Ingredients that help maintain skin’s elasticity and texture can also be beneficial as you age, Dr. Zubrycki adds, pointing to retinol, niacinamide, and peptides in particular. These ingredients have brightening, smoothing, and firming properties that work well for a variety of skin types, Dr. Zubrycki explains.
Best night cream for mature skin
Using recommendations from the dermatologists we consulted, we found the best night creams for mature skin, with options to help address additional concerns like breakouts, dryness, and irritation.
Best Overall: SkinCeuticals Renew Overnight Dry
- Strong Points: It’s suitable for most skin types, non-greasy (according to Dermstore reviews), and has a moisturizing and repairing effect.
- Cons: expensive
Both Dr. Camp and Dr. Penzi recommend this luxurious night cream from SkinCeuticals. It’s formulated with botanical ingredients like aloe extract to soothe and hydrate skin, leaving it looking smooth and bright. It’s one of the more expensive creams on our list, but reviewers say it’s well worth the investment for how well it reduces the appearance of wrinkles and pores. A little goes a long way, and its skin-softening effects will likely make it a repeat purchase (when you eventually run out).
- Other notable ingredients: Soothing Chamomile Extract, Glycerin (Proven Moisturizer) | Fragrance Free
- good: Anyone interested in a luxury night cream
Runner-up: Summer Fridays Rich Cushion Cream Ultra Plumping Moisturizer
- Strong Points: A highly nutritious formula and a cheaper alternative to overall choices
- Cons: Some reviewers have noted pilling after application.
According to Dr. Penzi, this cream from Summer Fridays is a great moisturizing option: It contains hyaluronic acid (a lightweight yet highly effective moisturizer recommended by Dr. Zubritsky) to plump and hydrate skin, filling and reducing the appearance of fine lines, and is formulated to support the skin barrier, the skin’s protective layer that keeps irritants and bacteria out and retains moisture.
Plus, the rich formula contains a blend of fruit extracts to help even out skin texture, and reviewers love its thick, viscous texture: “It feels incredibly silky on the skin and absorbs easily. It’s so pleasantly cooling upon application and leaves skin incredibly soft,” one Sephora customer wrote.
- Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory squalane
- good: Dry skin, skin barrier repair, fine lines
Best Budget Pick: Olay Regenerist Retinol 24
- Strong Points: Relatively inexpensive, lightweight, and bright
- Cons: May not feel as rich and nourishing as some would like
Dr. Zubritsky likes Olay’s Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer for its restorative properties, and that it’s available at most drugstores. It has some skin-care staples, like niacinamide (or vitamin B3) and peptides, that brighten, smooth, and strengthen skin. But the star ingredient is retinol, which speeds up cell turnover, sloughs off dead skin cells, and stimulates collagen production. The result? With regular use, your skin will look fresher and clearer (note: it may take a few months to see improvements). If you’ve never used a product with retinol before, Dr. Zubritsky says it’s definitely worth a try, as it should be gentle enough for sensitive skin types.
