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23 Best Night Creams for Sensitive Skin: Reviews & Buying Guide

by  Doris Harris -  Last Updated On 30th December 2020
Best Night Creams for Sensitive Skin

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Did you know that well-moisturized skin is less likely to react badly?

If you use one of the best night creams for sensitive skin, you’re protecting yourself.

You’ll prevent breakouts, rashes, dryness, and flaking.

Hydrated skin is healthy skin.

And nighttime moisturizers are especially important as they repair your complexion while you rest.

What is the best face cream for sensitive skin?

When you shop for face moisturizers, it helps to know which ingredients to avoid.

For example, fragrances are often the culprit behind an allergic reaction (1).

Be cautious if the product is labeled as “unscented” because it could still have a masking fragrance.

Next, preservatives, dyes, alcohols, and alphahydroxy acids may also irritate the skin.

Alcohols and acids may cause a stinging sensation.

Instead, stick to night creams with fewer ingredients.

Moreover, just because it’s “hypoallergenic” doesn’t mean that it’s safe for everyone.

Unfortunately, the FDA doesn’t have rules regarding what hypoallergenic means. Manufacturers can use that description without running tests or providing proof (2).

Finally, choose humectants and emollients that attract and seal in plenty of moisture. Some of these include hyaluronic acid, glycerin, shea butter, and jojoba (3).

Quick Comparison

If you don’t have time to read the complete article, here are our top picks.

23 Top Night Creams for Sensitive Skin (2021 Update)

1. Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream

Vanicream is also known as Free & Clear. They’ve developed various products like shampoos, conditioners, face cleansers, and moisturizers.

This tub of skin cream comes in a generous size and has a pump top. That’s smart packaging as it prevents contamination.

You can use it anywhere in your body, including your face. It’s good for daytime or nighttime wear.

Vanicream has won the Seal of Acceptance from the National Eczema Association. Their products are made without several irritants that plague persons with eczema, rosacea, atopic dermatitis, and more.

But the list of ingredients is quite short: purified water, petrolatum, sorbitol, Cetearyl alcohol, propylene glycol, cetearth-20, simethicone, glyceryl stearate, PEG-30 stearate, sorbic acid, and BHT.

There are no fragrances, dyes, parabens, gluten, formaldehyde releasers, or lanolin.

Reapply the cream as often as you need it. It works especially well if your skin is damp after washing.

2. Sebamed Moisturizing Face Cream

Sebamed is a German company that also makes products for sensitive skin.

This is a day or night cream that won’t clog pores. It’s labeled as hypoallergenic, too.

On the bright side, the European Union has strict rules regarding the use of the term “hypoallergenic.” If the manufacturer chooses to label a product is hypoallergenic, they must provide evidence to support that claim (4).

It has a pH of 5.5, which is perfect for helping it to absorb quickly. It won’t disrupt your skin’s natural pH either.

It contains Vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects against free radicals that cause premature aging.

Unfortunately, the label says that it has an artificial fragrance.

3. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Soothing Night Cream

A respected skincare manufacturer from France makes the Toleriane night cream. It’s sold in European pharmacies.

If you have acne-prone sensitive skin, try this moisturizer. It won’t clog pores, and it’s free of oils.

It also doesn’t contain artificial fragrances, dyes, drying alcohols, parabens, or lanolin.

Moreover, it’s packed in an airtight container to avoid contamination with bacteria or debris.

The formula is based on thermal spring water that’s packed with skin-soothing minerals. It also has glycerin to attract water to seal in moisture.

Also, antioxidants like Vitamin E neutralize free radicals that cause signs of aging like appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

4. CeraVe Night Cream for Face with Hyaluronic Acid

CeraVe is known for including ceramides in their products.

Why is this molecule so important for sensitive skin?

Well, it happens that about half of the natural fats in your skin are ceramides. If you don’t have enough, your skin’s natural barrier against infection and moisture loss is leaky.

You’ll be more prone to contact dermatitis and so on.

CeraVe combats this problem by having you fortify your skin with three different types of ceramides.

Plus, this night cream delivers moisture over the course of 24 hours. It also has biomimetic peptides and hyaluronic acid to refresh your complexion.

In conclusion, it’s fragrance-free and won’t clog pores. Happily, it’s not greasy, either.

5. DERMA E Moisturizing Cream

Apply the DERMA E cream both at night or in the morning. It’s helpful if your skin has begun to show signs of age.

That’s because it reduces inflammation, improves circulation, and makes the appearance of fine lines less noticeable. Your skin will feel more elastic and firm.

The moisturizer is free of mineral oil, lanolin, gluten, and GMO ingredients. It’s vegan and cruelty-free.

6. The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Night Cream

It’s hard to resist products from The Body Shop. They always smell so good and leave the skin so soft.

Furthermore, this one feels velvety, which makes it a pleasure to use.

Their aloe night cream has no artificial fragrance, alcohol, silicone, parabens, or dye. It’s vegan, of course.

It has rich moisturizers and conditioners like sesame seed oil, squalane, and shea butter.

7. Burt’s Bees Night Cream

It’s hard to beat Burt’s Bees when it comes to natural products. Their night cream is 98.9% natural and doesn’t have an artificial fragrance.

The National Eczema Association has given it its Seal of Acceptance.

Some of the key ingredients include aloe, shea butter, cotton, and rice extract.

8. Mario Badescu Chamomile Night Cream

Do you have rosacea? Chamomile Night Cream can help reduce redness over time.

The combination of chamomile and Vitamin A turn back the hands of time to smooth fine lines and wrinkles and diminish inflammation.

I’d say that this moisturizer is probably the best night cream for mature skin.

9. Neutrogena Naturals Moisturizing & Nourishing Night Cream

Neutrogena is one of the brands that dermatologists recommend to their clients. They actually do test their products against common allergens.

This night cream has 97% natural ingredients like castor and coconut oils. There’s also something called Inca Inchi oil with a high omega-3 fatty acid content and Vitamin E. Those two ingredients are excellent for repairing the skin.

Although there’s a fragrance, the cream is non-comedogenic and free of dyes, parabens, phthalates, and petrolatum.

10. Paula’s Choice-SKIN RECOVERY Replenishing Cream for Redness

The best anti-aging night cream for sensitive skin might be this one from Paula’s Choice. It’s water-based and does not contain artificial fragrances.

Not only does it lessen redness, but it also rebuilds the skin’s structure.

As we age, our collagen and elastin break down. But the peptides, antioxidants, and skin conditioners and the cream firm it up again.

What’s more, Paula’s Choice never includes artificial fragrances in their formulas.

11. Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Night Cream

Dermatologists often recommend Cetaphil to people with sensitive skin.

The night cream continues to work throughout the day after you wake up. It hydrates for up to 24 hours after you apply it.

The secret behind the scenes is a blend of hyaluronic acid and olive extract. The first holds up to 1000 times its weight in water. And the second is a natural moisturizer.

There’s also a vitamin B complex plus antioxidants to fortify skin cells.

The thick cream is free of artificial perfumes and parabens.

12. ACURE Seriously Soothing Cloud Cream with Hyaluronic Acid

ACURE’s solution for sensitive, dry skin is argan extract and hyaluronic acid.

Argan oil is an ancient remedy that recently took the skincare world by storm. It improves both skin and hair.

But there are other exotic plant based extracts in the bottle. The label lists sweet almond, jojoba seed, evening primrose, St. John’s wort, and lavender. Some of these are organic.

This moisturizer is free of formaldehyde, petrolatum, mineral oil, and parabens. It’s also vegan.

13. Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Night Crème

I wanted to love the Eucerin night cream, but I have a problem with parabens in leave-on products. They can cause endocrine disruption, and they build up in the body.

At least this product only has a 4 out of 10 ratings on the EWG Skin Deep database. That means it’s only a moderate hazard. That’s still a little disappointing when it comes from a manufacturer that caters to sensitive skin.

On the other hand, there is a unique ingredient inside. It will appeal to you if you have trouble with rosacea or reddened skin. Licochalcone is a licorice root extract that soothes irritation and brightens skin tone.

The company says that your skin will improve in 4 weeks or less if you use the entire Redness Relief System.

14. Simple Kind to Skin Cream

Simple’s satiates thirsty skin with a delicious dose of moisture and vitamins. It will make your complexion dewy soft.

It’s lightweight enough to wear under makeup during the day and potent enough to repair extra dry skin during the night.

Plus, it’s pH-balanced and won’t clog pores.

The effects last for 24 hours after you apply it.

15. Lavera Natural Anti-Aging Night Cream

Lavera uses essential oils to give their night cream a pleasing scent.

It contains Coenzyme Q10 that is clinically proven to firm skin texture.

It also has organic shea butter and jojoba oil to seal in moisture. Jojoba oil is interesting because it’s similar to human sebum. It helps the skin not to overproduce oil.

16. Cleure Hypoallergenic Anti-Aging Night Cream

Perhaps the best night cream for the 40s is this one from Cleure.

This company has an audacious name. It comes from joining the words “clean” and “pure.” But it’s not just advertising. Their products tend to receive a “safe” rating on the EWG Skin Deep database.

Besides, the American Contact Dermatitis Society approves of their night cream.

It contains alpha-lipoic acid, which is an antioxidant. When free radicals start wreaking havoc with your skin and making it age prematurely, antioxidants come to the rescue.

The rest of the ingredients are straightforward. They include things like purified water, shea butter, Vitamin E, and glycerin.

17. Garnier SkinActive 3-in-1 Face Moisturizer

Garnier’s drugstore night cream for sensitive skin doubles as a daytime moisturizer and a face mask.

It comes in a pink jar, which distinguishes it from the other SkinActive products.

Sadly, it has a fragrance and salicylic acid. But it’s vegan and free of parabens, silicones, dyes, and mineral oil.

18. Carapex Natural Anti-aging Night Cream

Canadian-made Carapex night cream leaves out no-nos like parabens, perfumes, and artificial colors.

It boosts firmness with collagen and elastin from marine extracts. Then, it locks in moisture with beneficial plant oils.

Providentially, it’s not greasy. That’s probably due to the silicone in the form of Cyclopentasiloxane. Silicone is what makes your skin silky smooth and not shiny or sticky.

19. Annemarie Borlind ZZ Sensitive Night Cream

Mature shoppers will appreciate this night cream. It won’t aggravate broken capillaries.

Conversely, it improves the complexion by smoothing away the appearance of fine lines and alleviating dryness. It also reduces redness and irritation with chamomile and balm mint.

Certainly, it lacks fragrances, dyes, and preservatives. It also regulates the pH of the skin.

20. NIVEA Daily Essentials Sensitive Night Cream

Nivea’s night cream for sensitive skin is hard to find stateside. But it’s popular in Europe as it’s an inexpensive drugstore product.

It contains licorice extract and grapeseed oil. They lessen inflammation and relieve dryness naturally.

21. Unscented Organic Blend of Natural Oils by Bliss of Greece

When you see the term “unscented” here, you don’t need to worry about a masking fragrance. It simply means they haven’t bothered to add perfume.

If you’re a fan of plant oils, check out this low-tech moisturizer. It has just seven ingredients: olive, sweet almond, grape seed, jojoba, sunflower, and lavender oils plus Vitamin E.

Use it on your face, use it on your hair, or use it anywhere on your body.

22. Calming Face Moisturizer by Olay Sensitive

Olay’s sensitive skin moisturizer is for daytime and nighttime use.

It features niacinamide to reduce redness and improve moisture retention. It also has cucumber, aloe, and white tea to alleviate dry skin.

Not only is it non-comedogenic, but it’s free of dyes, oils, fragrances, and parabens.

23. RoC Retinol Correxion Anti-Aging Wrinkle Night Cream

I know, I know. The experts say that you should avoid retinol if you have sensitive skin.

But retinol is currently the best solution for erasing fine lines and wrinkles.

RoC knows that, and they made this cream specifically for sensitive skin. It’s the top anti-aging night cream for the 50s.

They recommend starting small. Even though it already has a low dose of retinol, please don’t use it every day at first. Apply just a little bit every other day for two weeks.

If your skin doesn’t react, you can use it more frequently.

Also Read: 18 Best BB Creams for Oily Skin: Reviews & Guide

Conclusion

A night cream is essential to keep your complexion in top condition.

A moisturizer will keep your face comfortable and raise its resistance to irritation.

It takes advantage of the repair cycle your body does while you rest.

If you discovered your new favorite night cream today, tell us about the comments below. If acne is your primary concern, then we recommend you check out these best night creams for acne-prone skin.

Sources:

1. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/sensitive-skin-20-questions#1 published June 01, 2018, accessed December 18, 2019

2. https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-labeling-claims/hypoallergenic-cosmetics published November 3, 2017, accessed December 18, 2019

3. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/emollients-and-moisturisers/ by Dr. Mark Duffill, Dermatologist, 1998, updated by A/Prof Amanda Oakley, February 2016, accessed December 18, 2019

4. https://knowledge.ulprospector.com/7603/pcc-eu-cosmetic-claims-updated-free-from-claims/ by Dr. Frederic Lebreux, published January 5, 2018, accessed December 18, 2019

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5955631/ by Zoe Diana Draelos, et al., published May 1, 2018, accessed December 18, 2019

One response to “23 Best Night Creams for Sensitive Skin: Reviews & Buying Guide”

  1. Pamela says:

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful posts 👍. You are doing amazing work! I’ve been using Retin-A (Tretinoin)+Moisturizer for about 3 years now. So happy 😊 I googled and got retin-a ❤️. It is hands down the most effective anti-aging, anti-dark spot, anti-whatever skin flaw you may have. It’s also the only thing that has actually helped with my acne. People comment on my skin daily, and have for the past 3 years since I started using it.

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