These Overnight Face Masks Turn a Shut-Eye Into a Beauty Sleep

Best Overnight Face Masks

We independently select and review the products we recommend. If you make a purchase using our affiliate links below, we may earn a commission.

If there’s one thing I learned from using all kinds of face masks, it’s that some of them are wasted during a 10-minute skincare routine. Unlike, say a sheet mask, which becomes useless after about 10 minutes, the best overnight face masks work with time. The longer you keep them on, the better they work.

Honestly, some skincare is simply wasted on impatience, lack of time, and lack of sleep. And a good example of the latter is overnight masks. If a night-long skin repair is not a good enough reason for getting your 8-hour beauty sleep, I don’t know what is.

Overnight face masks, unlike regular masks, are mostly about nourishing, moisturizing, replenishing, and repairing the skin. But most of them low-key have potent antioxidants formulated into them.

So it’s not just about moisturizing your skin. Sleep masks are great for addressing skin issues too. So when you don’t have the time during the day, you simply delegate a night mask to do the work for you. That way, you maximize your beauty sleep.

They are mess-free too. You forget you have them on, so you don’t need to worry about a messy pillow in the morning. But if you’re new to these products and not sure how to feel about them, here’s the scoop.

Benefits of Overnight Face Masks

The majority of overnight face masks are moisturizing for the skin. In that sense, you may feel like it’s not a big deal. However, there are times when you might need that moisture.

For example, the skin becomes drier during colder months. And sometimes, no matter how many times you apply your moisturizer, it’s just not enough. And you end up causing pilling. When that’s the case, overnight, leave-on face masks can do the work for you and compensate for the drying effects of the harsh weather.

Also, over-exfoliation or overuse of active ingredients like retinol can damage the skin barrier. I’m not sure if you’ve experienced that, but it’s like a thirst that’s impossible to quench. And you impatiently moisturize in an attempt to repair the skin barrier and calm the skin. Overnight face masks are helpful during those times too as they stay longer on the skin and they’re thicker.

Overnight face masks are designed to stay on the skin for several hours. Because of that, they are formulated in gel/cream form as opposed to clay or peel-off. That way, they don’t create a mess. In theory, though you can wear an overnight mask during the day, not all regular masks can be worn at night.

Night Cream vs Night Mask

Overnight masks and night creams are not the same. Night masks usually stay on the skin and don’t fully absorb like a cream. They wrap the skin and replenish it for hours and hours. So moisture-wise, overnight masks are better.

But you’ll see that some night masks cost as much as a night cream. So you might feel like opting for a night cream instead of a night mask. After all, if you’re going to spend that much money, why not go for a night cream and use it every night?

Well, you absolutely can. Heck, if you don’t have a night cream, don’t spend your money on a night mask. This is especially true if you’re trying to solve a certain skin problem.

Though it all comes down to personal preference, I think a night cream or serum with active ingredients works better than a night mask as they are more targeted. That being said, day or night, face masks simply amplify your routine and provide quicker results.

The Best Overnight Face Masks

Whether you need one for dry skin or oily skin, below are the best overnight face masks to supercharge your evening routine.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

Best For All Skin Types

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask - Best Overnight Face Mask

If you’re looking for an overall hydrating, nourishing formula, this overnight mask is infused with everything your skin needs to recover. The cream mask wraps up your skin and infuses it with avocado oil to boost moisture, and niacinamide to brighten and support the skin barrier. Because of its creamy, emollient texture, it softens the skin texture overnight and helps you wake up with smoother, plumper skin in the morning.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask/Ejollify

What It Has: Avocado oil, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid
What It Does: Moisturizes, plumps
Perfect For: Replenishing dry skin quickly
How Often: Use as often as you like and apply all over the face
Size: 2.5 oz/75 ml
Good To Know: Vegan

Bliss Green Tea Wonder Clarifying Overnight Gel Mask

Best For Acne

Bliss Green Tea Wonder Clarifying Overnight Gel Mask - Best Overnight Face Mask For Acne

Unlike regular acne masks, overnight acne masks are hard to come by. Because an acne mask usually comes in clay form with potential irritants like salicylic acid. As you can gather, they’re too messy to use when you’re in bed and carry the potential to irritate during a long night. But there are still some alternatives you can use to deal with acne. This budget-friendly overnight mask utilizes azelaic acid to reduce acne and inflammation. Azelaic acid is much gentler on the skin. Plus, the mask has green tea to reduce redness and inflammation on breakout-prone skin. The gel mask also hydrates the skin with aloe, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin B5 to avoid dehydrating oily skin.

What It Has: Azelaic acid, green tea, aloe, vitamin B5
What It Does: Calms acne and inflammation, gives a tightening feel to the skin
Perfect For: Oily, acne-prone skin to balance complexion, minimize blemishes
How Often: Use 2-3 times a week and apply all over the face
Size: 1.7 oz/50 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask

Best For Glowing Skin

Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask - Best Overnight Face Mask For Glowing Skin and Uneven Skin Tone

This is formulated with a stable version of vitamin C to make the ingredient work better for your skin. And because vitamin C is gold when it comes to brightening the skin, the creamy overnight mask is a great option for people with dull skin and uneven skin tone. The rich cream mask hydrates with squalane, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin B5 and locks moisture in with sunflower seed oil. It also has a combination of antioxidant-rich botanical extracts. Whether you have dry skin or oily skin, this is a really nice brightening mask to even out the skin tone and achieve glowing skin.

What It Has: Vitamin C, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, squalane
What It Does: Maximizes moisture, plumps fine lines, brightens
Perfect For: All skin types looking to revive lackluster skin
How Often: Use as often as you like and apply all over the face
Size: 2 oz/59 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

Belif Aqua Bomb Sleeping Mask

Best For Dry Skin

Belif Aqua Bomb Sleeping Mask - Best Overnight Face Masks For Dry Skin

I’m guilty of using this one and Laneige’s Water Mask as daily creams during winter. Because this is so replenishing and moisturizing that it’s the best overnight mask for dry skin and dehydrated skin. The Korean mask has a nice gel texture to it and feels like jelly. And it has aloe and vitamin B5 to hydrate and soothe, and turmeric, calendula, and oat extracts to nourish. The skin looks plumper and healthier all because of its deeply hydrating formula.

What It Has: Glycerin, vitamin B5, aloe, oatmeal, lady’s mantle
What It Does: Replenishes skin, plumps it up, seals in moisture
Perfect For: All skin types especially for dry, dehydrated skin
How Often: Use it as often as you like and apply it all over the face
Size: 2.53 oz/75 ml

Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask

Best For Anti-Aging

Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask - Best Overnight Face Mask For Anti-Aging and Wrinkles

If you’re looking for an overnight mask for aging skin, you’re going to love this one for its super nourishing formula. Mature skin tends to be more sensitive and dry with age. And because of that, the skin can sometimes react to all those anti-agers, making it almost impossible to care for it. But this one is like the gentlest form of anti-aging. The creamy anti-aging mask contains a blend of plant-derived antioxidants like green tea and blackberry to help reverse signs of aging caused by free radicals. These types of antioxidants are amazing alternatives to harsh anti-aging ingredients. The mask also contains peptides to soften fine lines and give the appearance of firmer skin. Fresh has amazing face masks and each of them offers an ‘experience’. So if you’re looking for an overnight mask for wrinkles, this will ensure softer, bouncier, brighter skin in the morning.

What It Has: Black tea, blackberry, peptides, hyaluronic acid
What It Does: Infuses skin with antioxidants, firms, moisturizes
Perfect For: Mature, aging skin looking for an anti-aging overnight mask
How Often: Use as often as you like and apply all over the face
Size: 3.3 oz/100 ml

Neostrata Exfoliating Mask

Best For Exfoliating

Neostrata Exfoliating Mask - Best Overnight Face Mask For Exfoliation

Exfoliating is key when it comes to getting rid of stubborn skin concerns such as acne scars and dark spots. And we have alpha and beta hydroxy acids for that. But if you’re looking for a gentler alternative to exfoliate the skin, you can try glucosamine, a.k.a acetyl glucosamine. It also exfoliates the skin and speeds up skin turnover but in a much gentler way, which makes it the perfect addition to an exfoliating night mask. It also has hydrating benefits for the skin. This oil-free and fragrance-free mask slowly resurfaces the skin, decongests it, and fades acne scars and hyperpigmentation.

What It Has: Acetyl glucosamine
What It Does: Gently exfoliates, smooths skin texture
Perfect For: Oily skin dealing with congestion and hyperpigmentation
How Often: Use it 2-3 times a week and apply it over the face
Size: 2.5 oz/75 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask

Best For Sensitive Skin

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask - Best Overnight Face Mask For Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin, you’ve probably already come across this Tiger Grass Line. Because they’re amazing for reactive, redness-prone skin. This overnight mask is no exception. As with the rest of the products, the mask is formulated around Centella Asiatica. It’s not only an exceptional antioxidant but also an effective anti-inflammatory. And it’s helpful in reducing redness and improving the skin barrier. The gel formula utilizes several compounds of Centella Asiatica for maximum benefits. Plus, it has niacinamide to help heal the skin too. So if you have sensitive skin, you can try this one to repair, renew, and replenish the skin while also calming it down.

What It Has: Centella Asiatica, niacinamide, vitamin B5
What It Does: Helps improve skin barrier, moisturizes, calms and soothes
Perfect For: All skin types especially for sensitive and/or sensitized skin
How Often: Use as often as you like and apply all over the face
Size: 3.38 oz/100 ml

So these are some of the best overnight face masks that take your beauty sleep to the next level. If you haven’t found what you’re looking for, keep reading.

DIY Overnight Face Masks

I’m not a huge fan of DIY face masks, especially when it comes to leave-on masks. Because anything you leave on the skin, like natural ingredients, can cause redness and irritation if you already have problematic skin. However, here’s a universally gentle DIY mask you can use overnight.

Aloe & Honey Overnight Mask

Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with two tablespoons of aloe vera gel. You can use the gel from the aloe plant itself if you already have the plant at home. Mix the two together and apply a thin layer on the skin to leave overnight.

Honey is a natural humectant that also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial benefits. Similarly, aloe is moisturizing and soothing for the skin. So you can try this mask to moisturize dry skin and calm oily and dehydrated skin.

Green Tea Overnight Mask

Another way to make your own overnight mask is to use green tea. Make a cup of green tea and go easy with water. Let it cool down. Then use your fingers or cotton pads to apply green tea on problem areas such as the cheeks, chin, or forehead.

Cut out pieces of a sheet mask. And put those pieces on the areas where you applied green tea. This will help soak the skin with green tea so that the mask works better.

Slugging

And lastly, if you have dry skin, a fool-proof way to maximize moisturize is to use coconut oil or try slugging. Slugging is applying petroleum jelly all over the skin or only on dry areas. Because it’s so occlusive, petroleum jelly eliminates water loss and reduces fine lines caused by dehydration.

Read Next: The Best Bakuchiol Products

Scroll to Top