Buying guide for best anti-aging creams
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There’s no topical magic potion that can turn back the hands of time, but a high-quality anti-aging moisturizer that’s packed with all-star ingredients can make a visible difference. To see results, it’s important to use wrinkle creams properly and consistently over time — and you’ll get the best outcome if you start as early as your twenties when you start noticing the first signs of skin aging.
There are lots of effective wrinkle creams on the market, using a variety of hero ingredients to promote graceful aging. However, with the multitude of options out there, it can be tough to separate the premium products from the subpar ones, and it’s not always easy to find the perfect pick for your skin type and concerns.
Luckily, we’ve done the work for you by highlighting five incredible options at a variety of price points. There’s an excellent choice for every skin type on our list, but our favorite of them all is the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Intense Wrinkle Cream, which is a rich, luxurious cream that noticeably smooths, hydrates and brightens skin to give you a healthy glow.
Which anti-aging cream is best?
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Intense Wrinkle Cream
Best of the Best
Product specifications
Key Ingredients: Retinol, bakuchiol, rambutan, ferulic acid | Skin Type: All | Size: 2 oz | SPF: None | Usage: Morning and evening
This moisturizing cream from a dermatologist-founded skin care line earns our top spot for its superstar ingredient list, pleasant texture and versatility. It’s formulated with retinol, the powerhouse anti-aging ingredient, which works to smooth skin texture, fade dark spots and boost collagen.
Though some people may find retinol irritates their skin, this cream also contains ferulic acid, an antioxidant that counteracts the irritating effects of retinol, and brightens and reduces sun damage. The cream also contains bakuchiol, a retinol-like botanical active substance that demonstrates the same level of efficacy as retinol without visible redness or irritation, and rambutan, an antioxidant that aids in collagen production.
Users of this cream appreciate its rich, mousse-like texture, which leaves skin feeling hydrated but not oily or greasy. Though it can be used morning and evening, it’s important to layer an SPF product on top for daytime use since retinol can make your skin more sensitive to the sun (and sunlight can decrease retinol’s effectiveness). It comes in a 2-ounce tub, so we recommend using a clean skin care spatula to scoop the product sanitarily.
Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 + Peptide Night Face Moisturizer Cream
Best Bang for the Buck
Product specifications
Key Ingredients: Retinoid complex, glycerin, niacinamide, amino peptide | Skin Type: Dry, normal, oily, sensitive | Size: 1.7 and 2 oz | SPF: None | Usage: Evening
This drugstore night cream works to improve the look of fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and pores while you slumber. In the morning, skin appears smoother, brighter and firmer. The secret is in the powerful ingredient list, which includes an exfoliating retinoid complex. Meanwhile, amino peptides help skin look firmer and smoother.
Skin tends to get drier with age, so this medium-weight, fragrance-free cream is also packed with niacinamide and glycerin to help your skin retain moisture. Furthermore, niacinamide works to improve cell turnover and regeneration to exfoliate and remove dull skin.
After cleansing your skin in the evening and applying your favorite treatment serums, finish with Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 + Peptide Night Face Moisturizer Cream as the last step in your nighttime skin care routine. Customers report the cream feels smooth and absorbs quickly with no sticky or tacky feeling.
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer SPF 30
Best With SPF
Product specifications
Key Ingredients: Retinol, hyaluronic acid, glucose complex | Skin Type: Normal, combination | Size: 1 oz | SPF: 30 | Usage: Morning, apply every 2 hours with sun exposure
While retinol creams are most commonly used in the evening, you can also apply the anti-aging ingredient during the daytime as long as you properly layer up on sun protection. That’s why we appreciate this daytime drugstore moisturizer, which combines retinol with SPF 30 and works to renew the look of skin throughout the day. It visibly improves the look of fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots while helping to prevent sun damage and sunburns.
At the same time, this anti-wrinkle cream also provides deep hydration thanks to the inclusion of hyaluronic acid, which adds plumping moisture to rejuvenate the look of skin. Customers describe the texture of the cream as smooth, lightweight and non-greasy. It’s housed in a convenient and sanitary pump container, which makes it easy to toss in your bag and bring with you, so you can reapply it every two hours if you’re out in the sun.
Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide Enriched Firming Moisturizer
Best With Vitamin C
Product specifications:
Key Ingredients: Retinol, vitamin C, ceramides | Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily | Size: 1.7 oz | SPF: None | Usage: Evening
This powerful moisturizer uses a potent combination of three anti-aging ingredients that work in tandem to smooth, firm and brighten skin. It’s formulated with 0.1% retinol, which visibly smooths fine lines and wrinkles. It also contains vitamin C, which has potent brightening benefits that counteract skin dullness (skin can get duller as you age). Meanwhile, five ceramides work to strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier, leading to visibly firmer and plumper skin.
Housed in a convenient and sanitary pump container, this moisturizer is designed to be used in the evening after cleansing, toning, exfoliating and treating skin. It has a rich, creamy texture that absorbs quickly into the skin and doesn’t leave a greasy feeling.
Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Retinol Alternative Firming Cashmere Moisturizer
Best Retinol Alternative
Product specifications
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, hyaluronic acid, collagen | Skin Type: Normal, dry, sensitive | Size: 1.6 oz | SPF: None | Usage: Morning
Though retinol is an excellent anti-aging ingredient, there are a number of reasons why it might not be right for you. Retinol can irritate sensitive, rosacea-prone and eczema-prone skin, and it’s not recommended for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. That’s where a retinol alternative, such as the resveratrol in this Caudalie moisturizer, comes in.
Found in grapes (among other plants), resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that helps visibly firm and reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It can yield smoother skin, improve pigmentation and increase skin elasticity. This moisturizer is also formulated with two molecular sizes of hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin and collagen to visibly firm and smooth facial contours.
Best suited for normal and dry skin types, the cream should be applied mornings and followed by sun protection if you’ll be spending time outdoors. It serves as an excellent base to layer under makeup, and it’s enriched with mineral pearlizers to leave skin with a radiant glow. It feels immediately hydrating but not greasy on the skin, and customers appreciate its pleasant scent. We love that it comes in a refillable container to help reduce waste and save you some money on your next purchase.
How we analyzed the best anti-aging creams
We spent hours poring over the details of more than 30 of the top anti-aging wrinkle creams, paying close attention to customer reviews, brand reputation, ingredients and cost.
Who should use anti-aging cream?
Anti-aging creams are great for anyone who wants to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The best time to start using a wrinkle cream is when you notice the first signs of wrinkles develop, which happens for most people in their late twenties or thirties.
Which ant-aging cream formula is right for you?
Anti-aging products typically come in one of three formulas: serum, moisturizer or night cream. Depending on the results you’re looking for, you can use more than one type of anti-aging product in your skin care routine. In fact, you may want to use different products with different active ingredients, so you get the most anti-aging benefits possible. Just make sure the ingredients are compatible to be used at the same time and don’t cause irritation.
Anti-aging serums
- Serums tend to be the thinnest, most lightweight anti-aging cream formulas.
- They typically don’t contain heavy moisturizing ingredients, so they absorb easily into the skin.
Anti-aging day moisturizers
- Moisturizers can range from lightweight gel creams to thick, rich creams. Lightweight creams are better for oily or combination skin, while rich creams provide better relief for dry skin.
- They often contain SPF to protect your skin from the sun during the day. If your anti-aging moisturizer does not include sun protection, layer SPF on top of your moisturizer for daytime use.
Anti-aging night creams
- Night creams contain intense moisturizing ingredients in addition to anti-aging ingredients, so it may take a little longer for the cream to absorb fully into the skin.
- They often contain ingredients that can make the skin sensitive to the sun because the products are designed to be used at night.
Key ingredients to look for
As you consider your options, look for the following additives in the ingredients list.
Retinol
- Benefits: This vitamin A derivative is the gold standard of topical anti-aging ingredients. It boosts collagen production, accelerates cell turnover, improves skin texture, tones and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
- Considerations: Retinol can cause dryness and irritation, especially when first introduced, so start with a lower concentration three times per week and increase frequency and strength gradually. Retinol can also irritate sensitive, eczema-prone and rosacea-prone skin, so in these cases, you may prefer a retinol alternative or other active ingredient. Retinol should not be used by people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Vitamin C
- Benefits: Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects the skin from free radical damage, brightens skin tone and promotes collagen synthesis. It helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and hyperpigmentation.
- Considerations: Look for stabilized forms of Vitamin C (like ascorbic acid) to ensure efficacy.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)
- Benefits: These include exfoliants like glycolic acid and lactic acid, which remove the top layers of dead skin cells and stimulate new skin growth for a smoother and brighter complexion.
- Considerations: They can increase sun sensitivity, so use them alongside sunscreen during the day.
Peptides
- Benefits: These chains of amino acids can stimulate collagen production and improve skin elasticity. They help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
- Considerations: Generally well-tolerated by all skin types.
Antioxidants
- Benefits: Ingredients like vitamin E, green tea extract and ferulic acid protect the skin from environmental damage and improve overall skin health.
- Considerations: They’re often combined with other active ingredients for enhanced effects.
Niacinamide
- Benefits: Also known as vitamin B3, it helps improve skin elasticity, enhance the barrier function, even out skin tone and diminish dullness and fine lines.
- Considerations: It’s particularly beneficial for sensitive skin.
Hyaluronic acid
- Benefits: This powerful humectant attracts and retains moisture in the skin, providing plumping and hydrating effects. It helps reduce the appearance of fine lines caused by dehydration.
- Considerations: It’s suitable for all skin types, including sensitive and acne-prone skin.
Considerations when choosing an anti-aging cream
Skin type
- Dry Skin: Look for creams with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides.
- Oily Skin: Opt for lighter noncomedogenic formulations.
- Sensitive Skin: Choose products with soothing ingredients, such as niacinamide, and avoid high concentrations of retinoids and acids initially.
Specific concerns
- Wrinkles and fine lines: Retinoid-based products are highly effective.
- Hyperpigmentation: Look for ingredients like vitamin C and niacinamide.
- Loss of firmness: Peptides and retinoids can help improve elasticity.
Usage and routine
- Daytime use: Consider creams with added SPF to protect against UV damage.
- Nighttime use: Use products with higher concentrations of active ingredients like retinol and AHAs for overnight repair and rejuvenation.
Tips
- Anti-aging creams may contain some fairly potent active ingredients, such as retinol. Do an allergy test before using any cream by applying a small dab on the inside of your elbow or wrist. Wait 24 to 48 hours. If there’s no reaction, you can apply the cream to your face.
- The only way to see real results from an anti-aging cream is to use it consistently over time. Establish a routine for using the cream, and apply it regularly.
- When you’re applying anti-aging cream, don’t forget your neck and chest. These areas can show signs of aging just as easily as your face.
- It’s a good idea to apply moisturizing anti-aging cream to damp skin. That will help lock in the moisture for the more intense hydration.
- When you’re using anti-aging cream during the day, wait for the cream to absorb fully before applying makeup.
- To get the best results from an anti-aging cream, always use it in conjunction with sunscreen during the day. The SPF will help prevent future signs of aging.
FAQ
Q. When should I start using an anti-aging cream?
A. Many dermatologists recommend using an anti-aging cream as early as your twenties to help curtail the signs of aging. There is no need to use anti-aging creams any earlier than that.
Q. Do any of the ingredients in anti-aging cream cause irritation or other side effects?
A. Some anti-aging creams contain extremely potent ingredients that may irritate sensitive skin or cause side effects. For example, retinol can cause dryness, redness and flaking, especially when you first start using it. For this reason, it’s best to start slow and only use the product a few times a week in the beginning. As your skin adjusts to the ingredients, the irritation will subside, and you can increase the usage. People with eczema, rosacea and very sensitive skin may not tolerate retinol at all. Do not use retinol if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. In these cases, you may opt for a retinol alternative such as bakuchiol or resveratrol.
Q. What about anti-aging cream with fragrance? Should I use it or avoid it?
A. Some anti-aging creams are scented with artificial fragrance to make them more appealing. However, if you have sensitive skin, the fragrance could irritate it. Opt for a fragrance-free formula to ensure that it works with your skin.
Q. How long does it take to see results from anti-aging cream?
A. It depends on the product and what skin concerns you have, but in most cases, you should start to see some results from your cream within four to eight weeks. The effects are usually fairly subtle, so you may wish to take “before” and “after” photos to help you spot the differences.
Our expertise
As BestReviews’ Content Editor focusing on Beauty and Personal Care, Talia Ergas brings well over a decade of lifestyle journalism experience to her work. She has specialized in the beauty category for eight years, and she has tested countless products in every corner of the space from skin care to makeup to hair care to nails.
She has an affinity for skin care in particular, and she’s collected more moisturizers and serums than probably any person should. She has tried many wrinkle creams over the years, and this list of the best anti-aging moisturizers includes representatives from many of her favorite skin care brands.
