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The 14 Best Anti-Aging Products to Look Years Younger

Elise Minton Tabin
Writer and expert4 hours ago
View Elise Minton Tabin's profile

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

Elise Minton Tabin
Writer and expert
View Elise Minton Tabin's profile
Elise Minton Tabin is an award-winning beauty journalist, editor, and beauty expert with more than 16 years of experience. She previously held the title of Executive Beauty Editor at NewBeauty magazine, where she reported on beauty, plastic surgery, anti-aging, health and wellness. She was also instrumental in the launch of the beauty supplement brand Hush & Hush. A self-professed beauty junkie and retinol and sunscreen pusher, Elise knows what’s new, what works and who’s the best to go for every procedure under the sun. Follow Elise on Facebook, Instagram, and on her beauty blog, elisetabin.com
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