Skincare product recommendations from the pros.
As we get older, skincare routines just seem to be getting longer and longer: From 10-step K-beauty regimens to incorporating red light devices or microcurrent tools before a plethora of topical products, it’s easy to become overwhelmed when trying to perfect your routine.
If you’re attempting to pare down your routine, one thing’s certain: Moisturizer must stay. As we age, our skin and its needs change, which can make choosing the right product difficult. There are so many buzzy ingredients to keep track of, and sometimes, it’s seemingly impossible to understand what they all do and how they’ll work with your skin.
“As skin matures and hormones change, its ability to produce oil, barrier function, and elasticity and collagen weaken,” Azza Halim MD, a board-certified anesthesiologist and physician with a focus in aesthetic medicine, anti-aging treatments, and regenerative medicine, tells Katie Couric Media. “This all contributes to dryer skin.”
Dendy Engelman, MD, director of dermatology at the Mohs Surgery and Laser Medicine of the Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue, also adds that “as you enter your mid-40s and 50s, the cell renewal process slows down. This slowdown can contribute to many of the telltale signs of aging, such as wrinkles, sagging, and pigmentation.”
All of this makes it even more important to choose a moisturizer that nourishes your skin and keeps it healthy for years to come. If you’re not sure where to start, we asked experts how to choose the best moisturizer for aging skin.
Why is moisturizer so important?
Our skin faces a lot every day that can stress it out and strip it of moisture. To hydrate your skin and help it heal itself, you need to use a soothing moisturizer. A good moisturizer can also strengthen your skin barrier, leading to a smoother, more supple appearance.
Konstantin Vasyukevich, MD, NYC facelift expert, adds that moisturizing is also key to slowing down the formation of fine lines and wrinkles and improving their appearance over time.
What skin concerns can be addressed with moisturizer?
There’s no such thing as a facelift in a bottle, but you can reverse some signs of aging with the right products. Age spots, fine lines, uneven texture, large pores, and dryness can improve with the use of a moisturizer, however, all three docs stress that results come with consistent use. (More significant skin concerns, like sun damage or loss of elasticity, require more intense treatments that can be performed at a doctor’s office, like laser treatments or cosmetic surgery.)
What ingredients should you look for in a moisturizer?
- Ceramides: Dr. Engelman recommends hunting for products packed with ceramides, which naturally deplete in our skin as we age.
- Fatty Acids: “Products that are rich in fatty acids [like Omega-3 and -6] help calm the skin and are one of the keys to healthy-looking skin,” Engelman adds.”
- Antioxidants: Antioxidants, like vitamin C, can help neutralize free radicals that can lead to premature aging while increasing collagen production and improving the appearance of dark spots, Dr. Vasyukevich explains.
- Retinol or Retinoids: “These can be very effective in reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, improving skin texture, and generating collagen production,” he continues.
- Hyaluronic Acid: Hyaluronic acid is something our bodies naturally produce and is very mild on skin. Its primary function is to absorb water, helping draw moisture into the skin.
- Glycerin or Honey: These humectants pull moisture into the skin, but they should be used with an occlusive ingredient to keep the moisture in.
- Petrolatum (petroleum jelly): You can layer an occlusive, like Aquaphor or petroleum jelly, over whatever moisturizing products you use “to keep moisture in,” Dr. Halim says.
The Best Facial Moisturizers for Mature and Aging Skin, According to Dermatologists
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Moisturizer
Neutrogena
Dr. Vasyukevich and Dr. Halim love how affordable this high-quality formula is. “This hyaluronic acid moisturizer is lightweight and perfect for keeping skin plump and hydrated without leaving it feeling greasy or heavy,” Vasyukevich says. “It can help skin look smoother and noticeably softer, and it has also shown to help strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier.”
Clarins Multi-Active Night Face Cream
Clarins
There are multiple formulas in Clarins’ Multi-Active line, which includes moisturizers for day or night, and for normal or dry skin. But for mature skin, we tend to suggest the latter, since elasticity is lost as we age. This multi-tasking moisturizer includes 2% Niacinamide and organic sea holly bio-extract*, both of which work together to address the first signs of aging, smoothing out your texture and strengthening the skin barrier.
Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
Elemis
If you’re willing to splurge on your skincare, go for this luxurious formula. The gel-cream texture is formulated with powerful marine and plant active ingredients (like algae and Ginkgo Biloba) that can help visibly hydrate skin, reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and improve firmness and elasticity — and nearly 1,000 reviewers agree.
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer
Amazon
Skin that’s sensitive and dry can be difficult to treat, but Dr. Halim says this formula by La Roche-Posay is amazing for those who suffer from redness or general sensitivity. It has nearly 40,000 5-star ratings on Amazon, with slews of reviewers saying it absorbs easily and doesn’t leave them feeling greasy. It’s full of ceramides that help keep skin looking plump, and it also contains niacinamide, which helps even skin tone and shrink the appearance of pores.
Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream
Augustinus Bader
You’ve probably heard us sing praises about Augustinus Bader’s Rich Cream already, but it truly works wonders. Created by Augustinus Bader, MD, the thick cream contains hyaluronic acid, evening primrose oil (which is chock full of nourishing fatty acids like Omega-6), and antioxidants (like vitamin E), all of which help repair skin and protect against future damage, reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Aquaphor
Amazon
Chances are you’ve used Aquaphor to soothe dry hands or lips, but a thin layer on your face can work wonders, too. “It helps nourish the skin barrier and maintain moisture, though it can be a bit thick and greasy if you put too much on,” Dr. Halim says. Applying this over a gel or cream moisturizer (known as slugging) will aid in moisture retention, too.
Epionce Renewal Facial Cream
“This is a wonderful moisturizer packed with all the ingredients I look for to support aging skin,” Dr. Engelman says. “The rich formulation leaves the skin feeling well-moisturized and is ideal for dry/sensitive to normal skin.” If you have combination or oily skin, she recommends the Renewal Facial Lotion, which has the same great benefits in a lighter formulation.
The Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer
The Inkey List
This velvety moisturizer absorbs quickly, locks in hydration, and works beneath the surface to repair, strengthen, and protect the skin. The net result? Visible improvements in fine lines and firmed, plumped skin. Plus, it’s a steal at just $20 for a full-sized product.
Jones Road Light Moisture Cream
Jones Road
Another lightweight option is this gel-cream hybrid from Bobbi Brown’s Jones Road. Ingredients like niacinamide, glycerin, and shea butter work together to moisturize and soothe irritated skin, leaving you with a soft, plump complexion after using it. Reviewers say this is a great morning moisturizer, too, as it soaks in quickly and works amazingly under makeup.
Dr. Dennis Gross Hyaluronic Marine Oil-Free Moisture Cushion
Nordstrom
Having oily skin doesn’t mean that you can skip moisturizer — in fact, your skin may overproduce oil because it’s dehydrated. This oil-free moisturizer is great for oily skin because it’s lightweight, but it’s full of deeply hydrating products like algae extract and hyaluronic acid. Commerce editor Katie P. uses it on her oily but often thirsty skin and says it leaves her feeling refreshed and takes away tightness.
ILIA Base Face Milk
ILIA
ILIA’s brand-new moisturizer is lightweight but powerful and layers exceptionally well under makeup. It contains hydrating super-ingredient hyaluronic acid and barrier-strengthening ingredients that leave the skin smoothed and soothed — seriously, it reduces redness and irritation to give an even skin tone.
Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream
Dermalogica
While you shouldn’t use TikTok as your sole skincare resource, it is full of great recommendations. This barrier repair cream by Dermalogica blew up on the platform, and users credit it for soothing redness, hydrating dry skin, and giving them a glowy complexion. A ceramide-building complex helps restore lipids to dry skin, leading to a stronger skin barrier with consistent use.
Biography Pretty Grudges Repair Face Oil
Biography
Both powerful and gentle, Biography’s Petty Grudges is a lightweight but deeply moisturizing blend of natural oils with major benefits. It contains vitamin A that promotes cell turnover, alongside evening primrose oil to soothe sensitivity, rosehip seed oil to soften fine lines and fade dark spots, and rose geranium leaf oil to brighten and tighten the skin. Get it in the mini size to see it in action.*
*Denotes a paid placement.
