Derms and Editors Say These Moisturizers Take Years Off the Face
Okay, I'll admit it. You can't actually Benjamin Button and take years off your face, but according to dermatologists, there are a few key ingredients you can incorporate into your skincare routine that can help you come pretty darn close. I've witnessed firsthand what the right routine can do for the overall appearance of your skin. It can work wonders—wonders, I tell you!
I've seen my dark spots disappear, fine lines relax, and acne clear up just by adding a few simple ingredients to my skincare lineup, and I couldn't be more grateful for the results they've produced.
While I think skin aging is normal, natural, and beautiful and shouldn't be shamed in any way, it's also okay to want to keep yours looking youthful. If you're looking for an anti-aging moisturizer that will help you do so, then you've come to the right place. I've polled dermatologists and editors on their favorite formulas. Keep reading for advice on how to choose the right one for you and, of course, our top picks.
What to Look for in an Anti-Aging Moisturizer
According to board-certified dermatologists Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, and Azadeh Shirazi, MD, there are a few universal ingredients all skin types should look for in an anti-aging moisturizer. They broke them down for us below.
1. Retinol: "Retinol is the gold standard in topical anti-aging skincare. This vitamin A–derived ingredient helps to boost collagen production and keep skin young. Those with oily skin can generally tolerate higher concentrations, while those with dry or more sensitive skin should start with lower-potency vitamin A derivatives." — Murphy-Rose
2. Coenzyme Q10: "[This is] a natural antioxidant crucial for energy production in cells, which declines with age. CoQ10 reduces oxidative stress and promotes collagen production, keeping skin more healthy and youthful, diminishing wrinkles and fine lines, and fighting off laxity while preventing free radical damage." — Murphy-Rose
3. Resveratrol: Resveratrol is a potent topical antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Resveratrol neutralizes free radical damage to protect skin at the cellular and DNA levels.
4. Green tea: Rich in catechins like EGCG, green tea provides antioxidant protection against oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory benefits to calm and soothe.
5. Vitamin C: "[Vitamin C] helps to boost collagen production and decrease hyperpigmentation. However, vitamin C is not always well-tolerated by sensitive skin, as many formulations contain higher concentrations of vitamin C that can be irritating to skin. Also, vitamin C is commonly stabilized with vitamin E or tocopherol, which is highly comedogenic so should generally be avoided by those with acne-prone or oily skin." — Murphy-Rose
6. Peptides: "[These are] short-chain amino acids that trick your skin into boosting collagen production and renewing skin cells. They also help calm inflammation. They're helpful in improving skin firmness and elasticity and reducing the appearance of wrinkles over time." — Shirazi
7. Hyaluronic acid: Known for its ability to attract and retain moisture, it instantly plumps fine lines and gives the skin a dewy, glowing appearance.
8. Niacinamide: Niacinamide helps restore and strengthen the skin's barrier, brightens skin tone, and calms inflammation.
9. Glycolic acid: This is an alpha hydroxy acid that exfoliates dead skin cells off the outer layer of the skin, promotes cell turnover, brightens the skin, and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while improving skin texture.
If you'd like more advice for your particular skin type, Shirazi also provided a few helpful tips for each.
Dry skin: "If you have dry skin, look for heavier, more occlusive formulas that are nourishing and reduce transepidermal water loss. Formulations with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramides, panthenol, ectoin, and AHAs are helpful in strengthening the skin, firming, and improving skin laxity."
Oily skin: "If you have oily skin, opt for a lightweight, noncomedogenic moisturizer with ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide to help regulate oil production and prevent breakouts while targeting signs of aging."
Combination skin: "Those with combination skin may need to use different products in different areas of the face—ones designed for oily skin in the T-zone and a product for dry skin on the outer sides of the face more prone to dryness. Some common ingredients that help both are AHAs, niacinamide, and peptides to address multiple skin concerns, including fine lines and uneven texture."
Sensitive skin: "If you have sensitive skin, look for a simple, fragrance-free formula with soothing ingredients like chamomile or oat complexes, glycerin, panthenol, and allantoin to minimize irritation. Avoid harsh ingredients and potential sensitizing ingredients."
Normal skin: "The world is your oyster since your skin tolerates most of the more powerful anti-aging ingredients. Choose a moisturizer with antioxidants like vitamin C and E, resveratrol, retinol, green tea polyphenols, niacinamide, peptides, stem cells, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, AHAs, or glycerin. [These ingredients] protect against environmental damage, renew your skin, [and] strengthen your moisture barrier while promoting collagen production to give your skin a more youthful appearance."
For the absolute best anti-aging moisturizers dermatologists and editors love, keep scrolling below.
The Best Anti-Aging Moisturizers
"[This moisturizer] combines antioxidant, anti-pollution, and anti-aging benefits into a silky lightweight moisturizer that won't clog pores. It is hypoallergenic, vegan, and nontoxic and is safe for all skin types, including the most sensitive skin and acne-prone skin. The clinically proven blend of coenzyme Q10, resveratrol, green tea, and vitamin C protects against skin aging and boosts collagen production while ceramides and hyaluronic acid in a seven-molecular weight blend hydrate and plump." — Murphy-Rose
Pros: Highly rated, great for most skin types, features a host of powerhouse anti-aging ingredients
Cons: Expensive
Key Specs: 1.69 oz., coenzyme Q10, vitamin C, resveratrol
"An anti-aging favorite that blends a proprietary mix of retinoid and alpha hydroxy acids with other skin-renewing ingredients to prevent and fight signs of aging overnight." — Murphy-Rose
Pros: Combines a retinoid with a gentle AHA (lactic acid) and improves fine lines, uneven texture, and dark spots
Cons: Expensive
Key Specs: 1.0 oz., AlphaRet technology, lactic acid, antioxidants
Shirazi recommends this lush moisturizer from Shiseido for dry, normal, and combination skin.
"Using their Kurenai-TruLift Complex and ReNeura Technology with multiple plant-based ingredients to strengthen skin tone and help firm the skin, it's deeply nourishing and gives the skin a smooth, more even-toned appearance." — Shirazi
Pros: Great for dry, normal, and combination skin; firms and lifts the skin; smooths out tone
Cons: May not work as well for oily skin
Key Specs: 50 mL., five antioxidants, Kurenai-TruLift Complex, ReNeura Technology
"Fragrance-free formula using retinol and hyaluronic acid gives the skin long standing hydration while delivering powerful anti-aging benefits. It's fast-absorbing, and clinical studies report reduced lines and smoother skin in one week. Offered at an affordable price point and readily available at most retailers." — Murphy-Rose
Pros: Affordable, fragrance-free, provides 48 hours of hydration
Cons: May not be suitable for sensitive skin
Key Specs: 1.7 oz., retinol, hyaluronic acid
From Shirazi's own line, she recommends Restore for all skin types.
"Deeply hydrating, fragrance-free cream formulated with multiple anti-aging ingredients in one product designed to restore and strengthen the skin barrier. Powerful ingredients to reduce the signs of aging include peptides, resveratrol, niacinamide, plant-based stem cells, and ceramides." — Shirazi
Pros: Designed for all skin types, contains powerful barrier-strengthening ingredients, reduces the signs of aging
Cons: Expensive
Key Specs: 1.7 oz., niacinamide, resveratrol, plant-based stem cells
"This elegant formula contains vitamins C and E and hyaluronic acid. So aside from hydration and anti-aging ingredients, you also have antioxidants that help protect and repair the skin. Great for dry to combination skin." — Noelani González, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist
Pros: Contains vitamins C and E, and hyaluronic acid, protects and repairs the skin, great for dry and combination skin
Cons: Expensive
Key Specs: 1.7 oz., vitamins C and E, hyaluronic acid, omega-3 fatty acids
"This product contains everything in one bottle—peptides, hydration, and helps create both elastin and collagen. I recommend this for any skin type." — González
Pros: Restores volume to thinning skin and improves elasticity, dullness, and uneven texture
Cons: Expensive
Key Specs: 1 oz., TriHex Technology, L-ornithine, hexapeptide 38
Who What Wear's beauty director, Erin Jahns, and González both recommend this anti-aging moisturizer from SkinBetter Science.
"This anti-aging moisturizer has many effective moisturizing ingredients like ceramides, glycerine, urea, squalene, and even vitamin C. This is mostly for dry and dull skin." — González
Pros: Supports the skin barrier, significantly improves hydration levels, ideal for severely dry, dehydrated, or dull skin
Cons: May not be suitable for oily or acne-prone skin types
Key Specs: 1.7 oz., cholesterol, ceramides, squalane, vitamin C, glycine, niacinamide
Innbeauty Project's Extreme Cream is another favorite of Jahns. It firms, lifts, and contours the face, nourishes the skin barrier, and helps lift sagging skin.
Pros: Support the skin barrier with ceramides, reduces wrinkles, boosts elasticity, firms the skin
Cons: May be too heavy for some skin types
Key Specs: 1.7 oz., lifting peptides, bioretinol, ceramides
Who What Wear associate beauty editor Kaitlyn McLintock loves this firming moisturizer from Peach & Lily. It acts as a barrier-repair cream, is hydrating, and is fragrance-free.
Pros: Helps repair the skin barrier, fragrance-free, deeply hydrating
Cons: May not be suitable for sensitive skin
Key Specs: Peptides, amino acids, hyaluronic acid complex
Who Who Wear senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider is a fan of BeautyStat's wrinkle-relaxing cream. It features a proprietary blend of 22 amino acid peptides and a cutting-edge hexapeptide that immediately reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
Pros: Contains wrinkle-relaxing peptides, firms sagging skin with glucoasmine, reinforces the skin barrier with ceramides
Cons: None
Key Specs: 1.7 oz., peptides, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, vitamin F
Shawna Hudson has worked in editorial for over six years, with experience covering entertainment, fashion, culture, celebrities, and her favorite topic of all, beauty. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in journalism and has written for other publications such as Bustle, The Zoe Report, Byrdie, Elite Daily, Mane Addicts, and more. She is currently an associate beauty editor at Who What Wear and hopes to continue feeding her (completely out-of-control) beauty obsession as long as she can. Stay up to date on her latest finds on Instagram @shawnasimonee.
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