the cream felt as it went on and made their faces feel. “It moisturized my skin into the morning,” one raved. “I woke up looking refreshed,” another said. They also gave it perfect marks for not being greasy or irritating, and while many found the herbal scent "pleasant", a few said it was "off-putting".

A GH Beauty editor favorite, this Sisley cream has a lightweight gel-like texture infused with rose water that soaks into skin, so it's not too heavy or rich. Although it's a serious splurge, the formula can be applied day or night. "The rose water's scent makes it a luxurious aromatherapy treatment too — it really feels like a pampering indulgence at the end of a long day," GH's beauty director says.

Tighten sagging skin with Algenist’s dense balm, made with fortifying ceramides and fatty acids. It was the strongest of all night creams evaluated at firming skin and evening out skin tone over four weeks of use, according to Lab assessments.

Cutometer calculations showed that it boosted skin elasticity and firmness by 33% over four weeks, and hydration increased by 28% in six hours in Corneometer readings. Two testers reported that it faded their dark spots, but some found the thick texture didn't absorb fast. “I could really tell a difference in my skin — it was more firm and moist 24/7,” another raved.