While anti-aging products are frowned upon by people in their 20s, those expression lines stick around and form deep wrinkles as they age! Hence, the best drugstore wrinkles creams are an important part of our skincare regime as a treatment as well as a preventative measure. Such products are formulated with three major components — collagen boosters, moisturizing agents, and antioxidants that improve the overall health of your skin and restore its youthful charm. 

Discussing the right age for using a wrinkle cream, our contributor Bart Nanka, Executive at Mudbrick Herb Cottage - a herbal brand, says, “There's no specific age to start using wrinkle cream, as it depends on individual skin needs and lifestyle/environmental factors. Many people begin in their late 20s or early 30s, when early signs of aging like fine lines start to appear and cause confidence issues, though these are entirely normal aging patterns. To delay the need for these creams, implement a daily suncare & moisturizer routine to keep your skin hydrated & healthy.”

According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Sheerene Idriss, “Vitamin C is a necessary ingredient within the pathway of making collagen. Not only does it protect your skin from damage but also helps it repair itself”. Other essential actives to look for in such products are retinol (or retinoids), niacinamide, and peptide complexes. These ingredients act as catalysts in the process of improving your skin’s elasticity naturally. In addition, rich humectants and botanical emollients are vital in boosting your skin’s water content and preventing dehydration and sagginess. 

Our contributor Erin Zadoorian, Founder at Riti, says, “If one's skin is sensitive to retinoids or vitamin C, one must look for wrinkle creams with hyaluronic acid, peptides, or niacinamide. They’re gentler and better at hydrating, repairing, and soothing skin while also combatting early aging signs.”

Today, many over-the-counter products claim to reduce wrinkles and fight other signs of aging. This makes it confusing to shop for the right products that are suitable for your skin type and specific requirements. To help you get your hands on the right OTC wrinkle cream, we have listed our product picks below. Scroll away!

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  Best Overall

  L'ORÉAL PARIS COLLAGEN MOISTURE FILLER

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Infused with soluble collagen, this over-the-counter wrinkle cream by L'oréal Paris fills the folds of your wrinkles by replenishing the building blocks of your skin. The rich emollient ingredients in it such as shea butter, glycerin, and palmitic acid intensely moisturize and pamper the skin. Also, the product provides the benefits of Indian Frankincense extracts — an invigorating ingredient that has been traditionally used and anecdotally proven to soothe your skin (1). Overall, this gentle, water-based cream not only gives a youthful appearance to your skin but also rejuvenates it.

2

Best Anti-inflammatory Formula

LilyAna Naturals RETINOL CREAM

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There’s no doubt about the moisturizing goodness of this wrinkle cream as it is plush with rich botanical humectants such as aloe vera extracts, jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid, and sunflower oil alongside other skin conditioners such as panthenol and glycerin. Harnessing the potential of its key ingredient retinol, this product increases the thickness of the epidermal layer and diminishes the appearance of deep wrinkles and fine lines (2). With the blend of green tea and Centella Asiatica extracts, the product marvelously soothes and energizes dull skin for a youthful appearance (3) (4).

3

Best Moisturizer

L'ORÉAL PARIS REVITALIFT TRIPLE POWER MOISTURIZER

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With key ingredients like Pro-retinol, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C, this anti-aging cream by L'oréal Paris shows miraculous results in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and replenishing the skin’s texture. By employing the goodness of niacinamide, the product boosts skin’s elasticity by stimulating collagen production, thereby making your skin healthy and beautiful (5). In addition, the product effectively brightens your skin and reduces dullness caused by aging. You can leverage the benefits of these powerful ingredients by using the product regularly as a night cream.

4

Best for Dark Spot Removal

RoC RETINOL CORREXION DEEP WRINKLE NIGHT CREAM

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Unlike other similar products, this wrinkle-reducing cream by RoC has a gentle formulation that you can safely use every day. Leveraging the benefits of retinol, the product effectively reverses the signs of aging on your face. Its emollient ingredients such as squalene, shea butter, and glycerin work wonders in resurfacing dry patches and crepey skin, so your skin becomes soft and supple. The blend of AHAs and retinol in the product may cause slight tingles on your skin, indicating that the actives are doing their job. But the sensation subsides soon, thereby improving your skin’s overall health.

5

Best Organic Formula

KLEEM ORGANICS ADVANCED RETINOL MOISTURIZER

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Formulated with humectants such as hyaluronic acid, panthenol, aloe extracts, and sunflower seed oil, this wrinkle moisturizer by Kleem Organics provides deep hydration to improve the appearance of crepey and aging skin. With retinol as its key ingredient, the product synthesizes collagen production in your skin to boost elasticity (2). Besides, it is also rich in vitamin E which helps replenish the skin’s lipid barrier, so it won’t look dehydrated and saggy. This product is among the best drugstore wrinkle creams made with certified organic ingredients. 

6

NEUTROGENA RAPID WRINKLE REPAIR RETINOL MOISTURIZER SUNSCREEN

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This product by Neutrogena is a good wrinkle cream that comes with broad spectrum SPF 30 (chemical sunscreen) to protect your skin from sun damage. By employing the properties of retinol along with hyaluronic acid and vitamin C, the product nourishes your skin, brightens the skin tone, and alleviates signs of aging. What gives the product an edge over other retinol creams is that it contains the skin-soothing properties of myrtle leaf extract that pacifies tingles or inflammation (6). You can use a small amount of this product as a day cream to protect your skin and improve its overall health.

7

Neutrogena Triple Age Repair night moisturizer

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Plush with the invigorating goodness of vitamin C, shea butter, caprylyl glycol, and glycerin, this night cream by Neutrogena boosts hydration and radiance in your skin to improve its appearance. The product is intensely moisturizing that helps your skin become healthy, plump, and younger-looking. It replenishes your skin’s protective barrier and blocks moisture loss, preventing crepey skin and slowing the signs of aging. For the best results, use a dime-sized amount of the product and massage it well onto your skin before bedtime.

8

Eucerin Q10 ANTI-WRINKLE Face Creme

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Eucerin’s face cream is among the best wrinkle creams for women in their late 20s or 30s to use as a preventative measure. This is because it is non-comedogenic and does not aggravate or cause acne on relatively younger skin. The wrinkle cream is formulated with antioxidants such as beta-carotene and Co-enzyme Q10 that fight free radical damage and keep your skin cells healthy and youthful (7) (8). In addition, the infused emollients like shea butter and glycerin make the product an excellent moisturizer for everyday use.

9

OLAY REGENERIST RETINOL 24-NIGHT MOISTURIZER

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The anti-aging benefits of this retinol cream are multiplied with niacinamide — an effective skincare active that synthesizes collagen production in the skin and restores its health (9) (5). With it, the product marvelously diminishes deep wrinkles and boosts skin elasticity. Infused with tapioca starch, the product gives a fresh, matte finish to your skin, unlike most drugstore wrinkle creams. What’s better is that you get a free pouch of Olay Regenerist Whip moisturizer to supplement the benefits of this anti-aging cream. The cream has a very strong formulation, so use only a small amount for the best results.

10

InstaNatural VITAMIN C MOISTURIZER

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This ultra-moisturizing, rich anti-aging cream by InstaNatural is perfect for folks whose skin has become dehydrated with age. It is made with a plethora of humectants and botanical emollients such as aloe extracts, hyaluronic acid, squalene, shea butter, argan oil, dog rose oil, etc. In addition, the product is rich in niacinamide and vitamin C that boosts collagen production in the skin to minimize deep wrinkles, while also fortifying your skin with antioxidants (5) (10). The product has a refreshing citrusy fragrance that makes your beauty routine enjoyable while nourishing your skin.

11

CeraVe Skin Renewing Day Cream with Sunscreen

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This wrinkle cream has a plethora of beauty benefits and is suitable for all skin types (including sensitive skin). Formulated with CeraVe’s key ingredients — ceramides 1, 3, 6-II, the cream replenishes the skin’s lipid barrier, softens its texture, and prevents trans-epidermal water loss. It contains retinol and vitamin C — two excellent anti-aging actives that effectively treat wrinkles, fine lines, and crepey skin. Plus, the formula contains broad spectrum SPF 30 that protects your skin against UVA and UVB rays, to prevent aggravating the signs of aging on your skin.

12

ANDALOU NATURALS Resveratrol Q10 NIGHT REPAIR CREAM

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Fortified with the anti-aging goodness of Q10, this product by Andalou Naturals is one of the best over-the-counter wrinkle creams for your face. It is plush with botanical emollients such as allantoin, squalene, cocoa butter, and avocado oil that make crepey skin soft, supple, and healthy. Besides, it is rich in vitamins C and E, which keep oxidative stress at bay and nourish your skin. The lovely scent of roses in this product will luxuriously indulge your senses and make the skincare process enjoyable!

13

Ebanel AGE-DEFYING LIPOSOMAL 2.5% RETINOL MOISTURIZER CREAM

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Your skin will thank you for providing it with the goodness of peptide complexes and retinol infused in this wrinkle cream by Ebanel. These ingredients work incredibly in boosting collagen production, improving elasticity, and giving your skin a plump, youthful appearance. Besides, the product is rich in shea butter, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera juice that provide long-lasting hydration to your skin and smoothen its crepey texture. This is a reliable product to restore your skin’s lost charm and make it healthy and beautiful.

14

OLAY REGENERIST WRINKLE & PORE VANISHER

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Perfect for spot treatment, this drugstore wrinkle cream works like a charm in diminishing enlarged pores, deep wrinkles, and fine lines in different regions of your face. Formulated with peptide complexes, the product tightens saggy skin and helps increase elasticity by fortifying it with collagen. In addition, the product contains mineral sunscreens such as titanium dioxide and iron oxide that keep UV damage at bay and prevent aggravating the signs of aging on your skin. This is the perfect product for folks who prefer having a lean skincare routine.

15

TREE of LIFE VITAMIN C MOISTURIZER

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The skin-friendly botanicals infused in this cream make it one of the best over-the-counter wrinkle creams for women. By employing the properties of green tea and centella asiatica extracts, the product soothes and refreshes your skin from external aggressors and sun damage (3) (4). It boosts collagen production and increases elasticity in the face, neck, and décolleté by fortifying these regions with the benefits of vitamin C. With this product, a little quantity goes a long way in improving skin health and appearance.

Now that you’ve seen our product recommendations for the best drugstore wrinkle creams, refer to the following buying guide and steps to use so that you shop wisely and make the best of your product.

Here are a few factors to consider when looking for the best drugstore wrinkle cream:

Collagen Boosters: The very first attribute you must look for in an anti-aging or wrinkle cream is whether it boosts collagen production in the skin, thereby making it plumper and tighter. Hydrolyzed collagen and peptide complexes are direct supplements to the skin that enhance elasticity and give a youthful appearance. However, these ingredients show results only while you use them, and the effect wears off right when you stop applying the product. Hence, skincare actives such as retinol, niacinamide, and vitamin C are extremely important to look for in your wrinkle cream, as they stimulate collagen production naturally in your skin instead of simply fortifying it. With these ingredients, you can see a visible difference in the reduction of wrinkles and fine lines on your skin. 

Moisturizing Agents: With age, your skin starts losing its natural moisture content and often becomes dry, dehydrated, and saggy. Hence, it is important to take your moisturization routine up a notch and opt for richer ingredients in your wrinkle creams. Your product should include humectants such as alpha-bisabolol, hyaluronic acid, squalene, glycerin, lactic acid, etc. as well as emollients such as shea butter, murumuru butter, avocado oil, jojoba/coconut esters, olive oil, etc. These ingredients not only add extra moisture to your skin but also prevent trans-epidermal water loss. In addition, they smoothen the skin’s texture to make it soft, supple, and beautiful.

Antioxidants: Oxidative stress and environmental damage are some of the biggest aggravators of aging on your skin, which makes it pivotal for your wrinkle creams to contain antioxidants. Vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as ingredients such as green tea extracts, citrus extracts, beta-carotene, and Q10 are rich in antioxidants that replenish your skin barrier and fight free radicals to prevent and treat aging. 

Quick Absorption And Versatile Use: To have a lean skincare routine, your wrinkle cream must be adequately emulsified to absorb easily and quickly into your skin. This makes the usage of the cream versatile and flexible — something you can couple with other products and wear under your makeup. 

Sun Protection: An added perk (while not necessary) in your wrinkle cream would be broad spectrum SPF. Such products protect from UVA and UVB rays to prevent harsh radiation from damaging your aging skin.

Here are a few simple steps to make the best of your wrinkle cream:

Step 1: Cleanse your face and neck with a mild face wash. Then, prep your skin with a toner, exfoliator, and/or serums that you incorporate into your routine. 

Step 2: Take a pea-sized amount of your favorite OTC wrinkle cream (or as much as instructed on the packaging), and dot your face and neck evenly with it. 

Step 3: Massage the product onto your skin in upwards, circular motions until it absorbs completely. 

Step 4: Once the product has settled, you can follow up with sunscreen (if it’s daytime) or makeup depending on your requirement. Otherwise, leave the product on your skin as it is. 

Today, pollution, UV exposure, and other environmental aggressors have become more impactful than ever in triggering signs of aging in your skin. Hence, OTC wrinkle creams and anti-aging moisturizers should not only be used as treatment products but also as preventative measures for aging skin, right from your early thirties. The above-mentioned products are some of the best drugstore wrinkle creams out there to benefit your skin. Ensure you go through our buying guide and the steps to use before making a purchase. Happy shopping!

Contributor: Bart Nanka, Executive at Mudbrick Herb Cottage