Frequently Asked Questions

Nécessaire

The Body Retinol

For starters, Nécessaire’s chic, minimalist packaging doesn’t exactly scream “body-tightening treatment,” so you can proudly display it on your bathroom shelf—and, more importantly, actually remember to use it. Inside, The Body Retinol pairs 0.1% encapsulated retinol with mandelic and glycolic acids and vitamin C to target fine lines, crepiness, uneven texture, and hyperpigmentation, plus peptides, “which strengthen the skin’s structure by aiding in collagen repair,” says Mona Foad, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Cincinnati, Ohio. The active-heavy scent can be a little polarizing, but it fades within a minute or so.

Medik8

Crystal Retinal 3

New to the world of retinoids? Medik8’s Crystal Retinal 3 is the beginner-friendly level of the brand’s derm-loved retinal line, delivering faster, more effective results than traditional retinol because retinal only needs one conversion step in the skin (versus the two needed with retinol). “You start with level 1 (sensitive) or 3 (beginner), then graduate to higher concentrations once your skin can tolerate them. I haven't experienced any irritation with level 3, a rarity for my sensitive skin,” says Allure former content director Kara McGrath. Plus, its creamy, glycerin- and hyaluronic acid-boosted formula helps buffer any potential dryness.

Elemis

Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

If removing your makeup feels like more work than putting it on, you clearly haven’t met Elemis’ Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm yet. The buttery balm “melts into a silky oil that becomes a milky rinse and feels amazingly moisturizing—particularly for dry, mature skin,” New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Angela Lamb, MD, previously told Allure. Elderberry and starflower oils swoop in to leave extra-parched skin feeling nourished, cushiony, and dare we say baby-soft.

Revision Skincare

Nectifirm Advanced

Your screen-time report isn’t the only reminder that you spend way too much time looking down at your phone—hello, tech neck. Revision Skincare’s Nectifirm Advanced targets the resulting lines and crepey, lax-looking neck skin with a peptide-packed formula: “It includes eight different peptides and botanical extracts like red microalgae that help strengthen the dermal matrix and improve skin elasticity,” says Brendan Camp, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist in the Tri-State Area. Diglucosyl gallic acid helps support the skin’s microbiome for a brighter, more even tone (since the neck is one of those spots we tend to miss with sunscreen) while antioxidant-rich lingonberry extract helps defend against environmental stressors that can contribute to visible aging.

Rejuran

Turnover Ampoule

If serums are your everyday staples, ampoules are basically boosters—typically more tightly concentrated with actives and designed to kick your results up a notch. This PDRN-packed formula comes from the makers of Korea’s buzzy Rejuran injectable (which, FYI, is not FDA-approved stateside), so while it won’t mimic the exact results you’d get in-office, Rejuran’s Turnover Ampoule offers a much more approachable (and needle-free) way to tap into the ingredient. Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and licorice root join PDRN to “improve hydration and barrier resilience, especially alongside stronger actives [like retinoids],” says Jane Yoo, MD, a dual board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. “It may aid in dry skin feeling more comfortable and help with post-irritation recovery,” she says, adding that she tends to apply it on non-retinoid nights or under moisturizer.

Alastin

Restorative Eye Complex

When you want an "eye cream to do it all"—depuff, smooth texture, and brighten—turn to Alastin’s Restorative Eye Treatment, says commerce editor Sarah Han. “It targets discoloration and dullness with retinol, peptides, and antioxidants and smooths fine lines while making the skin look more radiant and refreshed,” says Dara Spearman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Green tea extract helps make dark circles look less noticeable, while the brand’s peptide- and botanical-based TriHex Technology helps skin make more collagen, which can leave the undereye area looking smoother and firmer over time. Even derms keep this one in rotation: “I often use this in the morning for a subtle brightening effect that layers nicely under makeup,” Dr. Spearman adds.

Sulwhasoo

Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Eye Cream

The little gold spoon applicator makes Sulwhasoo’s Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Eye Cream feel fancy before it even reaches your undereyes—but the formula backs up the fanfare. New York City-based board-certified dermatologist David Kim, MD, recommends its deeply hydrating mix of squalane and glycerin, alongside brightening licorice and the brand’s ginseng-derived retinol to smooth the look of fine lines.

Clinique

Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator

When your skin is mature, dry, and sensitive, sometimes what’s missing from a moisturizer matters just as much as what’s in it. Clinique’s Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator skips fragrance and many common allergens, while loading up on moisture magnets like glycerin and two molecular weights of hyaluronic acid to help plump skin and make fine lines look less noticeable. The brand’s aloe bioferment—made by concentrating aloe more than 500(!) times before putting it through a multi-day fermentation process—helps skin hold onto moisture, while vitamins C and E provide antioxidant protection against environmental stressors.

DRMTLGY

Needle-less Growth Factor Serum

If you haven’t heard much about growth factors yet, they “are proteins that play an important role in stimulating cell growth, regeneration, and healing,” says Mina Amin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles. Think of them as little messengers that tell your skin when it’s time to repair and renew itself. DRMTLGY’s Needle-less Growth Factor Serum uses five lab-made growth-factor peptides designed to mimic those natural signals, helping support the collagen and elastin that keep skin looking firm, smooth, and bouncy. Sodium hyaluronate adds plumping moisture, while ceramides reinforce the skin barrier.

Murad

Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment

When your skin is starting to look (and feel) a little at the mercy of gravity, Murad’s Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment is made for the areas that tend to show it first—namely, the neck and jawline, as skin here is thinner, drier, and naturally lower in elasticity than the face. The formula uses encapsulated retinal to help smooth and support collagen over time, paired with kangaroo paw flower extract, a plant ingredient known for helping improve the look of elasticity and firmness. Olive, oat, and alpha-glucan help keep skin hydrated and comfortable, which matters when you’re using retinal on more delicate skin.

Tata Harper

Regenerating Cleanser

As skin matures, the goal isn't to scrub harder to find your glow—it's to use an exfoliator that leaves your complexion brighter and smoother without sacrificing moisture. Tata Harper's Regenerating Cleanser pairs gentle physical exfoliants with willow bark and pink clay to whisk away dead skin cells, excess oil, and buildup that can make skin look dull. Aloe vera and sunflower seed oil cushion the formula with hydration, leaving skin brighter and smoother after every cleanse.

Estée Lauder

Revitalizing Supreme+ Night Power Bounce Cream

There aren’t any retinoids in this that would make skin more sun sensitive, but Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Night Power Bounce Cream still feels very much like a night cream, thanks to its plush, buttery texture. Shea butter, fatty alcohols, and emollients give it that rich feel, while glycerin and sodium hyaluronate help pull in moisture. On the treatment side, acetyl hexapeptide-8 helps soften the look of lines associated with collagen loss, hibiscus extract supports firmer-looking skin, and vitamin E provides antioxidant protection.

Shiseido

Ultimune Power Infusing Serum

When you’re just starting to notice those first few signs of aging, Shiseido’s Ultimune Power Infusing Serum is here to bring reinforcements. Its Power Fermented Camellia+ complex combines multiple camellia extracts to support elasticity, soothe skin, and strengthen the barrier. “The camellia flower's regenerative properties deliver potent amino acids that help rejuvenate and strengthen the skin,” says Jaimie Glick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. Water and glycerin top the ingredient list, giving the serum its lightweight, silky slip and an extra dose of hydration.

La Roche-Posay

Cicaplast Balm B5

Ask anyone on the Allure team and they’ll tell you La Roche-Posay is one of the best brands for sensitive skin—and an irritated skin barrier practically breathes a sigh of relief when you whip out the brand’s beloved Cicaplast Balm B5. “This balm is rich in panthenol and madecassoside (a derivative of cica), which soothe, repair, and protect the skin's barrier,” New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Pooja Rambhia, MD, previously told Allure. Despite the thicker, shea butter-packed formula, it quickly melts in and settles into a matte, velvety finish.

K18

Damage Shield Protective Conditioner

Mature, fine hair can be especially vulnerable to everyday damage, which is where K18 Damage Shield Protective Conditioner comes in. The formula uses the brand’s signature K18Peptide to help replenish proteins, while ceramides smooth the cuticle and reinforce weak spots, and a biotech-derived polysaccharide shields strands from environmental stressors. And despite all that damage-control duty, lightweight sweet almond and jojoba oils soften and detangle without weighing fine hair down.

Virtue

Healing Oil

Almost any hair oil can boost shine and zap frizz, but what sets Virtue’s Healing Oil apart is that it repairs damage, too. It's the only hair oil formulated with a human hair-identical protein (Alpha Keratin 60ku) that fills in cracks along the hair cuticle to reinforce weakened strands. "Lately, I've been getting a few wiry grays, and it's generally hard for my hair to hold onto moisture,” says contributing commerce writer Christa Joanna Lee. “This oil, which feels more lightweight like a serum, is one my strands love to drink up.”

Olaplex

N°.0 Bond Building Hair Treatment

“Bond repair” gets thrown around a lot in hair-care marketing, but there’s some actual chemistry behind it: Think of the hair’s inner cortex like a ladder, with keratin proteins forming the sides and chemical bonds acting as the rungs that help hold everything together. Olaplex’s N°0 Bond Building Hair Treatment zeroes in on those damaged “rungs” with the brand’s signature bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate, which “works by reconnecting broken bonds on a molecular level, essentially inserting a synthetic patch where a natural disulfide bond used to be,” says Sherry Backman, a cosmetic chemist based in Brattleboro, Vermont. That helps reinforce hair’s internal structure so strands are stronger and less prone to breakage—and beyond that, the four-ingredient formula is no-frills.

Moroccanoil

Weightless Hydrating Hair Mask

As hair matures, it can become drier and more fragile—but a heavy-duty mask can be too much if your strands are also getting finer. Moroccanoil’s Weightless Hydrating Mask strikes the right balance: “It has a bouncy, gel-cream texture that reminds me of some of my favorite face moisturizers, absorbs quickly, and leaves my lengths soft and hydrated without zapping all the volume after I blow-dry,” says Lee. Argan oil and shea butter soften thirsty strands, while hydrolyzed vegetable protein aims to improve elasticity and strengthen damaged hair.

Tatcha

Liquid Silk Canvas Makeup Primer

Lancôme

Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Full Coverage Concealer

The more coverage you want from a concealer, the harder it can be to keep it from settling into fine lines—but Lancôme’s Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Full Coverage Concealer manages to do both. “This concealer is packed with pigment, yet it doesn't crease,” says Beverly Hills-based makeup artist Michelle Radow. Lightweight silicones and emollients help it stay put, while glycerin and sunflower seed oil add moisture so the finish doesn’t look dry or cakey.

IT Cosmetics

Brow Power Eyebrow Pencil

Thinner. Patchier. Lighter. Such is the reality of aging brows. But a great brow pencil can make a big difference. IT Cosmetics’ Brow Power Eyebrow Pencil features an oval-shaped tip that mimics hairs and provides fuller definition without looking overly drawn on. Bonus: It's infused with biotin, saw palmetto, and antioxidants, all ingredients that condition both brow hairs and the skin beneath them while you shape and define.

Saie

Slip Tint Tinted Sunscreen

Daily sunscreen is nonnegotiable at any age, but Saie’s Slip Tint Tinted Sunscreen sweetens the deal with a dewy tint that might convince you to skip foundation altogether. Its 15% zinc oxide provides mineral sun protection, while grape-seed, argan, and jojoba oils keep mature skin feeling soft and comfortable, and hyaluronic acid and glycerin add hydration. It comes in 14 sheer, flexible shades that even things out without masking your skin or settling into fine lines.

Sulwhasoo

Perfecting Lip Color Rose

Tinted lip balms hit that very useful middle ground: They’re more exciting than clear balm, less fussy than many lipsticks, and nowhere near as sticky as most glosses. Sulwhasoo’s Perfecting Lip Color Rose comes in six buildable shades and pairs its sheer color with 5% plant-derived glycerin, jojoba, and the brand’s signature ginseng extract to keep lips looking smooth and feeling moisturized. It’s an easy swipe of color that gives dry lips some much-needed TLC in the process.

Clinique

Long Lasting Quickliner Lip Liner

“Long-lasting” lip liner can sometimes feel like code for “drying,” but Clinique’s Long Lasting Quickliner Lip Liner proves the two don’t have to go hand in hand. That easy glide is a big plus for mature lips, since it doesn’t tug at skin or call extra attention to texture, and once it sets, it helps keep lipstick from wandering outside the lines.