The best moisturiser for mature skin works well beyond its job description. As we age, maintaining plump, dewy skin requires a regimented regime – and a moisturiser 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 moisturisers for mature skin bring something extra to the age-defying mix, deploying active ingredients like retinol, peptides, and niacinamide to help counteract sagging, wrinkles, discolouration, 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 moisturiser for mature skin.
FAQs:
Vogue’s best moisturisers for mature skin at a glance:
- Best overall: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced, £105
- Best splurge: Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream, £230
- Best budget: CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, £17
- Best for sensitive skin: Dr. Jart Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Cream, £40
- Editor’s pick: Avène Revitalising Nourishing Cream, £22
- Best with hyaluronic acid: Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Magic Cream, £52
- Best for antioxidant protection: Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Moisturier, £42
- Best for hydrating: PCA Skin Collagen Hydrator, £42
- Best with collagen: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30, £63
- Best with SPF: Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50 Moisturiser, £60
Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream
Augustinus Bader
The Rich Cream
£230
Augustinus Bader
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 moisturising. The end result is a ‘stew’ of skin-quenching goodness.”
- Key ingredients: TFC-8 technology, hyaluronic acid, hydrolysed rice protein
- Size: 50 ml
SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced
Skinceuticals
A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced Anti-Wrinkle Cream
£105
Look Fantastic
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’s 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: 15 ml
CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream
CeraVe
Skin Renewing Night Cream
£22
Amazon
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: 60 ml
Avène Revitalising Moisturising Cream
Avène
Revitalising Nourishing Cream
£22
Look Fantastic
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 mature skin. Like most of their products, this one 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: 50 ml
Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Magic Cream
Charlotte Tilbury
Magic Cream Face Moisturiser With Hyaluronic Acid
£52
Space NK
£52
Sephora
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: 30 ml
Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30
Elemis
Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30
£63
AMAZON
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: 30 ml
Fresh Black Tea Advanced Age Renewal Cream
Fresh
Black Tea Advanced Age Renewal Cream
£88
Look Fantastic
£88
Space NK
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 moisturise the skin to improve its texture, and minimise the appearance of fine lines,” notes Camp.
- Key ingredients: BT Matrix, Ceramide NP, squalane
- Size: 50 ml
Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50 Moisturiser
Dermalogica
Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50 Moisturiser
£75 £60
Face The Future
Why we love it: Dermalogica’s emollient daily moisturiser 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 moisturiser.”
- Key ingredients: Broad-spectrum SPF 50, polypeptide blend, white tea extract, squalane
- Size: 88 ml
Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Moisturiser With White Tea
Origins
A Perfect World SPF 40 Age Defense Moisturiser With White Tea
£42
Look Fantastic
Why we love it: Infused with antioxidant-rich white tea, Origins’s daily moisturiser 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: 50 ml
Le Domaine The Cream
Le Domaine
The Cream
£210
Printemps
Why we love it: From Brad Pitt’s buzzy skincare brand, the whipped cream-like moisturiser contains patented ingredients that are packed with antioxidants. What’s more, “it’s rich in soothing and moisturising 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: 50 ml
Dr. Jart Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Cream
DR.JART+ Cicapair
Intensive Soothing Repair Cream
£40
Sephora
£40
Cult Beauty
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: 50 ml
Eighth Day Intensive Moisturiser
Eighth Day
Intensive Moisturiser
£225
Net-a-Porter
£225
Harrods
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 Moisturiser 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: 50 ml
Epionce Renewal Face Cream
Epionce
Renewal Facial Cream
£128
Amazon
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: 50 ml
PCA Skin Collagen Hydrator
PCA Skin
Collagen Hydrator
£42
Face The Future
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 moisturising 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: 60 ml
Fré Moisturise Me
Fré
Moisturise Me
£52
Revolve
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: 50 ml
Drmtlgy Peptide Night Cream
Drmtlgy
Peptide Night Cream
£47
Drmtlgy
Why we love it: This medical-grade cream, which restores moisture overnight, is “a little bit thicker than basic moisturisers,” 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
Uma Absolute Anti-Ageing Plump & Repair Face Cream
Uma
Absolute Anti Aging Plump & Repair Face Cream
£60
Oxygen Boutique
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: 50 ml
What is 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 oestrogen 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 over-washing 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 moisturiser, followed by SPF, caps off the ideal morning regime.
In the evening, “gentle cleansers or oil cleansers are great choices for mature skin,” Magovern continues. “I prefer a gentle cleanser at night because subsequent steps tend to include more active products.” Exfoliation can also be part of a night-time regime one to three times a week. “It may not be intuitive, but exfoliating the skin can actually help moisturise it because it removes the surface dead cells, which make it harder for the moisturisers to penetrate and work effectively,” says Magovern. “Exfoliators also help stimulate collagen production.” For mature skin, she recommends a chemical exfoliator with gentle AHAs like glycolic and lactic acids, and PHAs, like gluconolactone, which have moisturising and antioxidant properties.
As a second-to-last step before bed, apply a treatment serum infused with active ingredients like retinol or peptides, which encourage cell turnover and cellular repair. “Sleep is the time when the cellular machinery is actively restoring and repairing, and it’s the perfect time to give the skin what it needs to help accomplish its nighttime work,” Magovern notes.
Read more: Looking for the best retinol serum for acne, wrinkles and more? Shop Vogue’s guide to the best retinol creams & serums.
Lastly, if you're looking for the best night cream, apply a face moisturiser that helps the skin attract and retain moisture overnight. “Occluding the skin with a moisturiser also allows the active ingredients in the previous steps to penetrate deeper and perhaps work more effectively,” she says. “The moisturising step is important for nourishing and hydrating the skin while you sleep.”
What ingredients work best in a moisturiser for mature skin?
“Hyaluronic acid and other humectants, like glycerin, are important to help attract and retain water in the skin,” says Ashley Magovern, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Manhattan Beach, California, and medical advisor for Dermstore. “But, other ingredients are important for mature skin as well. Once you attract the water, it’s important to trap it and prevent water loss.” Occlusive agents like jojoba-seed oil or shea butter help lock moisture into the skin, while ceramides – lipids that help maintain and repair the skin barrier – “are critical in a moisturiser,” Magovern says.
Additionally, “moisturisers that include retinol – or using a retinoid or retinol serum in addition to your moisturiser – can help improve the appearance of elasticity, texture, pigmentation and wrinkles,” says Nazanin Saedi, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in Philadelphia. “Caffeine helps plump the skin which can temporarily improve the appearance of sags and wrinkles. Other ingredients to look for would be ones that help stimulate and support the production of collagen: Peptides, vitamin C, niacinamide (vitamin B3), and growth factors.”
What kind of texture is ideal in a moisturiser for mature skin?
“As a rule of thumb, thicker consistencies are better at locking in moisture by literally creating a barrier on the skin’s outermost layer to prevent water from evaporating from the surface of the skin,” says Tony Nakhla, DO, medical director of OC Skin Institute in Orange County and founder of Eighth Day. “The more occlusive a product is, the more hydrating.”
However, hydration isn’t the only factor to consider. “The viscosity or thickness of a moisturiser is not as important to its efficacy as the active ingredient,” offers Stacey Tull, MD, MPH, board-certified dermatologic surgeon and owner of St. Charles County Dermatologic Surgery in Missouri. “Thicker moisturisers such as shea butter may not be as effective for some skin types as a thinner hyaluronic-acid-based product or an oil-based serum. Even at an older age, some people are still acne-prone and a heavy moisturiser would not be a good option for them. Likewise, someone with dry, fragile skin may benefit from a thicker, more emollient ointment or cream.”
What is the importance of a moisturiser for mature skin?
A moisturiser for mature skin is “absolutely vital,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology in New York City. She explains that one one of the key clinical markers of mature skin is its inability to create and retain moisture naturally. “Loss of moisture can make skin look more flaccid, less youthful, and dull,” Nazarian says.
Furthermore, “dry skin leads to inflammation, even if you can’t see it,” says Magovern. “Inflamed skin will not tolerate all the active skin care products that we all want to use, so it’s imperative to keep that barrier strong. Furthermore, inflamed skin will trigger your skin problems like eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, and rosacea, so it’s important to keep the skin moisturised. Hydrated skin also just looks smoother, younger and brighter.” In short, she says: “There are so many reasons to moisturise.”