Everyone wants what they don't have, and most of us stop at nothing to achieve a more youthful appearance. In-office treatments are half the equation for healthy, younger-looking skin, but at-home anti-aging products are equally as important. Since not all anti-aging products are created equally, the best anti-aging products are the ones formulated with supercharged actives that are known to really make a difference.
Meet the Expert
- Dr. Connie Yang is a board-certified dermatologist and a member of Dermstore's Medical Advisory Board
Key Ingredients to Look for in Anti-Aging Products
Your anti-aging efforts are only as good as the skincare products you use, so it's important to pay close attention to what you put on your skin. Different skin types respond differently to different skincare ingredients, but when it comes to those that help stave off the hands of time, treating your skin consistently with clinically proven ones is best. According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Connie Yang, key ingredients to look for in anti-aging products include retinol, vitamin C, alpha hydroxy acids such as lactic, glycolic, and mandelic acids, peptides, and SPF. Each ingredient has its benefits. "Retinoids promote collagen production and increase cell turnover to help reduce fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and clogged pores, whereas vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, protects the skin from daily environmental oxidative stressors while brightening and evening out the skin's tone," Dr. Yang shares. "AHAs exfoliate the top layer of dead skin cells to reveal smoother, more even skin. Peptides serve multiple functions, including stimulating collagen and improving skin elasticity."
Shop the Best Anti-Aging Products
1. SkinCeuticals P-Tiox Anti-Wrinkle Peptide Serum
This peptide-packed serum makes getting glass skin easy. Thanks to powerful peptides that help reduce expression-related lines and wrinkles while improving the skin’s radiance, it helps smooth out the skin for a more even tone and improved texture.
Key Ingredients: Advanced peptide complex, PHA, niacinamide, laminaria extract
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Improves skin texture, refines the pores, reduces the look of lines and wrinkles, hydrates the skin, enhances the skin’s barrier function
Related Article: Esthetician Reviewed: SkinCeuticals P-TIOX Serum And Its Powerful Anti-Wrinkle Results
2. SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum
Deep wrinkles and lines don't stand a chance against this supercharged skin serum, which seriously rejuvenates the skin. By encouraging skin cell renewal and supporting the skin's natural production of collagen and elastin, the skin emerges softer, smoother, and more youthful-looking.
Key Ingredients: NS-MR, Renessence (RSC) Advanced
Skin Type: Aging and Mature
Skin Benefits: Smooths the look of wrinkles and lines, helps lift sagging skin, evens out the skin tone and texture
3. PCA SKIN Pro-Max Age Renewal Advanced Anti-Aging Serum with Micro Growth Factor Technology
This award-winning serum works hard to tackle the common signs of aging for a renewed appearance. Counting growth factors as a hero ingredient, it helps to lift and firm the skin while supporting collagen production for firmer-looking skin.
Key Ingredients: Growth factors, organic kangaroo paw flower extract, biopolymers
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Lifts and firms the skin, smooths out lines and wrinkles, restores lost volume, plumps
4. Elemis Pro-Collagen Future Restore Serum
This restoring serum is for skin that needs a little help in the firmness department. Powered by marine actives, it works wonders to improve the skin's firmness factor, support optimal skim functionality, and boost elasticity and volume so that the skin becomes smoother and more luminous-looking.
Key Ingredients: Opal skin algae complex, marine bacillus ferment, marine cellular lipids, padina pavonica ferment
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Hydrates, firms, reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles, improves skin density and elasticity
5. BIOEFFECT Power Serum
This powerful anti-aging serum is the perfect antidote for a refreshed, more youthful-looking appearance. Packed with a blend of anti-aging ingredients that are all naturally found within the skin, this skin-smoothing formula is one of the best anti-aging products if you are looking for firmer, plump, and smooth skin.
Key Ingredients: BioEffect EGF, BioEffect KGF, hyaluronic acid, NAG
Skin Type: All skin types, especially dry and mature
Skin Benefits: Supports skin barrier, brightens, targets key signs of aging
6. SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced Anti-Wrinkle Cream
We're big fans of this anti-aging cream, which has both preventative and corrective benefits. Use it to help reverse glycation-related aging, a lack of collagen in the skin, and reduce the look of skin laxity, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Key Ingredients: Proxylanetm, wild fruit flavonoids, glycyrrhetinic acid, HEPES, niacinamide
Skin Type: Dry, Normal, Combination, and Sensitive
Skin Benefits: Smooths lines and wrinkles, hydrates, comforts the skin
7. Obagi Medical ELASTIderm Lift Up and Sculpt Facial Moisturizer
Some of the best anti-aging products go above and beyond the standard ones to visibly lift and sculpt the face, which is exactly what the moisturizing formula does. Like a facelift in a jar, the cream plumps up the look of fine lines and wrinkles while it hydrates the skin for a baby-soft, renewed complexion that will have everyone wanting to know what you are using.
Key Ingredients: Bi-mineral contour complex, polyglutamic acid, beta-glucan, sodium hyaluronate cross polymer, squalene, meadowfoam seed oil, shea butter, castor oil, glycerin
Skin Type: Dry and Aging
Skin Benefits: Decreases the look of fine lines, smooths the skin, plumps, improves skin crepiness
Beauty Insider Tip:
8.iS Clinical Active Serum
For aging skin that needs to be seriously kicked into youth mode, applying this active serum daily will help get the job done. Ideal for tackling the most common signs of aging while addressing symptoms of adult acne and discoloration, expect instant and long-term results and a significant improvement in the skin's texture and tone.
Key Ingredients: Bilberry, mushroom extract, sugarcane, white willow bark
Skin Type: Combination, Acne-Prone, Mature, Oily
Skin Benefits: Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, evens out skin tone, helps heal breakouts, smooths and softens the skin, reduces the appearance of enlarged pores
9. EltaMD Renew Eye Gel
When devising a well-rounded anti-aging routine, you can't neglect the eye area. This daily-use eye gel helps reverse the look of aging eyes so that they look refreshed, renewed, and more youthful in just 30 days.
Key Ingredients: Peptides, natural extracts, hyaluronic acid
Skin Type: Combination, Dry, Oily, Sensitive
Skin Benefits: Minimizes the appearance of under-eye puffiness, dark circles, fine lines, and wrinkles
10. Revision Skincare D.E.J Eye Cream
When finding the best anti-aging ingredients, stick with ones with a tried-and-true track record, like those in this all-in-one anti-aging eye treatment. Designed to reverse the signs of aging on and around the eyes, like sagging, hooding, wrinkles, and redness, this lightweight eye cream also provides an intense dose of much-needed hydration, so your eyes appear refreshed as if you slept for days.
Key Ingredients: Alpha-glucan oligosaccharide, dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline, palmitoyl tripeptide-38, amino acid copper complex, goji fruit extract
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Reduces the appearance of sagging, wrinkles, redness and hooding around the eye area and eyelid, hydrates, boosts the skin's ability to attract and retain moisture, shields against free radicals, and supports the skin’s microbiome
11. Dermalogica AGE Smart Super Rich Repair
This rich and rejuvenating moisturizing cream is like a tall drink of water for dry, thirsty skin. Packed with peptides, hyaluronic acid, and colloidal oatmeal, it prevents collagen breakdown, enhances skin firmness and elasticity, and simultaneously decreases inflammation for a healthier, younger-looking complexion.
Key Ingredients: Peptides, shea butter, evening primrose oil, allantoin
Skin Type: Dry, Mature
Skin Benefits: Soothes and insulates skin against environmental elements, replenishes barrier lipids, moisturizes
12. LYMA Laser Starter Kit Bundle
Transform your skin with a clinical-grade, painless handheld laser. This one improves the skin on the face and neck. In just three minutes per day, fine lines, wrinkles, and folds are smoothed out for softer, smoother, plumper skin.
Key Features: Cold near-infrared laser light
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Increases blood flow, decelerates the rage of skin aging, encourages new skin cells to form, creates smoother, firmer, healthier skin
13. The Light Salon Boost LED Bib
Red light-based anti-aging devices and tools are among the best products for delivering powerful energy to help heal and rejuvenate the skin. This one, designed as a bib to fit seamlessly over the neck and decolletage, comfortably delivers both red and near-infrared light to plump, smooth, and re-energize the skin, giving it a more youthful glow.
Key Features: Red 633nm and near-infrared 830nm light
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Targets signs of aging, blemishes, and sun damage on the neck, chest, and shoulders
14. NuFACE Trinity+ Starter Kit – White
This advanced microcurrent-based skincare routine blurs fine lines and wrinkles for a tighter, firmer, more contoured visage. Microcurrent technology is the key energy source, so you can customize each treatment using special attachments to improve areas of concern.
Key Features: Microcurrent technology
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Sculpts, smooths lines and wrinkles, contours, and lifts
FAQs
Do Anti-Aging Products Really Work?
Anti-aging products help improve the skin's tone, texture, and health, but not all creams and serums are created equally. The best anti-aging products are the ones formulated with scientifically proven ingredients, like retinol and retinoids, for example, which are known to enhance how the skin acts to improve the visible effects of aging. As Dr. Yang explains, decades of research back the efficacy of retinoids on anti-aging through collagen stimulation and increasing cell turnover.
Most anti-aging products work to firm, tighten, brighten, and resurface the skin, making fine lines and wrinkles, loose skin, and discoloration far less prominent while improving the amount of moisture in the skin and the skin's ability to produce collagen and elastin, which is why Dr. Yang says it is essential to pick out products that contain effective ingredients. Over-the-counter products typically contain anti-aging ingredients in a lesser concentration, whereas prestige and medical-grade ones are more potent. "This is why I recommend choosing reputable brands that have clinical data to back up the efficacy of their products," she adds. Still, the key to seeing results from anti-aging products, even the best ones, is to use them consistently and always with sunscreen.
When Should You Start Using Anti-Aging Products?
The sooner you begin working anti-aging products into your daily skincare routine, the quicker your skin will respond and see results. You don’t need to wait until the common signs of aging are evident on the skin.
An ideal age to start using anti-aging ingredients and products is in your mid-20s. "Collagen production begins to decline in your mid to late 20s, so this is the perfect time to start using anti-aging products," Dr. Yang adds. This way, your skin proactively reaps the benefits of the ingredients so that there's no damage for it to incur. Treating your skin with the best anti-aging products will allow you to retain youthfulness, keeping it fresh and healthy.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to finding the best anti-aging products for your skin, you'll want to look for those that speak to your most pressing concerns as well as your skin type. No matter what key ingredients a product contains, using it appropriately and consistently is the key to seeing results. And once you start to notice a difference in how your skin looks, don't stop using what's working!
Discover Dermstore’s curated collection of the best anti-aging products here.
Next up, How to Apply Retinol: A Step-by-Step Guide for Maximum Results
