The Best Wrinkle Creams for a Smoother Complexion, According to Skin Care Experts (2024)

When you look good, you feel good, so shouldn’t your beauty regimen deliver your best skin yet? For some, the best wrinkle creams—to tackle fine lines and texture—are part of the equation. Unlike what many might refer to as the best anti-aging cream (essentially, a dated catch-all term for formulas that target all visible signs of aging like dark spots and dullness), experts say wrinkle creams differ in that they look to specifically prevent and treat fine lines and wrinkles as a result of the natural aging process. To find the best, we tapped seven skin-care experts to weigh in on their picks.

Our Top Wrinkle Cream Picks

• Best Wrinkle Cream for Oily Skin: Revision Skincare Revox 7, $150
• Best Eye Cream for Wrinkles: Perricone MD High Potency Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Eye Serum, $75
• Best Wrinkle Cream for Dry Skin: Bliss Youth Got This Prevent-4 Pure Retinol Deep Hydration Moisturizer, $28
• Best Night Face Cream: Isdin Age Contour Night Cream, $125
• Best Plant-Based Retinol: Ren Clean Skincare Bio Retinoid Youth Cream, $72
• Best Retinol Cream: Alastin Renewal Retinol, $64
• Best for Deep Wrinkles: RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream, $19
• Best Drugstore Wrinkle Cream: Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream, $37
• Best Wrinkle Cream for Beginners: Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Cream, $68
• Best Moisturizer for Glowing Skin: Jan Marini Transformation Cream, $120
• Best Hydrating Face Cream for Makeup Prep: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, $100

In This Story

• Dermatologist's Tip for Picking a Wrinkle Cream
• What Wrinkle Cream Ingredients to Look For
• When Should You Start Using a Wrinkle Cream?
• Meet The Skin Experts

Best Plant-Based Retinol: Ren Clean Skincare Bio Retinoid Youth Cream

• Why We Love It: Dr. Nava Greenfield recommends this moisturizer composed of 92% naturally derived ingredients to promote firmer and more supple skin without irritation.
• Key Ingredients: A vegan and cruelty-free, anti-aging moisturizer powered by the plant-based retinol alternative, Bidens pilosa, along with red microalgae.
• Skin Benefits: “I like this clean beauty product because it has a plant-based retinol alternative, Bidens pilosa, that minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, which allows you to layer it with another retinol product,” Greenfield says. Additionally, the red microalgae provide a lifting and smoothing effect.
• How to Apply: According to Ren Clean Skincare, one to two pumps of this cream can be applied both morning and night to the face and neck.
• Best For: Normal skin, combination skin, sensitive skin
• Size: 1.7 fl. oz.

Best Drugstore Wrinkle Cream: Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream

• Why We Love It: “Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream is a nice drugstore retinol option,” Hartman says. “Some may not like the fragrance, and if so, they can choose the fragrance-free option. It glides on the skin well and absorbs quickly.”
• Key Ingredients: Retinol and hyaluronic acid are the stars of this drugstore pickup.
• Skin Benefits: Although Hartman says that the infused hyaluronic acid provides an additional moisture boost, the retinol targets fine lines, dullness, and dark spots to reveal a more youthful complexion over time.
• How to Apply: According to Neutrogena, a pearl-sized amount can be applied to the face and neck twice daily.
• Best For: All skin types
• Size: 1.7 fl. oz.

Best Retinol Cream: Alastin Renewal Retinol

• Why We Love It: Dr. Azadeh Shirazi’s pick is the Alastin Renewal Retinol cream that’s powered by the rejuvenating ingredient to improve skin tone and texture.
• Key Ingredients: According to Shirazi, this is powered by “retinol encapsulated in a solid lipid to improve the delivery of retinol.” What’s more, this cruelty-free, non-comedogenic, and hypoallergenic cream is also infused with oat extract and silver mushroom.
• Skin Benefits: This is “formulated with oat extract and silver mushroom to calm and soothe the skin reducing irritation,” Shirazi explains. “It’s paired with co-enzyme Q-10, an antioxidant to boost and protect the activity of retinol.”
• How to Apply: According to Alastin, one pump of this treatment should be applied each evening. The brand recommends incorporating two to three times per week until tolerance increases.
• Best For: All skin types
• Size: 1.0 fl. oz.

Best Wrinkle Cream for Beginners: Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Cream

• Why We Love It: Worden notes that Clinique’s wrinkle cream is an excellent starter for younger skin. It’s designed to be safe for all skin types, and it provides intense moisture, especially to dry skin.
• Key Ingredients: An oil- and fragrance-free cream infused with a peptide complex, hyaluronic acid, soybean seed extract, and shea butter.
• Skin Benefits: Expect this to “help plump up the skin without feeling too heavy,” Worden says. This formulation should not only visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles but also fortify the skin’s dermal structure.
• How to Apply: According to Clinique, this can be applied both morning and night, along with SPF during the day.
• Best For: All skin types, beginners
• Size: 1.7 fl. oz.

Best Wrinkle Cream for Deep Wrinkles: RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream

• Why We Love It: Of the best anti-aging creams, this pick from RoC’s Retinol Correxion lineup is an editor-favorite, along with its corresponding eye cream, which came recommended by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Morgan Rabach to veil dark circles, crow’s feet, and puffiness.
• Key Ingredients: The non-comedogenic cream features a blend of retinol, glycolic acid, squalane, and shea butter to be effective, yet hydrating.
• Skin Benefits: Formulated to reduce the appearance of deep wrinkles during beauty sleep, the Deep Wrinkle Night Cream is expected to promote a firm, smooth, luminous complexion.
• How to Apply: According to RoC, this is best applied to the face and neck at night. The brand recommends using every other night, then increasing frequency to every night once your skin is ready. Be sure to follow with sunscreen in the morning.
• Best For: Deep wrinkles, dry skin, combination skin, dull skin
• Size: 1.0 fl. oz.

Best for Glowing Skin: Jan Marini Transformation Cream

• Why We Love It: “[This] cream goes beyond your normal anti-aging cream,” Marino says. Good for all skin types, she continues, “This provides an instant glow and brings life back to dull, depleted complexions.”
• Key Ingredients: “It boasts a patented growth factor technology, along with peptides, antioxidants, and alpha hydroxy acids to renew the skin,” Marino explains of this illuminating face moisturizer. Hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, glycerin, and soybean oil help balance out the formula and keep it gentle.
• Skin Benefits: Crafted to deliver a glow-y complexion, “This moisturizing cream is good for all skin types from combination to dry, and helps reduce all signs of aging while stimulating the skin’s own collagen synthesis and aiding in micro-exfoliation,” she says.
• How to Apply: According to Jan Marini, this can be applied both morning and night to the face and neck.
• Best For: Dull skin, dry skin, combination skin
• Size: 1 fl. oz.

Best Cream for Everyday: Epi.logic The Total Package Fortifying Peptide Cream

• Why We Love It: Epi.Logic's Total Packages proves that not all anti-aging creams need to be rich and heavy. Board-certified oculofacial plastic surgeon Dr. Chaneve Jeanniton dreamt up a lightweight balm-meets-cream that manages to deliver hydrating and plumping benefits without the heaviness.
• Key Ingredients: Four peptides are the hero ingredient of Jeanniton's balm—specifically sh-Polypeptide-121, palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, acetyl tetrapeptide-5, and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7—to boost skin's collagen production. And if that's not enough, there's also the retinol alternative bakuchiol, niacinamide, and milk thistle.
• Skin Benefits: Enveloping skin in lasting moisture is the key aim of this cream; under the idea that by strengthening the skin barrier and spurring collagen production, one will see improved elasticity and a visibly plumper complexion. Brightening and retexturing benefits are achieved, too, via niacinamide and bakuchiol.
• How to Apply: This cream can be applied morning and night to the face and neck.
• Best For: Oily skin, combination skin, sensitive skin
• Size: 1.7 fl oz.

Best Overnight Wrinkle Treatment: Isdin Age Contour Night Cream

• Why We Love It: Worden is a fan of Isdin’s overnight cream formulated to repair, firm, and calm while you sleep.
• Key Ingredients: Worden highlights that this is “packed with what helps with fine lines and wrinkles,” though melatonin, carnosine, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and a skin-calming extract are featured in this rich cream formula too.
• Skin Benefits: Even though the carnosine works to reduce visible signs of aging, the other ingredients ensure the skin barrier is protected from daily aggressors and intensely moisturized.
• How to Apply: According to Isdin, apply this cream to the face and neck as the last step in your regimen.
• Best For: All skin types
• Size: 1.8 fl. oz.

Best Nighttime Wrinkle Cream: Olay Retinol24 + Peptide Night Face Moisturizer

• Why We Love It: “Olay Regenerist 24 Retinol Night Moisturizer is my a fantastic drug store brand retinol for many reasons,” says dermatologist Dr. Lauren Penzi, highlighting its ingredient composition and stellar results as reasons to add it to your beauty cabinet.
• Key Ingredients: “It contains a blend of their proprietary retinoid complex along with niacinamide and amino peptides that help to revive and rejuvenate the skin,” says Penzi. Not to mention, it is fragrance-free.
• Skin Benefits: She continues, “It penetrates deep into the skin surface to address fine lines and wrinkles, as well as smoothness, brightness, firming, dark spots, and pores. It also hydrates the skin and help to maintain the natural skin barrier.”
• How to Apply: According to Olay, apply the cream to cleansed skin at night until fully absorbed. Follow with SPF in the morning.
• Best For: Drugstore, all skin types
• Size: 1.7 fl. oz.

Best Wrinkle Cream for Dry Skin: Bliss Youth Got This Prevent-4 Pure Retinol Deep Hydration Moisturizer

• Why We Love It: This deep hydrator by Bliss came at the recommendation of Dr. Hadley King, and proves that an effective wrinkle cream doesn’t require a steep price tag.
• Key Ingredients: A silky, lightweight, clean, and vegan moisturizer powered by stabilized retinol and the brand’s Prevent-4 Complex composed of amino acids, peptides, squalane, and antioxidants.
• Skin Benefits: According to King, this “contains retinol to help stimulate collagen production and increase cell turnover, as well as antioxidants to help protect the skin from damage from free radicals. Also contains moisturizing ingredients to hydrate the skin, support the skin barrier and lock in moisture.” Over time, expect glow-y skin and refined skin texture.
• How to Apply: According to Bliss, this can be used both morning and night. Just apply SPF during the daytime.
• Best For: Dry skin, combination skin, oily skin
• Size: 1.7 fl. oz.

Best for Makeup Prep: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream

• Why We Love It: “It’s great for dry and aging skin, [and] goes on like shea butter,” says Worden of this Charlotte Tilbury formula. "It’s called magic for a reason.”
• Key Ingredients: “Charlotte Tillbury’s magic cream is packed with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and E,” says Worden; also included in this formula are a supercharged peptide complex, botanical oils, frangipani flower extract, glycerin, and aloe vera.
• Skin Benefits: Designed specifically for use backstage at fashion shows to prep models’ skin, the cream promises to instantly deliver a glowing, plump complexion and reduce the look of fine lines.
• How to Apply: According to Charlotte Tilbury, this can be applied whenever you need a radiance boost; start at your lower cheeks and sweep the cream outward and upward. It can be used as a day cream (before foundation) or as the last step in your nighttime regimen.
• Best For: Dry skin, normal skin, combination skin
• Size: 1.7 fl. oz.

Best Wrinkle Cream for Oily Skin: Revision Skincare Revox 7

• Why We Love It: Say you aren’t interested in targeting deep-set wrinkles but rather fine, expression lines around the face—Revision Skincare’s Revox 7 oil-free serum is for you. Think of it as “Botox in a bottle.”
• Key Ingredients: Seven is the magic number here; meaning, seven peptides are featured to help reduce the appearance of expression lines and wrinkles.
• Skin Benefits: Specifically, Revox 7 seeks to diminish seven types of expression lines: forehead lines, frown lines, crow’s feet, bunny nose lines, laugh lines, lip lines, and marionette lines.
• How to Apply: According to Revision Skincare, apply one pump to expression lines around the eyes, forehead, mouth, and neck twice daily before moisturizer.
• Best For: Normal skin, combination skin, oily skin, sensitive skin
• Size: 0.5 fl. oz.

Best Eye Cream for Wrinkles: Perricone MD High Potency Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Eye Serum

• Why We Love It: Dermatologist Dr. Elyse Love namechecks this Perricone MD formula as one of the best eye creams for wrinkles. Why? She says, “this gentle and lightweight eye serum contains growth factors to increase hydration and firmnessof the skin.” Plus, it’s lightweight, serum-texture sinks well into the skin.
• Key Ingredients: Aside from the aforementioned growth factors, an advanced ingredient known to promote cell healing and rejuvenation (thus, boosting collagen and elastin levels), niacinamide and DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol)—a compound that improves skin’s firmness and elasticity.
• Skin Benefits: This ingredient co*cktail comes together to brighten and even tone, plump, and reduce sagging along the under-eye.
• How to Apply: According to Perricone MD, apply the serum to the eye area using your ring finger morning and night.
• Best For: All skin types
• Size: 0.5 fl. oz.

Best All-Around Wrinkle Cream: Skinbetter AlphaRet Overnight Cream

• Why We Love It: Skinbetter’s AlphaRet Overnight Cream is by far the most recommended wrinkle cream, with the stamp of approval from Hartman, Greenfield, Shirazi, and Marino. In short, experts love it because it works well while being gentle on skin. “It is a great retinol option for those who have had difficulty tolerating other retinols, and exfoliates in a gentle way,” Hartman explains. Because of this, Marino notes, “I can give this to the most reactive client, and they have no problem incorporating it into their routine.”
• Key Ingredients: “This product features Skinbetter’s patented AlphaRet technology, which combines retinoic acid with alpha hydroxy acids,” Marino says. “This formula contains retinoic acid (the most active form of retinol) paired with lactic acid, which is both hydrating and brightening, and glycolic acid to further improve texture.”
• Skin Benefits: “The formula also contains peptides, which are the building blocks for our collagen and give support to our skin, and a combination of antioxidants to support healthy and reduce free radical damage, and it’s in a nourishing ceramide-rich base to counteract dryness and moisturize the skin, building off its skin-smoothing properties,” Marino says.
• How to Apply: According to Skinbetter, this should be applied at night to the face, avoiding the eye area.
• Best For: Dull skin, uneven texture, oily skin, combination skin, sensitive skin
• Size: 1.0 fl. oz.

A Dermatologist’s Tip for Picking a Good Quality Wrinkle Cream

When dermatologist Dr. Lauren Penzi must recommend a wrinkle cream, she looks for three qualities. “The most important is the type and quality of ingredients, as this will dictate efficacy in minimizing wrinkles,” she says. Next, “the vehicle [or] formulation as this will dictate if it is a good choice for your specific skin type, and third price point, as there should be an effective yet affordable option for everyone.”

What Ingredients to Look For in a Wrinkle Cream

Peptides, growth factors, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid are the ingredients experts say comprise the best anti-wrinkle creams, along with retinol. Here are some more important ingredients dermatologists highly recommend to minimize fine lines and wrinkles:

• Vitamin A: “An effective wrinkle cream will soften fine lines and wrinkles on the face, while also boosting moisture in the skin,” says Dr. Corey L. Hartman, whose top ingredient endorsem*nt is the vitamin A derivative retinol, which he dubs the gold standard ingredient. “Their benefits are numerous and unparalleled, and are arguably the most important step that you can take for overall skin health and anti-aging after sun protection factor.”
• Retinols: “[Formulas featuring] ingredients like retinol, growth factors, and peptides are going to take time to see improvement,” facialist Candace Marino says. “But overall, when you exfoliate and hydrate the skin, you will see less texture, more radiance, and more bounce to the skin, making it look more youthful.”
• AHAs: Penzi adds exfoliants to the list, “low dose AHAs, like glycolic acid, act as a gentle exfoliator to smooth out the appearance of wrinkles.”
• SPF: Most importantly, make sure your skin is protected from harmful UV rays with consistent sunscreen use to stave off sun damage. “Doesn’t matter what wrinkle cream you are applying on your face at night,” esthetician Taylor Worden emphasizes. “If you aren’t applying SPF during the day to protect your skin, then you are wasting your time and money.” Even though summer is over, be mindful of your sun exposure and be sure to use a facial sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher.