12 Anti-Aging Creams That Actually Work, According to Beauty Scientists

Soften creases on the face and neck with this double-duty Fresh formula; it excelled in the GH Beauty Lab’s neck treatment test at minimizing stubborn lines and softening skin. Lab before-and-after photo evaluations showed the cream visibly smoothed lines, plus testers rated it highly for leaving skin looking and feeling moisturized.

Most testers praised the “really rich” texture, though one said it was “too thick.” A fan called it great “for skin that needs extra moisturizing for lines and wrinkles.”

A skin-smoothing retinol cream treatment and night moisturizer in one, Olay was a winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s anti-aging night cream test thanks to its visible brightening, softening, firming and wrinkle-reducing effects at a bargain price. The formula raised skin’s firmness by 27% over four weeks of use per the Lab’s Cutometer machine, which measures skin laxity. It also scored at the top for reducing wrinkles via digital imaging with the Visia Complexion Analyzer.

An impressive 100% of testers agreed it made skin feel softer and they also ranked it best at brightening, though some noted that the cream took time to absorb. “I can see that fine lines are less noticeable,” a user noted. Another said: “It seemed to work as well as my prescription retinoid.”