Say goodbye to crepey skin. with Skintensive's Bakuchiol + Retinol cream (Amazon)
Getting older means getting wiser. It also means that our skin might be getting a little crepey — and not in that cool, Halloween-costume-type way. Over the years, aging skin loses its laxity, causing not only wrinkles but sagging too. But, can using the best skin-tightening cream help address this totally normal yet kind of annoying issue? Well, yes and no. Truth is, you could swim in a giant vat containing all of the best anti-aging skin care products, but it’s not going to give you the same firming result as a facelift.
“It’s important to note that at-home tightening creams take time to work, and their effectiveness is minimal and not as prominent as in-office treatments,” explains Dr. Omer Ibrahim, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology. “There are a slew of minimally invasive treatments that utilize radio frequency and ultrasound, micro-needling, and laser treatments that work to stimulate collagen production. The changes are more noticeable [with those], especially after two to three months.”
Still, he says, at-home skin-tightening creams aren’t total BS. “As the skin ages, the scaffolding in the skin’s extracellular matrix that keeps the skin taut — namely, collagen and elastin — degrades due to time and cumulative UV damage,” says Ibrahim. “The skin also produces less and less collagen and at a slower rate, leading to saggy skin.” For the skin to truly tighten, Ibrahim says it’s necessary to help the skin repair that scaffolding — that’s why most of the tightening creams he recommends contain collagen-boosting ingredients like retinol, bakuchiol and some peptides.
With those ingredients in mind, Ibrahim recommends the following as the best skin-tightening creams to help with crepiness and sagginess. Note: These still won’t deliver, or even promise, “instant tightening” as other products (like the viral Peter Thomas Roth Instant Firmx Eye) do. That’s because “instant” firming products don’t work the same way as, let’s say, a retinol cream. “[Instant tightening products] contain ingredients that form a film to pull the skin taut temporarily,” says Ibrahim. So while you may see a tiny immediate result, he admits, it will not last.
Update, August 18, 2025: We checked all product prices and availability. Our No. 1 pick for best skin-tightening cream remains unchanged.
Skin-tightening creams make sense for those of us who are over 40 and want to treat sagginess in the face or neck. However, there’s no hard-and-fast rule for the best age to start using them, according to Ibrahim. “Start tightening products around the time you feel like you are ready for Botox,” he states. “For some people, it can be as early as the mid-20s; for others, it may be the late 30s.” (Personally, I didn’t use them until my 40s.)
When it comes to frequency, there’s no real rule either. This depends on the formulation and each individual’s skin, says Ibrahim. “If it doesn’t irritate the skin, the product can be used daily,” he says. “For those with sensitive skin, use it two to three times a week.” If you’re using a new retinol-based firming product, like RoC Retinol Correxion, you’ll probably want to start off slow, even if you’re an experienced retinoid user. However, something like Glytone Peptide+ Overnight Restorative Cream might be OK to use daily unless you’re sensitive to glycolic acid.
Ibrahim says that people often neglect the neck, décolletage and hands when it comes to their skin care products. Don’t be one of them! “Make sure to extend your application below your jawline, all the way down to just above your rib cage. Use the same products on your hands,” he says. Another thing to keep in mind is the importance of sunscreen. “The best way to mitigate skin laxity is through prevention,” says Ibrahim. “Always wear SPF and apply liberally.”
Omer Ibrahim, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist
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