The best anti-wrinkle creams according to women over 40

It’s a big claim for any product to be able to plump out fine lines and reduce wrinkles, so there has to be some science behind the magic. We asked the Good Housekeeping Institute’s beauty and grooming testing manager, Maria Kumar, for her verdict on the key ingredients to look out for.

Collagen: These clever proteins are the building blocks of our cells and are what gives our skin structure and flexibility. We produce it naturally, but as we age, production rates slows down, which is one of the reasons we start to see skin wrinkle and sag.

When used topically, collagen can help to moisturise the skin and create a protective barrier. It works best when paired with other ingredients such as peptides or antioxidants, to stimulate production, leading to plumper, firmer skin.

Peptides: These powerhouse ingredients have boomed in popularity in recent years, and it’s down to their smoothing and moisturising benefits. Peptides are a short chain of amino acids that act as the building blocks of proteins, so using them in skincare helps to promote the production of collagen.

Retinol: Derived from vitamin A, retinol works to encourage skin cell turnover to help resurface skin, which in turn can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Antioxidants: When used in skincare, antioxidants such as vitamin C, E and niacinamide have a whole host of benefits. They can help brighten skin, hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier, giving you a more glowing complexion.

Humectants: Dehydrated skin emphasises all those nooks and crannies, so to keep it looking plump and fresh, it’s important your skincare comes packed with hydration. Hydrators worthy of note include hyaluronic acid, glycerine and aloe vera, which are all extremely effective at locking in moisture. Humectants are the umbrella group of ingredients that essentially draw moisture into the skin – hyaluronic acid, for example, can hold 1,000 times its own molecular weight in water.