We Cut Through the Anti-Aging Hype to Find Skin Care You’ll Actually Use

We begin to age the minute we’re born. And if we’re lucky enough to kick around this planet a few decades, we get to watch our skin age with us. The scars where we’ve healed and the smile lines getting deeper are evidence that we’re living life to the fullest

For this guide, I wanted to focus on what happens to our skin from midlife onward. “People tend to think about boosting collagen or reducing wrinkles as they get older, but maintaining your skin’s barrier, so there’s less sensitivity and less water loss, is also important,” said board-certified dermatologist Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin

To find the best products for mature skin, I spoke to two dermatologists and a physician who specializes in longevity medicine. Then I dug through the research and reporting from nine of our popular skin-care guides and reviewed testing notes from 77 people, ages 40 to 84. Finally, I vetted similar products against one another during a month of head-to-head testing

A few of the picks below — including the eye creams and the retinol serums — improved the appearance of our testers’ skin (call them anti-aging products, if you like). But other products — like the moisturizers with SPF, the face and body lotions, and the non-stripping cleansers — prioritize boosting and maintaining skin’s resiliency. One thing they all have in common: helping us to look and feel like the best versions of ourselves.

Retinoids

If there’s one thing that dermatologists love to recommend for aging skin, it’s retinoids, which speed up cellular turnover and stimulate collagen production. But Levin said she’s noticed that prescription versions can irritate some of her older patients’ complexions. “At a certain age, the over-the-counter retinoids might be a better, gentler option,” she said. The products below offer many of the same benefits as prescription retinoids, yet they come in milder formats that our testers over 40 loved.

Gentle but effective retinoid: Youth To The People Retinal + Niacinamide Youth Serum

Youth To The People’s creamy serum lived up to its brand name — at least for some testers. “I think my nasolabial folds are less noticeable,” one panelist in his early 50s said. “And the skin on my upper cheeks and temples has gotten smoother.”

The texture improvements likely come from a 0.15% concentration of retinal (short for retinaldehyde), which cosmetic chemists say is faster-acting but slightly less stable than retinol. (Retinol and retinal concentrations are not comparable: A 1.5% retinol is generally on a par with a 0.15% retinal.) The Youth To The People serum, which is a pick in our guide to retinol products, felt gentle despite its strength, and the ingredients list is topped with moisturizing components like niacinamide, squalane, and glycerin.

Unfortunately, the inclusion of retinal gives this product an egg-yolk hue, and it left a yellowish cast on some testers’ skin. Also, at slightly more than $70 an ounce (at the time of writing), it’s expensive

Moisturizing retinol for dry skin: LilyAna Naturals Retinol Cream

Testers who were initially reluctant to try retinoids, for fear of dehydrating their (in some cases) already dry skin, overwhelmingly praised the LilyAna Naturals Retinol Cream. With ingredients such as glycerin and aloe (a moisture-boosting soother that counterbalances retinol’s tendency to dry and irritate skin), this product is truly moisturizing

The cream’s retinol concentration is around 0.1%, according to a company representative. And most testers found it to be mild yet still effective: “I have tiny little lines above my upper lip, and after using this for four weeks, I’ve noticed that those are beginning to be less pronounced,” a 58-year-old tester explained

That said, this isn’t the most potent retinoid we tested for our guide to the best retinol products, and not every tester who used it noticed a line-smoothing effect

Potent retinol for lined skin: SkinMedica Retinol Complex

A pick in our guide to the best retinol products, SkinMedica’s fragrance-free serum is especially well suited to aging skin because it comes in multiple strengths — 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1% retinol — so you can dial the potency up or down as your needs change. Plus, the retinol is encapsulated, so it penetrates slowly, thereby making it more tolerable for those with sensitive skin

A tester in her mid-50s used the 0.5% potency serum for six weeks and was encouraged by the line-smoothing benefits she saw. She upgraded to the 1% strength and still didn’t suffer a fleck of dry skin or redness. “It made my crow’s feet look so much less pronounced — to such an extent that I felt like I could get several extra weeks out of my quarterly Botox,” she said

With its lotion-like texture, this serum requires a little manipulation to evenly massage it into skin. And it’s not cheap: At the time of writing, a fluid ounce of the 0.25% version was about $65, and the higher concentrations cost more

Eye creams

We were eye-cream skeptics — until the testing results from our guide to the best eye creams came in. And board-certified dermatologist Jeanine Downie said we were wise to keep our expectations in check: “An eye cream is not a surgeon,” she said, noting that no topical product can entirely erase under-eye bags or wrinkles. What eye creams can do: smooth and depuff, soften lines, and brighten under-eye circles — subtly. But, Downie added, protecting the eye area from UV-induced aging also goes a long way: “Don’t forget the sunglasses.”

All-around eye cream: CeraVe Skin Renewing Eye Cream

This covers-all-bases CeraVe cream was the sleeper hit of our guide to the best eye creams. A 69-year-old tester used it around one eye only, and when some of us saw her three weeks after testing began, we could tell it was working. “Doesn’t the whole eye area look brighter and smoother?” she asked while moving her head back and forth so we could compare the two sides. It did indeed

Packaged in a workaday squeeze tube that could just as easily house an analgesic ointment, the cream absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a sticky residue. Its ingredients include niacinamide (a multitasker that can brighten skin and soften fine lines over time), hydrating glycerin, barrier-reinforcing ceramides, and collagen-supporting peptides. For our over-40 testers, the result was instant hydration — plus brightening, smoothing, and a touch of depuffing over time.

Dark-circle brightener: Alastin Restorative Eye Complex

Dark circles are notoriously hard to treat with topical products, but most of our 40-and-up testers reported improvements after using Alastin Restorative Eye Complex, a pick in our guide to the best eye creams. Just 11 days into testing, a 42-year-old panelist messaged us in shock: “You guys, I looked in the mirror this morning and there is a notable difference.”

One pearl-sized pump is enough to treat both eyes. It sinks in quickly and has an immediate brightening effect, perhaps due to the inclusion of light-scattering silica. The cream also contains a trio of peptides and niacinamide — ingredients that may contribute to the more-lasting results. After a month of using this product, most testers reported subtle textural improvements, and they all saw varying degrees of brightening.

We know this cream is expensive (street price: about $213 an ounce), but no other product we tested improved testers’ dark circles as well

Wrinkle-smoothing eye cream: Skinbetter Science EyeMax AlphaRet Overnight Cream

After a month of using Skinbetter Science EyeMax AlphaRet Overnight Cream every night, most of our mature-skinned testers reported subtly softened wrinkles. In fact, after using it for just three weeks, a 65-year-old panelist said various family members (who had no idea she was testing for us) started remarking on her mysteriously refreshed appearance

The silky, peach-colored cream contains a retinoid, which is likely responsible for its wrinkle-diminishing effects, according to our experts. But unlike prescription retinoids (which some testers had tried in the past and found too drying and irritating), this version, ethyl lactyl retinoate, penetrates slowly. And, in the process, it releases lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that can improve skin’s texture.

Worth noting: This eye cream is a triple-digit investment, so you have to really want to diminish wrinkles — and commit to consistent application — to make the purchase make sense

Other treatments

When it comes to skin care, less is usually more as you get older. “People become obsessed with more anti-aging ingredients, more actives, more exfoliants,” Levin said. But she noted that it’s often better to pare back the number of products you use and focus instead on treatments that replenish what your skin naturally loses with age. The serums below — which are picks in our guides to the best vitamin C serums and the best hydrating serums — do just that.

Vitamin C serum for mature skin: Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum

The aging process is uniquely complex. But one well-established change we all experience is a significant drop in our skin’s levels of vitamin C, which supports collagen production and helps protect against free radicals. Applying a product like Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum can help offset that depletion

A standout in our guide to the best vitamin C serums, this lotion-like treatment contains tetrahexyldecyl (THD) ascorbate. “I like THD more than L-ascorbic acid for mature or sensitive skin,” said Levin, who noted that because this serum is oil-soluble, it can effectively penetrate the skin at a gentle, skin-friendly pH level

The mild, moisture-rich lotion won over our mature-skinned testers. “There was no tingling or redness, and I loved the creamy texture — not too heavy, but still hydrating,” a 44-year-old tester with dry skin said. Plus, it didn’t pill or feel greasy under moisturizer and makeup

Generally, THD ascorbate is a more expensive ingredient than L-ascorbic acid (the common form of vitamin C), and this serum’s price certainly reflects that

Barrier-boosting serum: Hanyul Red Rice Hydrating Serum

Again and again, testers told us that their skin experienced a new kind of dryness with age. “I just can’t seem to keep moisture in my body,” a 69-year-old tester said

The issue might be a disrupted skin barrier, which is common in people over 50. “Ceramides can help,” said board-certified internist Amanda Kahn. “They’re like the mortar for the bricks that are your skin cells, so we want to tighten up that mortar — sealing in the moisture and keeping the irritants out.”

Hanyul Red Rice Hydrating Serum contains ceramides, which work alongside other lipids to shore up a compromised barrier. This soothing gel also contains glycerin, panthenol, and squalane, for a noticeable surge of hydration. “Adding any new skin care usually makes my sensitive skin revolt, but this actually made it better — less dry and itchy,” said a 40-something panelist who tested the hydrating serum during a cold winter and a pollen-loaded spring.

Although the 5-ounce bottle’s price seems steep, the cost per ounce (about $9 at the time of publication) is about the same per-ounce cost of the budget pick in our guide to the best hydrating serums

Hydrating serum: Vichy Minéral 89 Daily Booster

You’ve probably heard of hyaluronic acid (HA), the humectant that supports skin hydration, but what about polyglutamic acid (PGA)? “I call it a big sister to hyaluronic acid. It’s derived from fermented soybeans, and it can hold, like, five times more moisture than HA,” said Levin

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Vichy Minéral 89 Daily Booster was one of the top performers in our guide to the best hydrating serums. And this fast-absorbing gel lists both HA and PGA on its ingredients panel. We liked its pleasing gel-to-liquid texture and perceptible hydration boost, and the tidy pump dispenser was easier to use than the droppers on some of the other serums we tried. “When I’m visiting my home state of Arizona — emphasis on arid — this serum can feel borderline miraculous under moisturizer,” said a 56-year-old tester who called her skin “endlessly thirsty.”

You won’t necessarily achieve Instagram-ready dewiness after one application, but this was a positive for testers who simply wanted their skin to feel more comfortable and less parched

Moisturizers with SPF

All of the experts we spoke with recommend wearing sunscreen (at least SPF 30) every day — even if you’re not going outside. “In the morning, I kiss my husband, brush my teeth, put on sunscreen, and then I look at my phone,” said Downie, who noted that products with broad-spectrum SPF 30 also offer protection from blue light emitted by screens (which can accelerate skin aging). In our reporting, we found that many people don’t like the feel of sunscreen, or they don’t want to deal with an extra skin-care step. If you’re one of them, consider using a moisturizer with SPF instead.

Everyday moisturizer with (mineral) SPF: Korres Mineral Milk Fluid Sunscreen SPF 50

Because skin sensitivity tends to increase with age, some people find they need to swap products that once served them well for less irritating options. In the world of sunscreens, that often involves trading a chemical formula for a mineral one

The lightly moisturizing Korres Mineral Milk Fluid Sunscreen — a recommendation in our guide to face sunscreens— surprised all of us. Coming out of the dropper-style bottle, it looked runny, like it wouldn’t comfort or cling. But then things got interesting: This lotion slid over the skin and rubbed in easily. And it didn’t leave a white cast: Everybody was surprised that this was a mineral sunscreen, especially testers with medium and dark skin tones. The Korres fluid also left skin ever-so-slightly glowy, and it was remarkably hydrating, considering its lack of heft — perhaps due to the inclusion of humectants like propanediol and the barrier-boosting niacinamide.

You have to shake the tiny bottle before applying the lotion, and the product isn’t cheap. But after trying it, an 82-year-old tester who didn’t wear sunscreen daily said he might start doing so. “It’s sexy,” he said of this multitasker and its sleek packaging

Everyday moisturizer with (chemical) SPF: CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30

We’ve been recommending this facial moisturizer in our guide to face sunscreens since 2018, and it was also a hit with testers for this roundup — even those who had dry or sensitive skin

The CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 has the creamy consistency of a medium-weight moisturizer. And it contains the humectants and emollients — including glycerin and ceramides — that dermatologists like to see in a daily hydrator. It takes about 10 seconds to massage this lotion into most skin types and tones, but once it sinks in, there’s no sheen left behind. “I hate when sunscreen makes me look greasy,” said a 42-year-old tester who now uses this one daily.

Although it’s fragrance-free, the CeraVe lotion has a faint plasticky aroma, but it’s also one of the most affordable SPF moisturizers we tried (about $10 an ounce). If you want something that’s less sunscreen-coded, we found that CeraVe’s Skin Renewing Brightening Lotion SPF 30 felt lighter, was easier to blend in, and had less of an aroma. But it’s also pricier (about $15 an ounce)

Moisturizers

You’ve probably heard that skin tends to get drier as you age, but you don’t really know what that means until, well, you know. In women, dryness often sets in after menopause, and something similar happens in men. “It’s called andropause, and it’s really under-discussed,” said Kahn, who specializes in longevity medicine. Since there are other body-wide (gender-agnostic) changes that contribute to dry skin, many experts recommend using moisturizer daily — even before that parched sensation sets in.

Barrier-boosting facial lotion: Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer

“After age 45, a standard moisturizer may not be enough,” Levin said. She suggests using a biomimetic moisturizer, with a mix of hydrators mimicking the ratio found in the skin’s natural moisturizing barrier. That may sound fancy, but the Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer — a pick in our guide to the best moisturizers — is available at drugstores. And it contains a blend of ceramides, fatty-acid derivatives, and a plant-based cholesterol alternative, making it highly biomimetic and “ideal for barrier repair,” Levin explained.

The utilitarian packaging isn’t much to look at, but the lotion itself is sublime: Medium-weight and highly emollient, it glides on effortlessly, absorbs beautifully, and seems to temporarily minimize the appearance of fine lines. “The silky texture could easily pass for Chanel,” a 45-year-old tester said

Also, it lacks common irritants, such as fragrances, dyes, and lanolin. And because it has such a finely tuned ingredients panel, there’s little chance of skin irritation. Six people over 40 tested this product, and none of them — even those with sensitive skin — reported any issues

Rich, skin-plumping facial moisturizer: Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream

Many face creams claim to do more than just hydrate. But among the moisturizers we dipped into while compiling this roundup and testing products for our guide to the best moisturizers, Augustinus Bader’sThe Rich Cream was one of the few that seemed to deliver on its skin-smoothing promises. A 47-year-old tester said her lines were less noticeable after she used it for a month. She added, “I can’t tell if that’s because I’m so plumped with moisture — this stuff is incredibly hydrating.”

The ingredients list packs a plethora of derm-approved humectants and emollients, including glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and squalane. It also contains a patented peptide blend the company calls Trigger Factor Complex (or TFC). According to the brand’s own small study, people who used the cream for four weeks had a decrease in the depth of their wrinkles. However, the exact modalities of the improvements are hard to pinpoint, and the results have yet to be presented in a peer-reviewed study.

Even so, our panelists liked how the luscious cream sank in and stayed put: It didn’t dry down and seem to disappear, as other products in this category did. Does all of that make this cream worth the exorbitant price? For at least a few of our testers, the answer was yes

Head-to-toe moisture for extra-dry skin: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

Right around the time you get your first AARP invitation, your skin may enter its alligator era — at least in some spots. That’s when it’s time to consider a moisturizer with a richer format. “I like something in a jar rather than a bottle, because they tend to be thicker,” said Downie

We found this tub of cake-frosting-like cream to be just the thing. The buttery whip feels rich but not suffocating, and it contains go-to humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, plus the added benefit of occlusive petrolatum, which helps seal in moisture

That sounds delicious for elbows and heels, but we were surprised to find it worked equally well on faces (it’s a pick in our guides to face moisturizers and body lotions). It absorbs quickly, leaving no greasy residue, and sits nicely — even under a full face of makeup. One 45-year-old tester who used it at night noted, “I loved that my dry skin still looked hydrated when I woke up.”

Cleansers

Add less-acidic skin to the indignities that rack up as your birthdays pass. That may not sound so bad, but skin’s rising pH is partially responsible for the increased sensitivity and dryness many people experience after 45. To help maintain your skin’s natural acidity, look for pH-balanced washes and cleansing bars instead of traditional soaps (like castile soaps) and some harsh deodorizing bars, which have a highly alkaline pH, according to Levin.

Mild daily facial cleanser: Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser

If you were to hear “mild, non-stripping, fragrance-free, pH-balanced cleanser,” you might think, “Meh.” But Vanicream’s Gentle Facial Cleanser checks all of those boxes, and it’s a delight to use: With the addition of a little water, it transforms from a pearlescent liquid into a pleasant froth that clings nicely until you rinse

The third ingredient, out of a mere 12, is coco glucoside (a cleansing agent made from coconut oil and sugar that feels soothing). “I love suds, but I have dry skin so I’m wary of them,” a 40-something tester said. “This was such a surprise. It didn’t dry my skin, and the foam felt moisturizing.” (This face wash also contains mica, a mineral that can cause irritation for some people. But none of our mature testers had issues.)

Best of all, the Vanicream cleanser — a pick in our guide to the best face cleansers — is a bargain. The 8-ounce bottle lasts for several months, even when it’s used twice daily, so it ends up costing pennies per use

Hydrating wash for face and body: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser

Those with dry skin may approach cleansing with an acute side-eye: Won’t washing just add to the dehydration? Nope, not when La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser is in play

With its amorphous gel-cream-liquid texture, this cleanser can be used on the face or the body. Also, it contains a mere 19 ingredients, and eight of them (including glycerin, niacinamide, a ceramide, vitamin E, and panthenol) help skin maintain moisture. Our testers appreciated its simplicity and novel texture: “I liked the way this held onto my skin while I massaged it in,” said a tester in her 50s. “It wasn’t too slippery or gummy.”

But this pick from our guide to the best face cleansers is more dutiful than beautiful: The fragrance-free formula and weak suds are far from being an ahh-inducing delight. And if you use the cleanser as a body wash (which some of our extra-dry-skinned testers did), it ends up being a bit pricey for a staple

Gentle and luxe exfoliating facial cleanser: Tatcha The Rice Wash

For our 40-and-up cohort, exfoliation often feels like a high-stakes gamble (aggressive scrubs and acids can disrupt the skin barrier and lead to inflammation, according to Levin). But Tatcha The Rice Wash — a pick in our guide to the best face cleansers — offers a safe path to a brighter complexion. It starts out feeling a touch granular and then quickly melts into a veil of subtle suds, and it leaves skin clean and glowy.

Rice powder is a key component here. Unlike walnut husks of yesteryear, rice powder gently exfoliates without irritating skin. “There’s just a hint of grit to it, and my skin felt clean and buffed after using it,” a tester in her late 50s said. This cleanser also has a subtle herbal aroma, which added to the spa-like experience without irritating any of our mature testers’ skin

Since it doesn’t remove stubborn makeup — and costs about $10 an ounce — this product is probably best to use as an occasional exfoliating treatment, instead of as a daily face wash

Mild cleansing bar for face and body: Dove Sensitive Beauty Bar

Dove proves that oldies are goodies: The iconic Sensitive Beauty Bar nestles comfortably in the palm and creates a veil of sheer, silky suds. And the fragrance-free soap is a longtime favorite of dermatologists for all-over cleansing

It might look like a regular bar of soap, but this GOAT is actually a synthetic detergent (or “syndet”) made with surfactants that are gentler on your skin barrier. And our panelists with aging skin approved. “I like that my skin feels clean but not tight after I rinse,” said a 41-year-old tester with eczema who used it on his face and body. “And it’s moisturizing without getting slick or greasy in my body hair.”

Dove bars do tend to soften and disappear more quickly than many other bars we tested for our guide to the best soaps. But for our testers with aging skin, that factor was nowhere close to a dealbreaker

This article was edited by Nicola Dall’Asen and Leta Shy

Sources

1. Jeanine Downie, MD, board-certified dermatologist, phone interview, May 4, 2026

2. Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, MD, board-certified dermatologist, phone interview and email interview, May 4, 2026 and June 7, 2026

3. Amanda Kahn, MD, board-certified internist and longevity expert, phone interview, May 7, 2026

Meet your guide

What I Cover

I write and edit articles about skin and hair care, makeup, grooming products, and beauty-related devices and tools. It’s my mission to cut through marketing hype and social-media noise and help people look and feel like the best versions of themselves

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