How to Choose the Best Moisturizer for Mature Skin, According to Dermatologists (2025)

The best moisturizer for aging skin works well beyond its job description. As we age, maintaining plump, dewy skin requires a regimented regime—and a moisturizer that can multitask. Most of us already know how hydrating ingredients—think humectants like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or emollients such as jojoba oil and shea butter—can work glow-inducing wonders by helping the skin attract and retain moisture.

However, the most effective moisturizers for mature skin bring something extra to the age-defying mix, deploying active ingredients like retinol, peptides, and niacinamide to help counteract sagging, wrinkles, discoloration, and more. Ahead, everything you need to know about what mature skin really means, how to put together a routine that works for your needs, and 17 dermatologist-approved formulas for the best moisturizer for aging skin.

Vogue’s Favorite Moisturizers for Aging Skin:

• Best Overall: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced, $185
• Best Splurge: Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream, $185
• Best Budget: CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, $22
• Best for Sensitive Skin: Dr. Jart Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Cream, $54
• Editor’s Pick: Avène Revitalizing Nourishing Cream, $42
• Best With Hyaluronic Acid: Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Magic Cream, $100
• Best for Antioxidant Protection: Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Moisturizer, $54
• Best for Hydrating: PCA Skin Collagen Hydrator, $59
• Best With Collagen: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30, $110
• Best With SPF: Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50 Moisturizer, $79
• Best Tightening: 111Skin Cryo Revitalizing Moisturizer, $200

In This Story:

• What is aging or mature skin?
• What is an ideal skincare regimen for mature skin?
• What ingredients work best in a moisturizer for aging skin?
• What kind of texture is ideal in a moisturizer for aging skin?
• What is the importance of a moisturizer for aging skin?
• Ingredients to Look for in a Moisturizer for Aging Skin
• What to Consider in a Moisturizer for Aging Skin
• Meet the Experts

Best Overall: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced

• Why we love it: As skin ages, it can be subject to glycation—a process whereby excess sugars in the skin affect its structural proteins, which can weaken collagen and elastin production and contribute to fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots. SkinCeuticals’ creamy balm “helps protect skin from glycation and maintain its youthful appearance,” says Brendan Camp, MD, a double-board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York.
• Key ingredients: Concentrated proxylanetm, wild fruit flavonoids, glycyrrhetinic acid, hepes, niacinamide
• Size: 1.7 oz

Best Splurge: Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream

• Why we love it: Powered by the proprietary (and hallowed) TFC-8 technology, Augustinus Bader’s coveted cream has been clinically proven to improve skin’s firmness, elasticity, and hydration—all while smoothing out the appearance of crow’s feet. “Mature skin is more thirsty than younger skin, and it greatly benefits from hydrating elements,” says Alicia Zalka, MD, dermatologist and founder and CEO of Surface Deep. “Bader cream contains ceramides, amino acids, vitamins, and glycerol. It’s also packed with numerous emollients, which are richly moisturizing. The end result is a ‘stew’ of skin-quenching goodness.”
• Key ingredients: TFC-8 technology, hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed rice protein
• Size: 1 oz

Best Budget: CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream

• Why we love it: Infused with shea butter and ceramides, which provide rich hydration, CeraVe’s night cream also “helps reverse fine lines with its peptide complex.” says Zalka. “This product feels luxurious, but at a very good price point.”
• Key ingredients: Peptides, ceramides
• Size: 1.7 oz

Editor’s Pick: Avène Revitalizing Moisturizing Cream

• Why we love it: “As we age, our skin becomes more dry, and naturally more sensitive,” says Ashley Magovern, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Manhattan Beach, California, and medical advisor for Dermstore. “Avène products are known for their calming, soothing properties and are the perfect pick-me-up for aging skin. Like most of their products, the Avéne Revitalizing Moisturizing Cream includes their proprietary thermal spring water, which softens and heals the skin.” The cream is also enriched with pre-tocopheryl, a vitamin E precursor that helps restore the skin barrier and provides antioxidant protection.
• Key ingredients: Avène thermal spring water, pre-tocopheryl, red fruit complex
• Size: 1.6 oz

Best With Hyaluronic Acid: Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Magic Cream

• Why we love it: Charlotte Tilbury’s rich, rose-scented cream is formulated with hyaluronic acid and vitamins C and E. “It hydrates and evens the complexion, and it diminishes the look of fine lines and wrinkles,” says Jeannette Graf, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and anti-aging expert based in New York.
• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamins C and E, bionymph peptide
• Size: 1.7 oz

Best With Collagen: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30

• Why we love it: With SPF 30 to ward off sun damage, the lightweight day cream is formulated with ginkgo biloba. The plant-based ingredient is “rich in antioxidants that aid in firming the skin,” says Graf.
• Key ingredients: Ginkgo biloba, chlorella, padina pavonica
• Size: 1.7 oz

Best Retinol Alternative: Fresh Black Tea Advanced Age Renewal Cream

• Why we love it: Fresh’s lightweight cream is made with a proprietary BT Matrix, which mimics retinol’s abilities to improve skin’s firmness and elasticity. Its other ingredients, which include ceramides and squalane, “help moisturize the skin to improve its texture, and minimize the appearance of fine lines,” notes Camp.
• Key ingredients: BT Matrix, Ceramide NP, squalane
• Size: 1.6 oz

Best With SPF: Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50 Moisturizer

• Why we love it: Dermalogica’s emollient daily moisturizer boosts skin’s firmness, elasticity, and hydration, while protecting it from sun damage with broad-spectrum SPF. “Anyone doing anything to improve the look and feel of their skin must incorporate an SPF into their routine,” instructs Laura Scott, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in San Diego. “Dermalogica’s SPF is a great hydrating option with SPF 50 protection, moisture, peptides, and antioxidants. It really is an incredible option as a daily moisturizer.”
• Key ingredients: Broad-spectrum SPF 50, polypeptide blend, white tea extract, squalane
• Size: 1.7 oz

Best for Antioxidant Protection: Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Moisturizer With White Tea

• Why we love it: Infused with antioxidant-rich white tea, Origins’ daily moisturizer is fortified with SPF 40. According to Camp, the hydrating salve is a solid choice for protecting mature skin from UV rays, as well as from free-oxygen radicals.
• Key ingredients: White tea
• Size: 1.7 oz.

Best Tightening: 111Skin Cryo Revitalizing Moisturizer

• Why we love it: Ideal for morning, after a workout, or anytime the skin needs a refresh, 111 Skin’s moisturizer combines ingredients that mimic the tightening, circulation-boosting effects of a cryofacial—no cold vapor required. (Though you can store the product in the fridge, which gives it a cooling sensation when applied.) Made with eight types of hyaluronic acid, the lightweight cream also harnesses a ginseng complex designed to boost blood circulation and replenish oxygen to the skin. The brand’s signature ingredient, NAC Y2, adds reparative properties to the cream, which is also infused with ATP to enhance cellular energy, and ectoin to smooth fine lines and wrinkles. The moisturizer is the latest addition to 111Skin’s celebrity-approved Cryo line, which counts Anne Hathaway and Rita Ora among its demonstrably contoured fans.
• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid multicomplex, ginseng complex, NACY2, ATP, ectoin
• Size: 50 ml

Best K-Beauty Pick: Iope Stem Cell III Cream

• Why we love it: One of Vogue’s favorite Korean moisturizers for baby-soft skin, Iope’s formulation is infused with ingredients that soothe and strengthen any aging complexion. “[It’s] enriched with a powerful skin revitalizing combination of allantoin, niacinamide, madecassic acid, and peptides,” Dr. Claire Chang, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York, previously explained to Vogue. Both allantoin and madecassic acid moisturize the skin while soothing redness and irritation, and the cream has a gentle feel to match its skin-babying qualities. Lightweight and cooling, it sinks right in as it’s applied.
• Key ingredients: Allantoin, niacinamide, peptides
• Size: 1.69 fl oz

Best for Dermatitis Relief: U Beauty The Super Hydrator

• Why we love it: The list of ingredients in U Beauty’s hydrating salves reads like an organic feast for the skin—but the treatment isn't just made with nourishing natural ingredients. In addition to avocado and grapeseed oils that flood the skin with hydration, the tech-forward brand infused its cult-loved lotion with the proprietary Hydra-Siren Capsule. The exclusive technology helps protect the skin from free radicals, giving it a visibly refreshed appearance. Samantha Susca, the lead esthetician at Casa Cipriani New York Spa, has described this product as “the ultimate rich cream.” With a thick, balmy texture that has a glazed-donut finish, the product is Susca’s pick for hydrating skin after a peel. “Its intense richness also provides unmatched relief for dermatitis,” she said.
• Key ingredients: Argan oil, oat extract, shea butter, peptides, avocado oil, grapeseed oil
• Size: 1.7 oz

Best for Soothing Irritation: Beau Domaine The Cream

• Why we love it: From Brad Pitt’s buzzy skincare brand, the whipped cream-like moisturizer contains patented ingredients that are packed with antioxidants. What’s more, “it’s rich in soothing and moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, organic olive oil, squalane, centella and green tea, plus grape water derived from a luxe French winery,” says Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Skincare Junkie. Plus, “the aroma always takes me back to wine country.”
• Key ingredients: GMS10, PROGR3, grape water, organic olive oil and shea butter, ayurvedic plant extract
• Size: 1.7 oz

Best for Plumping: Uma Absolute Anti-Aging Plump & Repair Face Cream

• Why we love it: This Ayurvedic cream is infused with ingredients that target common concerns associated with aging skin, Zalka says. “Hyaluronic acid plumps thinning skin by attracting surrounding moisture; dryness is targeted by ceramides, and signs of sun damage are addressed by tumeric and lotus.”
• Key ingredients: Lotus, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, turmeric
• Size: 1.7 oz

Best for Sensitive Skin: Dr. Jart Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Cream

• Why we love it: Murphy-Rose cites Dr. Jart’s cream as a go-to product for soothing and repairing sensitive skin. “Its namesake ingredient cica, or centella asiatica, is rich in fatty acids, vitamins, and amino acids,” she notes. “It’s perfect for nourishing mature skin and locking in moisture.”
• Key ingredients: Cica complex, allantoin
• Size: 1.69 oz

Best With Growth Factors: Eighth Day Intensive Moisturizer

• Why we love it: Tony Nakhla, DO, medical director of OC Skin Institute in Orange County and founder of Eighth Day concocted this rich treatment in a clinical setting, infusing it with a proprietary blend of 24 peptides, growth factors, and amino acids that can turbocharge the skin’s natural healing abilities. “In addition to Peptide-rich Plasma, the Intensive Moisturizer contains copper peptide, which stimulates fibroblasts and triggers the production of collagen and elastin,” he explains.
• Key ingredients: Peptide-rich plasma, copper peptide, ceramides
• Size: 1.7 oz

Best for Barrier Repair: Epionce Renewal Face Cream

• Why we love it: “Epionce products have well-thought-out formulations and focus on barrier repair, which is critical for mature skin,” Magovern says. The brand’s renewing face cream contains hyaluronic acid and shea butter— “a nice combination for aging skin,” Magovern notes. Additionally, the formulation contains antioxidants and gentle exfoliating acids, which can help restore and protect the skin.
• Key ingredients: Beeswax, hyaluronic acid, malic acid, shea butter
• Size: 1.7 oz.

Best for Hydrating: PCA Skin Collagen Hydrator

• Why we love it: In addition to shea butter and hyaluronic acid, which rehydrate mature skin, PCA Skin’s emollient blend is packed with vitamins. “I love it when moisturizing formulas include vitamins C and E because these tried-and-true, evidence-based ingredients fight free-radical damage, brighten and soften the skin, and help with collagen production,” Magovern says.
• Key ingredients: Aloe vera, dimethicone, hyaluronic acid, olive oil, vitamins C and E
• Size: 1.7 oz

Best Fast-Absorbing Cream: Fré Moisturize Me

• Why we love it: The fast-absorbing cream “relies on some of my top ingredients to stimulate production of natural skin hydrators, such as rosehip seed oil, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and urea,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist. What’s more, “I love the way the product applies so easily and smoothly to the skin.”
• Key ingredients: Argania active complex, ceramides, rosehip oil, alpha-glucan oligosaccharide
• Size: 1.69 oz

Best Medical-Grade Cream: Drmtlgy Peptide Night Cream

• Why we love it: This medical-grade cream, which restores moisture overnight, is “a little bit thicker than basic moisturizers,” notes Nazarian. “It’s also great for mature skin because it has a blend of different peptides to repair and protect the skin, as well as several different ceramides to strengthen skin hydration.”
• Key ingredients: Peptides, ceramides, vitamin E, allantoin
• Size: 2.1 oz

What is aging or mature skin?

“Our bodies produce less elastin and collagen as we get older,” Saedi acknowledges. “In fact, collagen production begins to slow as early as your mid-twenties. We start losing one percent of our collagen per year after that. By 40, collagen drops more dramatically.” As collagen and elastin decline, fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging becomes more noticeable in the skin. “Your face also loses volume as you age, and your skin will become thinner,” Saedi says.

But that’s not all. “Declining estrogen levels during perimenopause and menopause can also wreak havoc on your skin, contributing to dryness, dullness, thinning, and wrinkling in the skin,” Saedi says. “Lastly, sun damage accumulates over your lifetime and is one of the biggest causes of lines, wrinkles and unwanted pigmentation, also commonly referred to as sun spots.”

What is an ideal skincare regimen for mature skin?

According to Magovern, a morning skin care regime doesn’t have to start with face wash. “Don’t cleanse if skin feels dry or overprocessed, particularly if you did a good cleanse before bed,” she instructs. However, for mature skin that is “doing well and feeling strong,” she signs off on a gentle exfoliating cleanser that contains AHAs or PHAs.

Next up, a hydrating toner is “a great way to cleanse the skin without overwashing it,” she says, noting that “water can actually act as an irritant.” Follow the toning step with a serum that contains antioxidants, such as vitamin C, to protect and restore the skin. “You can also look for a serum with chemical exfoliators,” Magovern adds. “These can help remove some of those older surface skin cells and help the skin retain its ability to hold onto moisture and bring back the glow.” A rich moisturizer, followed by SPF, caps off the ideal morning regime.