The 11 Best Night Creams for Hormonal Acne Repair
Finding a good night cream is hard enough. Finding one that plays nice with hormonal acne, does not clog pores, and actually helps your skin recover overnight can feel impossible. Some formulas are way too rich. Others are so drying you wake up tighter and redder than before. The sweet spot is a night cream that calms inflammation, supports your barrier, and lets your acne treatments work better, not harder.
These 11 night creams are all friendly for acne-prone, combo, or oily skin and are especially good if you are dealing with breakouts around your jawline, chin, and cheeks thanks to hormones. They focus on repair, hydration, and balance, not just “more actives.” You definitely do not need all of them, but you will almost surely find one that fits your skin and your routine.
Our Top Picks
1. CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
If you are on any kind of acne treatment (adapalene, tretinoin, benzoyl peroxide), this is one of the easiest night creams to plug in. It is oil-free, non-comedogenic, and packed with ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid. Translation, it helps rebuild your barrier, adds water back into the skin, and keeps things calm without suffocating your pores.
For hormonal acne, CeraVe PM works best as the “buffer” step. You cleanse, apply your prescribed or over-the-counter acne treatment, wait a few minutes, then smooth on a thin layer of this all over. It takes down tightness, reduces that raw feeling around active spots, and makes it easier to stay consistent with your treatment every night.
2. La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Iso-Biome
If your oil glands are still very active but your skin feels weirdly dry and fragile from treatment, Effaclar H is a great night option. It is designed specifically for oily skin that has been dried out by acne products. You get lightweight hydration, soothing ingredients, and barrier-supporting lipids in a texture that does not feel heavy.
Used at night, this cream helps stop that “my face feels like paper but still looks shiny” situation. It is especially nice for hormonal acne where you are using actives on your jaw and chin but your whole face feels the effects. Paired with a gentle cleanser, it lets you repair dryness without feeding new breakouts.
3. Paula’s Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer
For truly oily, breakout-prone skin that still needs repair, this is a strong contender. The texture is a gel-cream that feels almost weightless but still brings in soothing ingredients like niacinamide, antioxidants, and hydrating humectants. No heavy plant oils, no rich butters.
It is especially good if your hormonal acne flares live mostly on the lower face but your whole T-zone gets oily. At night, you can use your BHA or retinoid, then layer this moisturizer all over. It calms redness around active spots, adds enough moisture to stop over-drying, and keeps your skin from waking up greasy.
4. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream (Fragrance-Free)
This one is not sold as an “acne product,” but it works incredibly well as a night cream for oily and combination skin that is breaking out and dehydrated at the same time. It is a gel-cream with hyaluronic acid that pulls in water, with a finish that feels clean and non-sticky. The fragrance-free version is the safest bet for breakout-prone skin.
For hormonal acne, this shines when you are sensitive to heavier formulas but still need serious hydration, especially in winter or after a peel. You can use your treatment products, then seal everything in with a thin layer of Hydro Boost. You wake up plumper and softer, not oily and filmy. If your skin loves hydration but hates texture, this is a reliable go-to.
5. Murad Acne Control / Clarifying Night Moisturizer
Murad’s acne line has a night moisturizer that targets breakouts and repair at the same time. You usually get hydrators, soothing extracts, and mild acne-friendly actives in one tube. The texture is lightweight and oil-free, so it sits comfortably over serums without pilling.
If your hormonal acne tends to flare in bigger, inflamed bumps on the jaw and cheeks, this type of night cream helps calm the “halo” of redness and gives your skin support while more targeted treatments do their job. You get the benefit of an acne-friendly formula without feeling like you are layering on yet another harsh step.
6. Avène Cleanance Hydra / Cleanance Night Soothing Cream
Avène’s Cleanance Hydra (or similar “soothing cream for skin dried by acne treatments”) was made with sensitized acne-prone skin in mind. It is richer than a simple gel but still non-comedogenic and very soothing, with thermal spring water, nourishing lipids, and calming agents.
This is especially helpful for those times when your hormonal acne treatment cycle has pushed your barrier too far. If you are peeling around the mouth and nose or feeling constant burning, a cream like this at night, on top of or instead of your treatment for a few days, can reset things. It lets you repair without switching to something so heavy that it triggers more clogged pores.
7. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Oil-Control / Light Moisturizer
First Aid Beauty is known for barrier-supporting products that still work on breakout-prone skin. Their lighter, oil-control or “oil-free” versions are great as night creams for people who want comfort without grease. Expect soothing colloidal oatmeal, barrier-friendly lipids, and a finish that feels more like skin than silicone.
If your hormonal acne also comes with redness, itchiness, or sensitivity (many people with PCOS or other hormone shifts have reactive skin), this kind of cream is a nice middle ground. It is strong enough to reduce dryness from treatments, but the oil-control focus keeps the T-zone from feeling smothered.
8. Youth To The People Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream
If you like your skincare a little more “green juice in a jar,” this light cream is packed with antioxidant-rich extracts plus hydrating humectants in a bouncy, whipped texture. It is designed for combination and oily skin, so it feels airy instead of waxy.
For hormonal acne, the main benefit here is soothing and antioxidant support without heavy oils. You would still use your acne treatments (like BHA or retinoids) as your main actives, then layer this as your night cream. It helps counteract the dull, tired look that can come with long-term acne treatment and helps your skin look more “alive” while staying clear.
9. Tula / Similar Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer
Several brands, including Tula and others, make oil-free acne moisturizers that focus on balancing bacteria on the skin, reducing redness, and hydrating without clogging. Some include low-dose salicylic acid, tea tree, or other acne-friendly actives alongside soothing ingredients.
These night creams work well if your hormonal acne is persistent but not super severe and you want your moisturizer to contribute a little extra anti-acne support. Use them on nights when you are not layering a strong retinoid or benzoyl peroxide, or keep them for your “maintenance phase” once your breakouts are more under control.
10. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair / Matte
The Toleriane line is built for sensitive, reactive skin, and the “Double Repair” or matte versions are particularly friendly for acne-prone faces. You get ceramides, niacinamide, and prebiotic thermal water in a non-comedogenic base. It is designed to help restore the skin’s protective barrier in as little as a few weeks while remaining light enough for everyday use.
For hormonal acne, this is an excellent “anchor” night cream. It is what you reach for on nights when your skin feels like it has had enough, or when you are starting a new treatment like tretinoin. It helps stabilize everything so that your acne products do not completely trash your moisture barrier, which is key to long-term results.
11. CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream
If you want something a touch richer but still acne-aware, the Skin Renewing Night Cream is a quiet star. It contains ceramides, peptides, and hyaluronic acid in a cushiony texture that feels more like a classic night cream but is still non-comedogenic.
Used after acne treatments, it helps soften that tight, over-treated feeling and supports your barrier overnight. It is especially nice if your hormonal acne is calming down but you are left with rough texture, fine dehydration lines, and marks that need time to heal. It gives you that “night cream comfort” without the pore-clogging oils common in heavier formulas.
How To Choose The Right Night Cream For Hormonal Acne
Look for words like oil-free, non-comedogenic, for acne-prone or oily skin, or “won’t clog pores.” These usually indicate textures that work with hormonal acne instead of against it.
Scan for barrier-friendly ingredients such as ceramides, niacinamide, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, squalane, and mild plant oils in small amounts. These help counteract dryness and irritation from hormonal acne treatments.
Avoid heavy, occlusive formulas loaded with rich butters and oils (like coconut oil) if you know you clog easily. You do not need every cream to be “matte,” but you also do not want a waxy seal over every pore.
Think about how you are treating your acne. If you use a strong retinoid or benzoyl peroxide at night, your moisturizer should be simple and soothing. If your treatments are gentler, you can let your night cream bring in a little more action with ingredients like niacinamide or low-dose acids.
And always, always patch test new products on a small area first, especially when hormones are making your skin more unpredictable.
Do Night Creams Actually Help With Hormonal Acne
Night creams will not “fix” your hormones, but they do play a big role in how your skin handles hormonal acne. Hormonal breakouts are driven by internal shifts (like cycle changes, stress, PCOS, certain meds), but what you put on your skin can decide whether those breakouts are short-lived and calm or angry, painful, and slow to heal.
A good night cream for hormonal acne helps in three main ways. It supports your moisture barrier so your skin can tolerate strong treatments like retinoids or benzoyl peroxide. It adds hydration without clogging pores, which keeps your skin from producing even more oil as a panic response. And it can soothe redness and irritation so spots look less inflamed and marks heal faster.
So no, a night cream will not replace proper acne treatment or medical help when needed, but it absolutely can be the difference between “my skin is coping” and “my whole face hurts.”
What Ingredients Should I Look For In a Night Cream If I Have Hormonal Acne?
For hormonal acne, your night cream should focus on calm, repair, and balance.
Helpful ingredients include:
Ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids to rebuild your barrier and reduce dryness from treatments.
Niacinamide to help calm redness, support the barrier, and gently improve texture and post-acne marks.
Glycerin and hyaluronic acid to pull water into the skin without adding oil.
Squalane as a light, skin-friendly oil that rarely clogs pores when used in balanced formulas.
Soothing agents like aloe, allantoin, panthenol, colloidal oatmeal, or centella to take down irritation.
If you still get active breakouts, you can also look for low-dose salicylic acid, azelaic acid, or gentle zinc in some night creams, but these should be in addition to, not instead of, your main acne treatment. The star of your night cream is barrier repair, not “let’s add one more strong active to the mix.”
What Ingredients Should I Avoid In a Night Cream If I’m Acne-Prone?
Everyone’s skin is different, but there are some common culprits that often bother acne-prone or hormonal skin.
Be cautious with:
Very heavy, occlusive oils and butters, especially coconut oil, cocoa butter, and thick waxes, if you know you clog easily.
Strong fragrance or essential oils (like citrus, lavender, peppermint) if your skin is easily irritated or you are using strong acne meds already.
Rich, “anti-aging” balms made for very dry or mature skin. These often have textures that sit heavily on oily or combo skin and can worsen congestion along the jawline and chin.
It does not mean any product with shea butter or oil is evil. It just means if you are already breaking out and your night cream feels waxy, greasy, or heavy even in the morning, it is probably not the best match. When in doubt, choose something that says non-comedogenic, “for oily or acne-prone skin,” or is recommended alongside retinoids or acne treatments.
Do I Need a Separate Night Cream If I Already Use a Moisturizer?
Not always. “Night cream” is more about function and texture than a label. If your current moisturizer checks these boxes…
non-comedogenic
gives enough moisture without greasiness
plays well with your acne treatments
does not sting or break you out
…then you may not need a different cream just because it says “night” on the jar.
However, a dedicated night cream can make sense if:
You are on strong hormonal acne treatments (like tretinoin, spironolactone side effects, etc.) and your skin feels more fragile.
Your day moisturizer is very light (or has SPF), and you need more repair at night.
You want a slightly richer, more barrier-focused formula before bed and a lighter, more makeup-friendly moisturizer in the morning.
Think of it this way. If your skin is calm and happy, your current moisturizer might be doing enough overnight. If you feel tight, flaky, or like your acne meds are burning your face, a well-chosen night cream is worth adding.