Anti-aging: what's proven?
15 ingredients, graded on the evidence. Pick your concern — the ladder ranks the proof, strongest at the top.
- Strong evidence
- 3 of 15 claims
- Approved for wrinkles
- 2 prescription creams
- Deep wrinkles, sagging
- No cream shown to work
- Brands
- None, on purpose
- 1Your concern
- 2The ladder
- 3The routine
Grades are ours, from FDA labels, trials and dermatology sources (AAD, FDA, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic). A guide, not medical advice.
WeakerStronger ↑
Four levels of proof
- Start
- 3
- 6
- 9
- 12 mo
Proven for most. Right for your face?
This ladder ranks the evidence for fine lines across every kind of skin that's been studied. It can't say which of these your skin needs, or how they'd sit with what's already on your shelf. MySkincare reads a scan of your face, the products you already use and their ingredients, and builds a routine checked to work together.
Scan my skin in MySkincareFree scan: your skin score.
Zone by zone: with a plan.
Sources, opened and read
Grades are ours, from the sources above; moisturizer is in the routine on expert consensus. Sources last reviewed November 9, 2026. Not medical advice.
What actually works for wrinkles?
15 anti-aging ingredients and claims, graded on the evidence, concern by concern. Pick yours for the shortest routine that evidence supports.
- Strong evidence
- 3 of 15 claims
- Approved for wrinkles
- 2 prescription creams
- Deep wrinkles, sagging
- No cream shown to work
- Brands
- None, on purpose
The full evidence chart
Every claim on one page, graded for each concern. Tap a name to see it in the chart above.
| Ingredient | Fine lines | Deep wrinkles | Texture | Dark spots | Sagging |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong for fine lines: Strong | Strong for deep wrinkles: Strong | Strong for texture: Strong | Strong for dark spots: Strong | Strong for sagging: Strong | |
The strongest evidence on the chart, for prevention: in a 4.5-year trial, daily users showed no detectable increase in skin aging. Hughes 2013 trialAAD: choosing productsCleveland Clinic: wrinklesAAD: dark spotsAAD: sun-damaged skin Sunscreen calculator | |||||
| Strong for fine lines: Strong | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | Strong for texture: Strong | Strong for dark spots: Strong | None for sagging: No good evidence | |
FDA-approved for fine wrinkles; the 0.05% cream also for roughness and blotchy pigmentation. Its labels: no effect shown on deep wrinkles or laxity. Tretinoin 0.05% labelTretinoin 0.02% labelAAD: sun-damaged skin Tretinoin guide | |||||
| Strong for fine lines: Strong | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | None for texture: No good evidence | Strong for dark spots: Strong | None for sagging: No good evidence | |
FDA-approved (0.1% cream) for fine wrinkling, blotchy pigmentation and sun spots. Its label: no effect on deep wrinkles, roughness or laxity. Tazarotene 0.1% label | |||||
| Moderate for fine lines: Moderate | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | None for texture: No good evidence | Weak for dark spots: Weak / early | None for sagging: No good evidence | |
Used off-label for aging: two trials, including one where the prescription 0.3% gel matched tretinoin 0.05%. The 0.1% gel sold over the counter is labeled for acne. Bagatin 2018 trial2022 reviewTretinoin 0.05% labelTazarotene 0.1% labelAAD: dark spots Adapalene guide | |||||
| Moderate for fine lines: Moderate | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | Weak for texture: Weak / early | Weak for dark spots: Weak / early | None for sagging: No good evidence | |
Several small randomized trials show softer fine lines. A 2022 review rates it about ten times weaker than tretinoin and flags the studies’ quality. Kafi 2007 trial2022 reviewTretinoin 0.05% labelTazarotene 0.1% labelAAD: retinoidsAAD: dark spots Retinol guide | |||||
| Moderate for fine lines: Moderate | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | Weak for texture: Weak / early | Moderate for dark spots: Moderate | None for sagging: No good evidence | |
Company-sponsored trials of 4% and 5% found fewer fine lines and dark spots in 8 to 12 weeks. Usually well tolerated. DermNet: nicotinamide Niacinamide guide | |||||
| Weak for fine lines: Weak / early | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | Weak for texture: Weak / early | Weak for dark spots: Weak / early | None for sagging: No good evidence | |
One 22-week trial: 8% glycolic or lactic acid improved sun damage “modestly”, including roughness. AHAs raise sun sensitivity. Stiller 1996 trialFDA: AHAsAAD: dark spots Glycolic acid guide | |||||
| Weak for fine lines: Weak / early | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | None for texture: No good evidence | Weak for dark spots: Weak / early | None for sagging: No good evidence | |
Two small trials (10 and 20 people) found less wrinkling; the AAD lists it among dark-spot faders. Al-Niaimi 2017 reviewAAD: dark spots Vitamin C guide | |||||
| Weak for fine lines: Weak / early | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | None for texture: No good evidence | Weak for dark spots: Weak / early | None for sagging: No good evidence | |
One 44-person trial: about as good as retinol on wrinkles and dark patches, and gentler. No plain-cream group. Dhaliwal 2019 trialMayo Clinic: wrinkle creams | |||||
| Weak for fine lines: Weak / early | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | None for texture: No good evidence | None for dark spots: No good evidence | None for sagging: No good evidence | |
Hydrates. In one trial, only small molecules reduced wrinkle depth around the eye. A serum is not a filler. Pavicic 2011 trialAAD: getting resultsCleveland Clinic: hyaluronic acid Hyaluronic acid guide | |||||
| Weak for fine lines: Weak / early | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | Weak for texture: Weak / early | Weak for dark spots: Weak / early | Weak for sagging: Weak / early | |
Small, mostly company-run trials. The best-known one improved texture and age spots, but not wrinkles significantly. Aldag 2016 reviewAAD: sun-damaged skin | |||||
| Weak for fine lines: Weak / early | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | None for texture: No good evidence | None for dark spots: No good evidence | Weak for sagging: Weak / early | |
Small studies, several without a control group, mostly by manufacturers. Large molecules that struggle to get into skin. Aldag 2016 reviewAAD: sun-damaged skin | |||||
| None for fine lines: No good evidence | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | None for texture: No good evidence | None for dark spots: No good evidence | None for sagging: No good evidence | |
In a placebo-controlled trial, skin looked no different after 8 weeks; only biopsies changed. Chiu 2005 trial | |||||
| None for fine lines: No good evidence | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | None for texture: No good evidence | None for dark spots: No good evidence | None for sagging: No good evidence | |
No controlled trial found. Collagen is a long protein, and skin keeps out molecules heavier than about 500 daltons. StatPearls: collagen500 dalton ruleAldag 2016 reviewCleveland Clinic: collagen | |||||
| None for fine lines: No good evidence | None for deep wrinkles: No good evidence | None for texture: No good evidence | None for dark spots: No good evidence | None for sagging: No good evidence | |
Benefits showed up only in company-funded and lower-quality trials; independent, high-quality trials found none. Myung 2025 meta-analysisCleveland Clinic: collagen | |||||
How we graded
One grade per ingredient and concern, from the labels, trials and dermatology sources listed below. Abstracts were read where full papers are paywalled.
An FDA label approves it for that sign of skin aging, or a large, long randomized trial backs it.
More than one randomized controlled trial points the same way, but they’re small, short or paid for by the company selling it.
A single trial, tiny trials, studies without a proper control group, or an expert body listing it without trials behind it.
Untested for that concern, or tested and it didn’t work. When an FDA label says a drug showed no effect on a sign, it goes here.
What creams can and can’t do
The labels admit it
The two retinoids approved for skin aging carry the bluntest lines in skincare. Tretinoin “does not eliminate wrinkles” and hasn’t shown an effect on deep wrinkling or skin laxity. Tazarotene’s label says it does not mitigate “coarse or deep wrinkling”, roughness or laxity.
Tretinoin 0.05% labelTretinoin 0.02% labelTazarotene 0.1% label
A cream is not a facelift
The AAD says anti-aging products deliver modest results, no product treats every sign of aging, and you can’t get a facelift’s results from a cream. Mayo Clinic adds that nonprescription wrinkle creams are cosmetics, not tested like prescription treatments, and usually bring small improvements.
Price isn’t evidence
Effective anti-aging products come in all price ranges, the AAD says, and Mayo Clinic notes that a higher price doesn’t always mean better results. The top of this chart is an ingredient list, not a brand: a broad-spectrum sunscreen and a retinoid.
The moves that cost nothing
From the AAD’s list: sunscreen every day, self-tanner instead of tanning, no smoking (it “greatly speeds up” skin aging), sunglasses to cut squinting lines, and a daily moisturizer. Lines from the same expression, repeated for years, become permanent.
Fine lines vs deep wrinkles
Fine lines are the start of wrinkles: small creases. Wrinkles sit deeper. Forehead and frown lines come from small muscle contractions, crow’s feet fan out from the corners of the eyes, and UV breaks down collagen and leads to abnormal elastin, the fibers that hold skin up.
When to see a dermatologist
If creams haven’t given you what you want, the AAD suggests a board-certified dermatologist. For deep folds and loose skin the options are in-office (the AAD’s list includes injectables, lasers, peels and skin-tightening devices), and results depend on who does them. We don’t rate those here.
Ingredient guides
One face scan. Your whole routine, sorted.
This page answered your question. MySkincare starts from your own skin, and the products you already use.
- 1Scan your face3 photos: front, left profile, right profile.
- 2See your skin scoreFree6 zones scored separately: forehead, eye area, T-zone, both cheeks, chin.
- 3Scan your productsIt reads each ingredient list and says: keep it, watch it or replace it.
- 4Follow your routineMorning and night, checked so your products work together. With reminders.
Questions people ask
What actually works for wrinkles?
Daily sunscreen to slow new damage, and a retinoid at night for fine lines: tretinoin and tazarotene are FDA-approved for it, retinol and adapalene have smaller trials. The AAD counts moisturizer with sunscreen as the two most effective anti-aging products. Nothing in a jar has been shown to fix deep wrinkles or sagging. Hughes 2013 trialTretinoin 0.02% labelTazarotene 0.1% labelAAD: choosing products
What’s the best anti-wrinkle cream?
The one with the right ingredient, not the highest price: a retinoid at night and a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ by day. The AAD says effective products come in all price ranges, and that promises like “look 10 years younger overnight” are too good to be true. AAD: choosing productsMayo Clinic: wrinkle creams
Do eye creams work for crow’s feet?
Judge an eye cream by its ingredients, like any cream. Two trials tested the eye area: a 4% niacinamide product improved eyelid wrinkles in 8 weeks, and small hyaluronic acid molecules reduced wrinkle depth around the eye in 60 days. Sunglasses help with lines from squinting. For shadows under the eyes, see our dark circles guide. DermNet: nicotinamidePavicic 2011 trialAAD: premature aging
Do collagen creams or collagen supplements work?
Creams: we found no controlled trial, and skin keeps out molecules heavier than about 500 daltons. Supplements: a 2025 meta-analysis of 23 trials found benefits only in company-funded and lower-quality studies; independent, high-quality trials showed none. 500 dalton ruleMyung 2025 meta-analysis
Do peptides work for wrinkles?
Not proven. The best-known peptide trial (94 women, 12 weeks) found better texture and age spots but no significant change in wrinkles, and a 2016 review calls the evidence of clinical relevance limited. Aldag 2016 review
Can any cream fix deep wrinkles or sagging skin?
None has shown it can. Tretinoin’s and tazarotene’s FDA labels say they haven’t shown an effect on deep wrinkling or skin laxity, and the AAD says you can’t get the results of a facelift from a cream. A board-certified dermatologist can go over in-office options. Tretinoin 0.05% labelTazarotene 0.1% labelAAD: choosing products
How long do anti-aging products take to work?
Most take at least six weeks, sometimes three months (AAD). Retinol takes several months for wrinkles, and tretinoin’s label says up to 6 months. Keep going: stop, and skin will likely go back to how it looked. AAD: getting resultsCleveland Clinic: retinolTretinoin 0.02% labelMayo Clinic: wrinkle creams
Retinol or tretinoin for wrinkles?
Tretinoin is the prescription form, FDA-approved for fine wrinkles and called the gold standard in a 2022 review; retinol is about ten times less potent but sold without a prescription. Neither belongs in a pregnancy routine. Our retinol and tretinoin guides have week-by-week start plans. 2022 reviewTretinoin 0.02% labelAAD: retinoids
How do I get rid of forehead lines?
Forehead and frown lines come from small, repeated muscle contractions. Tretinoin and tazarotene are approved for fine wrinkles, and their labels report no effect on deep ones; for lines that stay when your face is at rest, a board-certified dermatologist can go over in-office options. Sunscreen slows new damage. Cleveland Clinic: wrinklesTretinoin 0.02% labelTazarotene 0.1% labelAAD: sun-damaged skinHughes 2013 trial
Sources
- Grades are ours, from the sources above; moisturizer is in the routine on expert consensus
- Not medical advice
American Academy of Dermatologyaad.org
- Retinoid or retinol?
Retinoids boost collagen and reduce fine lines and wrinkles; retinol is routinely used for uneven tone, pigmentation and texture; tretinoin, tazarotene and trifarotene are prescription; start with the least-intense formula every other night; sun protection; not in pregnancy.
- How to select anti-aging skin care products.
Sunscreen and moisturizer are the two most effective anti-aging products; broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher, water resistant, reapplied every two hours outdoors; no product treats all signs; modest results; no facelift from a cream; effective products in all price ranges.
- How to maximize results from anti-aging skin care products.
Start with one product; a moisturizer can plump fine lines in a few days, most products take at least six weeks, sometimes three months; keep using to keep results; some prescription products sting; creams can’t reduce all signs of aging; see a board-certified dermatologist if results disappoint.
- 11 ways to reduce premature skin aging.
Sunscreen every day on skin clothing doesn’t cover; self-tanner instead of tanning; smoking greatly speeds up skin aging; lines from repeated expressions become permanent, sunglasses reduce squinting; daily moisturizer; prescribed anti-aging products may sting, so tell your dermatologist.
- Wrinkles and other signs of sun damage can be treated.
Lists dermatologists’ treatments by sign: prescription retinoids, peels, lasers, injectables for wrinkles; ultrasound and radiofrequency, topical growth factors and peptides for loose skin; much damage is permanent; sun protection helps prevent, slow and even reverse signs; results depend on the skill of the person treating.
- How to fade dark spots (updated March 2025).
Treatment begins with sunscreen, which prevents new spots and helps clear existing ones; azelaic acid, glycolic acid, kojic acid, vitamin C or a retinoid (retinol, tretinoin, adapalene, tazarotene); a spot a few shades darker usually fades in 6 to 12 months.
Cleveland Clinicclevelandclinic.org
- Retinol (updated June 2022).
A pea-sized dose; every other day for the first couple of weeks, then ramp up; dryness, redness and peeling should gradually go away; several months to notice a difference in wrinkles; tretinoin is stronger.
- Wrinkles & fine lines (updated July 2022).
Fine lines are the start of wrinkles; forehead and frown lines come from small muscle contractions; crow’s feet; UV breaks down collagen fibers and leads to abnormal elastin; smoking reduces new collagen.
- Hyaluronic acid (updated May 2022).
Holds water; used in creams and serums; fillers made with hyaluronic acid and collagen are approved for injection under the skin, given only by trained professionals.
- Collagen (updated May 2022).
Research is lacking for most collagen supplements; the FDA doesn’t regulate them; collagen injections fill shallow lines; sun and smoking reduce collagen.
US Food and Drug Administrationfda.gov
- US FDA label: Renova (tretinoin cream) 0.05%, revised July 2000 (accessdata.fda.gov).
Adjunct for fine wrinkles, mottled hyperpigmentation and tactile roughness of facial skin; “does not eliminate wrinkles”; no effect shown on coarse or deep wrinkling, lentigines or skin laxity; two 24-week trials: moderate improvement in fine wrinkling 24% vs 8%, mottled pigmentation 38% vs 27%, roughness 16% vs 10%; up to 6 months for effects.
- US FDA label: Renova (tretinoin cream) 0.02%, for fine facial wrinkles (FDALabel).
Adjunct for fine facial wrinkles only; no effect shown on coarse or deep wrinkling, tactile roughness, mottled hyperpigmentation, lentigines or skin laxity; once a day in the evening; up to 6 months before effects are seen, some effects in 3 to 4 months (leaflet); sunscreen; not in pregnancy.
- Alpha hydroxy acids (content current as of Nov. 2022).
Marketed for smoothing fine lines and surface wrinkles; expert panel: safe at 10% or less, pH 3.5 or more; sun sensitivity up 18% after four weeks; sunscreen while using and for a week afterwards.
Mayo Clinicmayoclinic.org
- Wrinkle creams: Your guide to younger looking skin (March 2026).
Nonprescription wrinkle creams are cosmetics, not tested like prescription treatments; no guarantee, usually small improvements; skin likely goes back if you stop; a higher price doesn’t mean better results; bakuchiol may smooth wrinkles; SPF 30 or higher; a dermatologist can suggest other treatments.
DermNetdermnetnz.org
- Nicotinamide (updated March 2018).
In a 12-week split-face trial of 50 women (sponsored by Procter & Gamble), 5% improved fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, texture and red blotchiness; 4% improved eyelid wrinkles in 30 women in 8 weeks; well tolerated.
Studies and other sources
- Hughes MC, Williams GM, Baker P, Green AC. Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2013;158(11):781-790 (abstract read via Europe PMC).pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
903 adults under 55 in Nambour, Australia, randomized to daily or discretionary broad-spectrum sunscreen: the daily group showed no detectable increase in skin aging after 4.5 years, and aging was 24% less (relative odds 0.76); beta-carotene had no effect.
- Avage (tazarotene) cream 0.1%, FDA-approved prescribing information, rev. 12/2019 (manufacturer’s PDF).rxabbvie.com
Adjunct for facial fine wrinkling, mottled hyper- and hypopigmentation and benign facial lentigines; does not eliminate or prevent wrinkles; does not mitigate coarse or deep wrinkling, tactile roughness or skin laxity; two 24-week trials, 1,131 people; pea-sized amount once a day at bedtime; contraindicated in pregnancy; daily sunscreen.
- Adv Ther, 2022: review of retinoids in topical anti-aging treatment.link.springer.com
Tretinoin is the gold standard; retinol is the most studied cosmetic retinoid (0.075% to 0.5%), with small samples, missing controls and sponsor conflicts, and about tenfold less potent than tretinoin; adapalene is used off-label, with a 9-month vehicle-controlled study and a trial matching tretinoin.
- Kafi R, et al. Improvement of naturally aged skin with vitamin A (retinol). Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(5):606-612 (abstract read via Europe PMC).pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled: 36 elderly people (mean age 87), 0.4% retinol lotion on one arm up to 3 times a week for 24 weeks; fine wrinkling improved vs vehicle.
- Bagatin E, et al. Comparable efficacy of adapalene 0.3% gel and tretinoin 0.05% cream as treatment for cutaneous photoaging. Eur J Dermatol. 2018;28(3):343-350 (abstract read via the UNESP repository).pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Randomized, investigator-blinded, once a day for 24 weeks: adapalene 0.3% gel and tretinoin 0.05% cream did not differ on global photoaging, wrinkles around the eyes and on the forehead, or freckling and melanosis; similar safety.
- Al-Niaimi F, Chiang NYZ. Topical vitamin C and the skin: mechanisms of action and clinical applications. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2017;10(7):14-17.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Wrinkling improved in a 10-person, 12-week trial of 10% vitamin C and a 20-person, 6-month trial of 5%; a 25% formula reduced melasma at 16 weeks; may be less effective than hydroquinone; clinical studies remain small and limited.
- Stiller MJ, et al. Topical 8% glycolic acid and 8% L-lactic acid creams for the treatment of photodamaged skin: a double-blind vehicle-controlled clinical trial. Arch Dermatol. 1996 (abstract read via Epistemonikos).pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
74 women aged 40 to 70, twice a day for 22 weeks: overall facial photodamage improved in 76% (glycolic) and 71% (lactic) vs 40% (vehicle); lactic acid also improved mottled pigmentation, sallowness and roughness on the forearms; “modestly useful”.
- Pavicic T, et al. Efficacy of cream-based novel formulations of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights in anti-wrinkle treatment. J Drugs Dermatol. 2011;10(9):990-1000 (abstract read via Europe PMC).pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
76 women aged 30 to 60, 0.1% hyaluronic acid cream around one eye and a plain cream around the other, twice a day for 60 days: all sizes improved hydration and elasticity; only 50 and 130 kDa reduced wrinkle depth.
- Aldag C, Nogueira Teixeira D, Leventhal PS. Skin rejuvenation using cosmetic products containing growth factors, cytokines, and matrikines: a review of the literature. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2016;9:411-419 (funded by Merz).dovepress.com
Growth factors are large (generally over 15,000 Da), which limits penetration; mostly small, often open-label manufacturer studies; “data are limited”; in a 94-woman trial of palmitoyl pentapeptide only texture (4 weeks) and age spots (12 weeks) were significantly better; clinical relevance “remains limited”.
- Dhaliwal S, et al. Prospective, randomized, double-blind assessment of topical bakuchiol and retinol for facial photoageing. Br J Dermatol. 2019;180(2):289-296 (abstract read via Europe PMC).pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
44 people for 12 weeks: 0.5% bakuchiol twice a day and 0.5% retinol once a day both reduced wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation, with no significant difference; retinol caused more scaling and stinging.
- Chiu AE, et al. Double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of green tea extracts in the clinical and histologic appearance of photoaging skin. Dermatol Surg. 2005;31(7 Pt 2):855-860 (abstract read via BIDMC).pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
40 women, 8 weeks of 10% green tea cream plus 300 mg oral green tea twice a day vs placebo: no significant clinical difference; elastic tissue improved on biopsy; more irritation.
- Myung SK, Park Y. Effects of collagen supplements on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Med. 2025;138(9):1264-1277 (abstract read via Europe PMC).pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
23 trials, 1,474 people: pooled results improved hydration, elasticity and wrinkles, but trials without industry funding and high-quality trials showed no effect; “no clinical evidence” to support collagen supplements for skin aging.
- Rahimi N, Launico MV. Biochemistry, Collagen Synthesis. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (updated June 2026).ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Collagen is a long, rod-like protein; three chains wound into a triple helix.
- Bos JD, Meinardi MM. The 500 Dalton rule for the skin penetration of chemical compounds and drugs. Exp Dermatol. 2000;9(3):165-169 (abstract read via Europe PMC).pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
A compound must weigh under about 500 daltons to be absorbed through skin; larger molecules cannot pass the outer layer.