Dermatologists Say These Anti-Aging Creams Could Help You Look Less Tired (2024)

THE PRIVILEGE OF growing older is a beautiful thing. Wrinkles, loss of skin elasticity, and dullness? Not so much. As you age, your skin changes–which means that your skincare routine should, too. If you’re reading this right now, chances are you’re experiencing at least one of the visible signs of aging. Fine lines and wrinkles, dark spots or uneven tone, loss of volume and moisture, rough texture or visible pores, and dullness are all discernible signifiers as we grow older. These factors can be affected by everything from genetics to lifestyle choices like a balanced diet, regular exercise, getting adequate sleep, and reducing sun exposure. Enter the best anti-aging creams for men, which can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, dull skin, and age spot. In short, they're handsome-improving formulas that you need to add to your grooming stack.

Anti-aging products and night creams with active ingredients can keep skin firmer, brighter, smoother, and overall healthier looking. According to the experts we spoke with, the best anti-aging creams for men feature tried-and-true ingredients that could help reduce the appearance of wrinkle. So: retinoids like retinol and adapalene, hydrating agents like hyaluronic acid, and exfoliants like glycolic acid. For this story, we spent the past year testing more than 40 anti-aging creams across a variety of skin types, and consulted with board-certified dermatologists like Dr. Brendan Camp, MD, to find the absolute best anti-aging skin creams for every budget, skin type, and concern.

We've waxed poetic about the anti-aging benefits of sunscreen, which serve as a shield against wrinkle-causing UVAs. But to be honest, a lot of the SPFs I've tried caused me to break out, and their formulas look greasy on my brown skin. Not so with EltaMD's award-winning sunscreens. This one comes highly recommended by Dr. Camp. "It contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin and niacinamide to calm irritation," he says.

If you're going to splurge on an anti-aging product, our dermatologists recommend this one. "This is by far the most effective anti-aging serum on the market," says Dr. Tull. "It contains human cultured growth factors clinically proven to address sagging skin." Indeed, testers who've used this for a month did find that their skin tone looked more even, and overall healthier. Though you'll probably have to use this for a few months to really see skin-tightening results.

"Marketed for acne, this gel contains adapalene, which is a retinoid," says Dr. Camp. "Retinoids increase collagen production, reduce the appearance of fine lines, and can help reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation." Indeed, our commerce editors co-sign La Rache-Posay's bestselling retinoids. One reviewer found that his frown lines were less noticeable after using it consistently for three months. One note: since this is a retinoid, it will leave your skin especially sensitive to the sun. So make sure to wear sunscreen daily.

Kiehl's has been one of our go-to skincare brands for its reliable, appropriately priced potions that actually work. This cream is no exception. It's loaded with Hyaluronic Acid, which helps your skin soak up moisture, skin-smoothing Vitamin A, and Chaga Mushroom, which is said to even skin tone. And after using this consistently for three months, I'm happy to report that this thing works. The appearance of my age spots, hyperpigmentation, and overall complexion has improved considerably.

Lots of great retinols we tried are pretty expensive. That's why we were surprised to find (and love) this drugstore pick, which our testers say help fill in deep wrinkles, fix dark sports, and smooth out bumps. "If you were stranded on a desert island, this is the one product you’d want to have besides sunscreen and a case of Corona," said one reviewer. And at this price point, it's basically worth its weight in gold.

Winner of our 2023 Grooming Award, testers who used Medik8's retinal eye cream saw noticeable less wrinkles after just a few uses. One tester says that “it went on smoothly without feeling sticky or too slick and had more of a matte finish, which I personally like.”

This drugstore bestseller contains a pack of wrinkle-fighting ingredients, including retinol, to help smoothen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. But unlike the other retinols we've tried, which were effective but very strong, the Vita Lift 5 has a lower retinol concentration, making it ideal for everyday use. We also like its hydrating-yet-light consistency, which is easy to slap on before you run out the door.

Alastin is one of our favorite skincare brands when it comes to reducing the appearance of scars and wrinkles, thanks to its rich formulas that hydrate and repair skin. Take this lightweight moisturizer, which left our skin feeling healthy without being greasy. It helps to restore oily or combination skin thanks to hydrating silver mushroom and calming ginger root extract.

Vitamin C is a hero ingredient for mature skin, since it can brighten hyperpigmentation (think: age spots), even skin tone, and smooth your skin's surface. But a lot of Vitamin C products have a short shelf life, and expires in under six months. Not so with BeautyStat's bestselling serum, which has an incredibly stable formula that degrades slower than other Vitamin C serums we tested. Plus, it's fragrance free, and didn't irritate testers with sensitive skin.

For mature skin, our doctors recommend looking for ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide since they provide lasting moisture, which will help improve the appearance of your wrinkles. This one from Cerave contains both ingredients in an oil-free, non-greasy formula. Pair with an anti-aging serum for a skin-tightening one-two punch.

"While all the products on this list have anti-aging benefits, none are quite as sophisticated as this one," says one contributor in their testing of the best night creams for men. "The brand combines two types of retinol with bakuchiol, rambutan, and ferulic acid to support your natural collagen production and smooth fine lines and wrinkles." Indeed, most of our testers reported that their skin looked more supple in as little as two weeks of consistently using Dr. Dennis Gross' cream. In other words: this is the real deal.

Our experts say to look for ingredients that have a strong track record. "These include retinoids like retinol and adapalene, hydrating agents like hyaluronicacid, gentle exfoliating ingredients like lactic and glycolic acid,and antioxidants like vitamin C," says Dr. Camp.

Both dermatologists say that guys should start using anti-aging creams in their 20s or 30s. "When to start largely depends on genetics (did your parents age prematurely), environmental exposures (excessive sun/UV), and skin type (dry skin ages before oily/acne prone skin)," says Dr. Tull.

For the past two years, we consulted with Men's Health's Grooming editors and writers on the top anti-aging creams for men. Experts including our contributor, Sara Klausing, and our Deputy Editor of Commerce, Christian Gollayan, tried hundreds of anti-aging creams and evaluated their ingredients, feel, consistency, and effectiveness. We also considered top-reviewed anti-aging creams that had at least 100 five-star customer ratings on e-commerce websites that we trust.