While you sleep, your skin is repairing itself. It’s an excellent time to wear a heavier moisturizer to help your face rehydrate. Certain ingredients can treat other concerns like acne or signs of aging, too. But there are many nighttime moisturizers to choose from. It can be difficult to pick the best overnight face mask.
That’s why we selected the best beauty masks for sleeping. These are overnight face masks for dry skin, acne, wrinkles, and dark spots. They do the work to improve your complexion while you rest. Here are our top picks below:
| The best overnight face masks | Why we love them |
|---|---|
| COSRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask |
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| Paula's Choice Radiance Renewal Night Mask |
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| Bliss - What a Melon Overnight Facial Mask |
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| ORIGINS Drink Up-Intensive Overnight Mask |
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| Laneige Water Sleeping Mask |
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| Neutrogena Hydro Boost Moisturizing Overnight Gel Cream Face Mask |
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| Overnight Gel Mask, Firming by Olay |
|
Why use an overnight face mask?
How nourishing is your regular moisturizer? Does it smooth lines and brighten skin tone while you sleep? Does it help reduce acne?
More so than a rinse-off face mask or a sheet mask, an overnight mask has time to penetrate deeper and work harder. It’s intense and revitalizing, making use of the increased blood flow and cellular regeneration happening while you sleep.
If you’re not satisfied with your appearance, try adding an overnight face mask to your routine. You may see results the very first morning afterward.
Different types of overnight masks for various concerns
Retinol is a popular ingredient for overnight masks. It’s smart to use it at night because it makes the skin more sensitive to the sun. (It also oxidizes under UV rays, making it less effective). This anti-aging ingredient tackles multiple issues like hyperpigmentation and wrinkles (1).
Vitamin C is another excellent ingredient to renew the complexion. It helps rebuild collagen to firm the skin, and diminishes acne and discoloration as well.
Then, there’s niacinamide that strengthens the skin. Also, ceramides and hyaluronic acid help cells absorb and retain more moisture.
Best Overnight Face Mask in 2023
As we go through the reviews below, you’ll see the benefits of each overnight face mask.
COSRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask
This K-beauty favorite is made of 68% rice extract. It’s a skincare secret dating back to ancient times.
Rice contains components like vitamin E and linoleic acids to soften and calm the skin. It also has oryzanol that brightens the complexion and diminishes dark spots.
As you might imagine, this night mask promises to smooth fine lines and improves skin tone while it hydrates. Put on a generous layer to wake up looking fresh and healthy in the morning.
Did we mention that CORSX is a clean beauty company? They don’t include parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. Each product is dermatologist-tested and hypoallergenic.
What are people saying about the mask? It’s best for normal, combination, or oily skin as it reduces breakouts. It hydrates dry spots without feeling greasy or sticky, plus it diminishes irritation and redness.
Pros:
- Popular Korean beauty product that brightens skin tone and reduces fine lines
- Dermatologist-tested and free of parabens and phthalates
- Hydrates normal, combination, or oily skin without feeling greasy or sticky
- Based on rice extract, which is packed with oryzanol, vitamin E, and linoleic acids
Cons:
- Users with dry skin don’t find it as moisturizing as other options
Paula’s Choice Radiance Renewal Night Mask
We love Paula’s Choice because we know they never include artificial fragrances, parabens, or unnecessary harsh chemicals. Their products are extensively tested on real people and are effective. Therefore, it was a no-brainer to include this anti-aging night mask.
Users in their sixties are discovering skin that looks and feels healthier than ever before. It’s not even necessary to use the mask nightly – try it every other day and you’ll still see results.
It evens skin tone to fade acne scars and dark spots caused by the sun. Moreover, it makes the skin look refreshed and smoother, plumping it with a healthy glow. It does all this without aggravating acne or irritating sensitive skin.
The magic comes from three main components: hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and skin brighteners like vitamin C and arbutin. The first is an optimal moisturizer that instantly hydrates the skin. The second strengthens the skin and refines it. Then, the third group treats hyperpigmentation and the structure of the skin.
Pros:
- Safe for sensitive skin and all ethnicities, free from parabens and artificial fragrances
- Smooths and plumps the skin while fading discoloration and providing a healthy glow
- Treats acne scars, sun spots, fine lines, and wrinkles
- Based on hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamin C, and arbutin
Cons:
- Not as affordable as some options
Bliss – What a Melon Overnight Facial Mask
If your face has to deal with environmental stressors all day, why would you put harsh ingredients on it at night? Give it a break and pamper it with a spa treatment while you sleep.
This mask is made by a wellness brand that doesn’t include parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, mineral oil, or formaldehyde releasers. Their products are PETA-certified cruelty-free, too.
The delicious texture is a gel-like cream that feels instantly soothing. It’s perfect for acne-prone complexions and combination and oily skin as it helps reduce oiliness while refreshing the skin. Plus, it has aloe and cucumber to calm inflammation while watermelon and copper accelerate healing.
Check out the other Bliss overnight masks like Mint Chip Mania (soothing), Mighty Marshmallow (brightening), Green Tea Wonder (clarifying), and Pumpkin Powerhouse (exfoliating).
Pros:
- From a wellness brand that avoids parabens, petrolatum, phthalates, and formaldehyde releasers
- Refreshes the complexion, calming inflammation and speeding up healing
- Suitable for normal, combination, and oily skin
Cons:
- Has an artificial fragrance and color, although they are the last ingredients on the label
ORIGINS Drink Up-Intensive Overnight Mask
Quench your skin’s thirst with Swiss glacier water. This night mask offers intense moisturization that keeps on hydrating for up to seventy-two hours after you use it.
As you know, plain water isn’t enough to fix dry skin – in fact, it can dehydrate it further. That’s why the mask also features hyaluronic acid to help the skin retain moisture. It attracts and holds a thousand times its weight in water. Lastly, a soothing layer of avocado butter locks in the hydration.
Don’t worry, even though it’s creamy, it won’t clog pores. It’s exactly what you need if you struggle with cracking makeup and dry patches. It’s highly recommended for super dry skin.
Furthermore, it’s formulated without parabens, propylene glycol, mineral oil, petrolatum, and formaldehyde.
Pros:
- Restores and renews extra dry skin
- Keeps on hydrating for seventy-two hours, but won’t clog pores
- Works miracles with Swiss glacier water, hyaluronic acid, and avocado butter
- Vegetarian and made without parabens, mineral oil, petrolatum, formaldehyde, or propylene glycol
Cons:
- Not as affordable as some inexpensive overnight masks, but doesn’t have to be used nightly
Laneige Water Sleeping Mask
It’s reasonable to expect a new skincare product to take a couple of weeks to make a noticeable difference. But so many users say that the Water Sleeping Mask transforms their face after only one or two uses. It’s so effective that it won an Allure Best of Beauty award.
This Korean overnight face mask promises to refresh and hydrate stressed and tired skin. The gel-like formula is instantly refreshing. It features hydro-ionized mineral water for more effective absorption. It’s non-greasy, made to sink into the skin, not the pillow.
The mask releases moisture for eight hours straight due to its Moisture Wrap technology. It has beta-glucan and minerals that retain the water and release it slowly while you rest.
What’s more, it has a subtle Sleepscent to relax the mind as well as the skin. It’s an enticing blend of orange flower, sandalwood, and ylang-ylang. In summary, it smells fantastic and works extremely well. You’re bound to wake up with a renewed complexion.
Pros:
- Refreshes and re-hydrates dry skin with hydro-ionized mineral water and a soothing gel texture
- Winner of an Allure Best of Beauty award and a cult favorite for K-beauty fans
- Time-released moisture continues for up to eight hours
- Features a soft relaxing scent with orange flower, sandalwood, and ylang-ylang to help you sleep
Cons:
- Has an artificial fragrance and color, but these are the last two ingredients
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Moisturizing Overnight Gel Cream Face Mask
Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost mask comes in two versions. We selected the 1.7-ounce jar instead of the 0.3-ounce pods since it’s less plastic packaging to clog up the environment.
This dermatologist-recommended brand has created a potent night mask for dry complexions. It leaves the skin silken and supple in the morning, making it a smooth canvas for makeup.
It has a hydrogel formula with hyaluronic acid to boost the skin’s ability to hold moisture. This ensures that it’s lightweight and non-comedogenic, but not greasy. It’s transparent and dries quickly enough that it should never transfer to the pillow.
Pros:
- Developed by a dermatologist-recommended brand
- Lightweight hydrogel formula with hyaluronic acid to leave the skin supple and silken
- Non-greasy and non-comedogenic
Cons:
- Unfortunately, it has both an artificial fragrance and artificial color
Overnight Gel Mask, Firming by Olay
On the lookout for the best drugstore overnight face mask? Olay’s masks are available in firming, brightening, and hydrating versions.
We selected the firming mask as it leaves the skin noticeably more youthful. It moisturizes and plumps while it minimizes wrinkles. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it helps with occasional adult acne, too.
The refreshing gel absorbs quickly without making the skin oily or sticky. Although no residue is visible in the morning, it continues to work for up to twenty-four hours. It’s proven to penetrate up to ten layers of skin.
On the bright side, the formula has hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamins A and B3, and witch hazel. On the downside, it also has parabens and an artificial fragrance, not the best news for a product that absorbs this deeply into the skin.
Pros:
- Soothing gel penetrates up to ten layers of skin and moisturizes for up to twenty-four hours
- Plumps and firms with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamins
- Regular use is shown to make the complexion visibly younger
Cons:
- Contains parabens and an artificial fragrance
Conclusion
If your regular moisturizer isn’t cutting it, boost your beauty routine with an overnight face mask. The intensive moisture will leave the skin more supple. Plus, skin-brighteners and firming ingredients will have time to work their magic.
We hope we helped you find the best nighttime face mask for your needs today. If so, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
Source:
1. https://www.insider.com/improve-your-skin-while-youre-asleep-2018-8 8 things to do at night that could improve your skin while you sleep, by Lauren Schumacker, published August 14, 2018, accessed April 30, 2021