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The best anti-wrinkle creams according to women over 40
We’ve tested hundreds of products that claim to minimise wrinkles and restore dull skin
Tested by Maria KumarBeauty and Grooming Testing Manager
Lines and wrinkles are a normal part of ageing and will naturally appear from your 30s onwards. Whether you want to embrace the character they add, or soften their appearance (or both!), incorporating an ‘anti-ageing’ cream into your skincare routine can help your skin look fresher and stay plumper for longer.
They won’t make you look like a pre-25-year-old, and neither would we want them to, but the best anti-wrinkle creams are packed full of nourishing, plumping and firming ingredients (more on that below) to help keep your skin appear healthier.
In our roundup, we’ve included the formulations that had the best results on more mature skin in our Good Housekeeping Institute tests. They helped to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and improve dull and dry patches. These are marked with the GHI Approved logo below.
Below our tested reviews, we've also included creams loved and bought on repeat by Good Housekeeping editors for their smoothing and firming effects, so you can choose the best formulation for you.
Clinique Lifting Face and Neck cream
Clinique Lifting Face and Neck cream
Score: 90/100
Our winning firming cream from Clinique is designed for the face and neck and achieved nearly full marks for its firming and plumping effects. The brand’s peptide complex helps to simulate collagen production to smooth out lines or uneven skin texture, working alongside hydrating hyaluronic acid and moisturising shea butter.
In fact, it was hard for our testers to find fault with this one. "It absorbs easily, and has made a difference in the appearance of my neck," said one happy tester, who added that they could feel improvements after every application.
Clarins Total Eye Lift
Score: 88/100
The skin around our eyes is much more delicate and thinner than everywhere else, making it susceptible to fine lines.
This formulation topped our list for the best anti wrinkle eye creams, proving a firm favourite among our 1000-strong panel of testers for its tightening feel and reduction of puffiness.
Harungana extract is the star ingredient here, and Clarins claims it's as effective as retinol. Among our panellists’ glowing reviews, there were reports of reduced dark circles and fewer fine lines.
Clarins Multi-Active Night Cream
Clarins Multi-Active Night Cream
Score: 85/100
For the ultimate beauty sleep, be sure to add Clarins’ Multi Active night cream to your evening skincare routine. The key ingredients taking the night shift are niacinamide and sea holly extract, which encourage the synthesis of firming collagen and have you waking up looking fresh.
Our testers liked how quick it absorbed, without leaving any greasy residue on their face or pillow. One panel member said their skin felt hydrated immediately, and could still feel it the next morning.
Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
Score: 83/100
Collagen is king when it comes to firming and plumping skin. This sturdy protein gives skin its structure and is why Elemis wisely decided to add collagen-boosting peptides to this nourishing face cream. It aced our lab tests, performing best for how well it increased skin elasticity over six weeks. Though positive results were much quicker than that for some. "My skin feels instantly more hydrated and plump after application," said one glowing review.
As a bonus, it’s also bolstered with SPF30 to help protect skin from the sun’s damaging rays, although we'd always recommend adding a separate SPF into your daily routine as the final step each morning.
Trinny London Overnight Sensation
Trinny London Overnight Sensation
Score: 81/100
Retinal is a derivative of the vitamin A family. It works in the same way as retinol to help speed up skin cell regeneration and boost collagen production, but because retinal converts more quickly to retinoic acid in your skin, it tends to give faster results. As it’s more potent, it can come with a higher chance of irritation, so we suggest starting off by applying once a week and building up over time.
This treatment was a top scorer in the Good Housekeeping Institute’s best night creams test. Importantly, none of our panellists reported any adverse effects during the eight-week trial; instead, it left the majority with more glowing, dewy complexions.
Olay Collagen Peptide MAX Day Cream
Olay Collagen Peptide MAX Day Cream
Score: 79/100
In our best collagen cream test, this peptide-packed formulation from Olay scored top for reducing the appearance of wrinkles over the course of 12 weeks.
Alongside plumping collagen, it also contains niacinamide, which helps to improve skin texture and tone, as well as hydrating glycerine to help the skin retain moisture levels and prevent dry patches.
Editors' picks
No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Night Serum
While you’re getting your blissful eight hours of sleep (here’s hoping), this serum will work hard to reverse the visible signs of skin damage. How? It’s formulated with a clever night-active pepticology complex that syncs with the circadian rhythm – the body’s internal clock – to achieve optimum skin repair overnight.
The peptides stimulate production of those all-important skin-repairing proteins such as collagen and fibrillin, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines, reduce sagging and even out hyperpigmentation caused by sun damage. All while you snooze.
Our beauty director, Lynne Hyland, is absolutely sold on this one. After using it consistently for several weeks, she noticed a visible improvement. Though she tries hundreds of beauty products a year for work, this is one she’s actually holding on to.
Alongside an increase in fine lines and wrinkles, skin can also become dull and lacklustre as it ages. This serum from Trinny London was developed to help bring your skin back to life by delivering micro-infused nourishment, which goes beyond surface level.
It helps revitalise the complexion with a dose of artichoke polyphenols, known for their anti-ageing benefits, which work to smooth the skin and protect against damaging environmental stressors. It also strengthens the skin barrier (with the help of vitamin B5 and squalane), so it can retain moisture better.
Our lifestyle writer, Madeleine Evans, loves using this elixir as it adds a dose of hydration and luminosity to her somewhat dry and dull skin.
Liz Earle Superskin Advanced Firming Serum-in-Moisturiser
Liz Earle Superskin Advanced Firming Serum-in-Moisturiser
Liz Earle is known for creating gentle skincare with a roster of nourishing and natural ingredients – the Cleanse & Polish is in many a bathroom cabinet. And we're also big fans of the brand’s Superskin Serum, which contains acacia-tree extract, a plant-based alternative to collagen, to help firm and reduce the appearance of lines.
Added rosehip oil helps to increase elasticity and gives skin an extra bit of bounce and suppleness. Our head of content, Alison Lynch, is a big fan of this cream and the texture in particular. “It sinks into my skin and leaves it feeling soothed and hydrated, without being greasy or too thick,” she says. “I really notice the difference to my skin when I run out.”
Our senior beauty writer, Florence Reeves-White, won’t use any retinol but Medik8’s. This form of vitamin A works by stimulating skin cell turnover to leave behind a smoother complexion, as well as encouraging the production of structure-building collagen.
Retinoids are known to be slightly harsh on the skin, but the low 0.2% concentrate in this one from Medik8 slowly releases the complex throughout the night, all while hydrating and softening it.
How to choose a wrinkle cream
“I would look beyond marketing claims and focus on the formulation and key ingredients,” says Maria Kumar, the GHI’s beauty testing manager. “Ingredients like retinoids, peptides, niacinamide, and well-formulated sunscreens have the strongest evidence for improving the appearance of wrinkles.”
“It’s also important to consider the product’s stability (i.e. how it behaves over time and whether it’s impacted by temperature and humidity etc.), how easy it is to apply, and whether it suits your skin type, because even the best actives won’t perform if the formula isn’t well designed or tolerated by your skin,” she adds.
On top of reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, consider what else you need a cream to do. If you’re prone to redness and irritation, for example, it’s important to opt for a formulation that’s suitable for sensitive skin. If you also want to brighten skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots caused by hyperpigmentation, look for creams containing ingredients such as niacinamide and vitamin C.
If budget is a consideration, rest assured that you don’t have to spend a fortune for an efficacious product. Our budget choice is the Olay Collagen Peptide MAX Day Cream, which costs just over £20 (RRP). This peptide-packed cream was effective at reducing the appearance of wrinkles for our testers during their 12-week trial period.
When should I start using a wrinkle cream?
Generally, collagen levels (the protein in your skin that gives it structure and ‘bounce’) start to naturally decline from your late twenties onwards. Sigh.
“Prevention is better than cure, so it’s worth starting to use gentle yet hardworking ingredients, such as hydrators and barrier-protectors, alongside that all-important daily SPF from your mid- to late-twenties,” says Maria.
“Introducing ingredients to promote collagen production early can help maintain skin quality over time. That said, it’s less about age and more about consistent, evidence-based skincare habits.”
What are the key ingredients to look for?
Below, Maria, has given her verdict on the key ingredients to look out for.
Collagen: These clever proteins are the building blocks of our cells and are what gives our skin structure and flexibility. We produce it naturally, but as we age, production rates slows down, which is one of the reasons we start to see skin wrinkle and sag.
When used topically, collagen can help to moisturise the skin and create a protective barrier. It works best when paired with other ingredients such as peptides or antioxidants, to stimulate production, leading to plumper, firmer skin.
Peptides: These powerhouse ingredients have boomed in popularity in recent years, and it’s down to their smoothing and moisturising benefits. Peptides are a short chain of amino acids that act as the building blocks of proteins, so using them in skincare helps to promote the production of collagen.
Retinol: Derived from vitamin A, retinol works to encourage skin cell turnover to help resurface skin, which in turn can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Antioxidants: When used in skincare, antioxidants such as vitamin C, E and niacinamide have a whole host of benefits. They can help brighten skin, hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier, giving you a more glowing complexion.
Humectants: Dehydrated skin emphasises all those nooks and crannies, so to keep it looking plump and fresh, it’s important your skincare comes packed with hydration.
Hydrators worthy of note include hyaluronic acid, glycerine and aloe vera, which are all extremely effective at locking in moisture. Humectants are the umbrella group of ingredients that essentially draw moisture into the skin – hyaluronic acid, for example, can hold 1,000 times its own molecular weight in water.
April (she/her) is the senior beauty and style director at Good Housekeeping, where she oversees all beauty editorial content, and also contributes to Woman’s Day and Prevention. April has over 20 years of experience, including positions as the Beauty Director of Redbook, Beauty Editor of SELF, Associate Beauty Editor of Fitness, Assistant Beauty Editor of Good Housekeeping, and Beauty Freelancer at People StyleWatch. She represents GH on television, radio, industry panels, and online, having appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, The View, CNBC, NBC New York Live, QVC, and PIX11 News. April received a B.A. from New York University Journalism School. When not engrossed in all things beauty, she can be found spending time with the people she loves, reading, listening to music, and enjoying the outdoors.
Madeleine is our Lifestyle Writer, specialising in expert-tested reviews and round-ups on the latest beauty Beauty and Health & Wellness products. From skincare to protein powders, Maddie is committed to providing honest and helpful reviews to help guide readers to the best product for them. Maddie has a BA in English Literature and Language, which stemmed from her lifelong interest in reading and writing. She started her post graduate life at Hearst UK within a marketing capacity, which quickly turned into a desire to fulfil a writing career.
When she is not writing about the latest expert reviewed products, you can find her rifling through vintage shops or car boots, reading a print magazine, or capturing portraits on her film camera.
Maria is our Beauty and Grooming Testing Manager, and since joining in mid-2022, she has managed the testing for mutiple categories including scalp scrubs, collagen supplements and retinol serums. In addition to her master's degree in chemical engineering and a diploma in cosmetic science, she recently received her MBA from the London College of Fashion, focusing on case studies within the beauty industry. Prior to joining the company, she worked within the global technical team at the Estee Lauder Companies for over six years, collaborating with the chemists and engineers to launch luxury beauty products at scale and to quality. She has also worked as a formulation scientist within the pharmaceutical industry and takes this evidence based approach into all her product testing.
