As we age, one of the most common areas that begin to show signs of aging is the area around the mouth. Wrinkles in this region are often referred to as perioral wrinkles. These wrinkles can be caused by various factors including sun exposure, smoking, genetics, and repetitive facial expressions. To effectively combat wrinkles around the mouth, it's important to first understand what causes them. Perioral wrinkles, also known as lipstick lines or smoker's lines, are the fine vertical lines that form around the mouth area. This area is particularly vulnerable because it moves frequently when we talk, eat, smile, and express various emotions.
Several products on the market have garnered a reputation for being the best cream for wrinkles around the mouth due to their effective formulations. The quest for dewy, youthful-looking skin requires year-round commitment, and the best wrinkle creams deserve a place in one’s skin-care stash 365 days a year. But when fall and winter descend, those on a mission to defy gravity (and dryness!) have added incentive to hydrate wisely. According to Dr. Cheryl Karcher, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, “The best anti-aging or wrinkle creams help people stay hydrated and maintain a youthful-looking complexion during the fall and winter through a combination of barrier protection, support, and humectant hydration.”
Dermatologist-approved anti-aging creams help shield the skin against environmental damage in any weather. “Many anti-aging creams use SPF, antioxidant blends, and DNA repair enzymes to keep the skin barrier strong, which is important at this time of year,” Dr. Karcher points out. After all, the colder months bring drier air-both outside and inside, where indoor heating prevails. This makes it harder for the skin barrier to keep hydration in, which means that a top-shelf cream is a true ally through the season of falling leaves (and moisture levels).
However, not all anti-aging skin-care products are created equal, and not all of them offer the same degree of anti-aging benefits. “The effectiveness of wrinkle creams largely depends on their active ingredients,” says Dr. Shereene Idriss, board-certified dermatologist and founder of New York City’s Idriss Dermatology. “No cream is ever going to replace Botox and fillers, but wrinkle creams with the right active ingredients can help with the appearance of wrinkles over time.”
Key Ingredients in Wrinkle Creams
Moisturizers can make skin look smoother. They temporarily plump the skin, which makes lines and wrinkles less visible. Moisturizers can be lotions, creams, gels, and serums. They often contain water, oils, and other ingredients, such as proteins, waxes, glycerin, lactate, and urea. Wrinkle creams often are moisturizers with active ingredients that offer added benefits. How well they work depends partly on your skin type and the type of ingredient. Whatever products you choose, read the label instructions before using them.
Common ingredients in wrinkle creams and serums that might improve the look of your skin include:
Retinol
This ingredient is a milder type of retinoid. Retinoids are made from vitamin A and are used in skin care to help smooth wrinkles and reduce discoloration. Retinol might cause skin irritation, but this often lessens over time. Retinoids, including retinol, should not be used during pregnancy. Skincare products with retinol include The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane and CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
When used daily, vitamin C can help protect skin from damage caused by sun and pollution. It also may improve skin tone. Look for the ingredient L-ascorbic acid on the label. Vitamin C works best when combined with other ingredients, such as vitamin E (tocopherol) and hyaluronic acid, in a serum. It can lose its strength when exposed to light, heat, or air. Keep vitamin C products in a cool, dark place and close the container tightly after use. Serums that contain vitamin C include CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum and La Roche-Posay Vitamin C12 Serum.
Niacinamide
A form of vitamin B-3 (niacin), niacinamide may help reduce the signs of aging and improve skin tone. It also calms the skin, which may help other ingredients work better. Niacinamide is found in serums, masks, moisturizers, and wrinkle creams. Apply it twice a day. Examples of products with niacinamide include Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster and The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%.
Bakuchiol
This plant-based ingredient may help smooth wrinkles and reduce skin discoloration. Bakuchiol works like retinol but is gentler and safe to use during pregnancy. Bakuchiol is found in serums and moisturizers. It is from the Ayurveda medicine tradition. Apply it two times a day. Skincare products that contain bakuchiol include The Inkey List Bakuchiol Moisturizer and Herbivore Bakuchiol Retinol Alternative Smoothing Serum.
Tranexamic Acid
This ingredient is made from the amino acid lysine. Tranexamic acid can improve skin tone and fade discoloration. Wear sunscreen while using tranexamic acid because sun exposure can cause discolored patches - the very thing this ingredient is trying to improve. Apply it twice a day. Products with tranexamic acid include Naturium Tranexamic Topical Acid 5% and The Inkey List Tranexamic Acid Serum.
Azelaic Acid
This gentle, antibacterial ingredient helps smooth rough skin and reduce discoloration and wrinkles. It often works well with other serum or moisturizer ingredients, such as vitamin C and niacinamide. Apply it up to two times a day. Examples of products that contain azelaic acid include The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% and The Inkey List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum.
Many of these ingredients also are available in stronger versions with a prescription from a healthcare professional.
How to Effectively Use Wrinkle Creams
Using the best cream for wrinkles around the mouth is only effective if it is applied correctly. Start with a clean face to allow the cream to penetrate effectively. Apply a pea-sized amount, as a little goes a long way. Be consistent and apply the cream daily as part of your skincare routine. Use sunscreen with at least SPF 30 during the day to protect your skin from further damage.
By incorporating the right wrinkle cream and making supportive lifestyle changes, you can effectively reduce and prevent wrinkles around the mouth.
Do Anti-Aging Wrinkle Creams Actually Work?
The effectiveness of wrinkle creams largely depends on their active ingredients. While no cream can replace professional treatments like Botox and fillers, wrinkle creams with the right active ingredients can help improve the appearance of wrinkles over time. Certain peptides, like neuropeptides, can serve as neurotransmitters in the skin, working similarly to botulinum toxin by limiting muscle movement, albeit to a much lesser degree.
The best line-fighting creams help build the skin's own building blocks, namely collagen and elastin fibers. This includes topical retinoids, firming peptides, brightening vitamin C, and growth factors to help support skin cell turnover, increase collagen fibers, and hydrate the skin.
Top Dermatologist-Recommended Wrinkle Creams
Dermatologists recommend various products for tackling wrinkles, with a focus on ingredients that promote cell turnover, collagen production, and hydration. Here are some of their top picks:
Best Overall: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced
This cosmeceutical is formulated to harness the power of biologically active ingredients to repair skin damage from within. It's formulated with potent ingredients that repair visible signs of aging impacted by glycation (a natural process that weakens collagen in the body). With consistent use, one can expect smoothed wrinkles plus improved skin firmness and plumpness.
Best for Deep Wrinkles: RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream
This editor favorite features a blend of retinol, glycolic acid, squalane, and shea butter, making it a gentle option for those new to retinol. It is formulated to reduce the appearance of deep wrinkles during beauty sleep, promoting a firm, smooth, luminous complexion.
Best With SPF: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30
Infused with SPF 30 for broad-spectrum sun protection, this algae-enriched cream is recommended for sagging, wrinkled skin. It deeply hydrates, protects the skin from UV damage, and has been clinically proven to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in as little as 14 days.
Best Nighttime Anti-Aging Cream: Olay Retinol24 + Peptide Night Face Moisturizer
This cream contains a blend of Olay's proprietary retinoid complex, along with niacinamide and amino peptides that help to revive and rejuvenate the skin. It penetrates deep into the skin surface to address fine lines and wrinkles, as well as smoothness, brightness, firming, dark spots, and pores, while also hydrating the skin and helping to maintain the natural skin barrier.
Best Drugstore Anti-Aging Cream: Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream
Retinol and hyaluronic acid are the stars of this drugstore pick, which plumps up the skin for a rejuvenated look. The reparative cream is made with a light-stable form of retinol, which means that it can be worn day and night. It targets fine lines, dullness, and dark spots to reveal a more youthful complexion over time.
Best Lightweight Cream: La Prairie Skin Caviar Hydro Emulsion
This emulsion works to spur skin's cellular processes and repair, while hyaluronic acid and shea butter support skin's moisture levels. It has a featherweight texture that sinks seamlessly into the skin and layers seamlessly under makeup. It is designed to decrease wrinkles, targeting wrinkle count, depth, and volume to reveal firm youthful skin.
Best Neck Cream: Valmont V-Lift Neck
Designed to tighten, smooth, and firm the neck while contouring the oval of the face, this cream's star ingredient is the proprietary C-Drone Peptide Technology, which delivers a mix of vitamin C and peptides into the skin to stimulate collagen synthesis. It also contains moisturizing components that soften the skin and maintain hydration.
Dermatologists’ Pick: Skinbetter AlphaRet Overnight Cream
This cream is a great retinol option for those who have had difficulty tolerating other retinols, as it exfoliates in a gentle way. It is recommended for even the most reactive clients and works well while being gentle on the skin.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wrinkle Creams
Are topical creams as effective as Botox injections?
Injectables reign supreme when it comes to getting rid of fine lines, smoothing texture, and plumping lax skin. However, certain products can yield results similar to those of the neuromodulator botulinum toxin-a.k.a. Botox, Xeomin, and Dysport, among others-which works by relaxing the muscle contractions responsible for creating expression lines and wrinkles. No, at-home topicals aren't advanced enough to act as swiftly and effectively as professional-grade treatments like Botox. Still, there are formulations with plumping and tightening ingredients that can reduce the appearance of fine lines and sagging skin. Although there is no true ‘Botox in a bottle’ that is applied topically to the skin, there are great topical products that can give the appearance of softening expression lines and improving skin texture over time, particularly with neuropeptides. You can even use them in tandem with professional Botox treatments to enhance and prolong its line-dissipating benefits.
What are the key ingredients in "Botox in a bottle" products?
The best line-fighting creams are those that help build our skin's own building blocks, namely collagen and elastin fibers. This includes topical retinoids, firming peptides, brightening vitamin C, and growth factors to help support skin cell turnover, increase collagen fibers, and hydrate the skin. Certain peptides, like neuropeptides, also serve as neurotransmitters in the skin. They work similarly to botulinum toxin by limiting muscle movement-although to a much lesser degree than that in injectables.
What causes wrinkles?
Smile lines, scientifically known as nasolabial folds, are the creases that extend from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth. There are many reasons we get smile lines. They could be due to environmental factors, lifestyle habits, or genes. Sun exposure, smoking, genetics, and repetitive facial expressions are common causes of perioral wrinkles.
When should you start using an anti-aging cream?
While there's no single age that's "too early" to start using an anti-aging cream, dermatologists generally suggest beginning in your mid-to-late 20s or early 30s. This is when collagen production naturally begins to slow down. However, consistency and the right ingredients are more important than the exact age you start.
What to look for in an anti-aging cream?
When choosing an anti-aging cream, look for ingredients like retinoids (retinol), vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, peptides, antioxidants, and SPF. These ingredients address various signs of aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, loss of firmness, and uneven skin tone.