Editor tip: Don’t forget your neck. Smooth your wrinkle-filling products down your neck and décolleté. The thinner skin of your neck often shows signs of aging faster than your face.
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, peptides, niacinamide, ectoin | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Splurge: Shiseido Bio-Performance Skin Filler Serum Duo
Why we love it: Leave it to Shiseido to teach a decades-long beauty editor something new about hyaluronic acid. At first glance, it’s easy to wonder why you’d need two products when one seems simpler, but here’s why this duo is worth a little bit of extra counter space. At night, the serum in the blue bottle delivers teeny-tiny, shrunken hyaluronic acid molecules to prime your skin. Then, in the morning, the serum in the white bottle expands those molecules back to their original size as if you added water to a sponge. They push the skin upward as they swell, filling in and smoothing wrinkles. You’ll quickly see how two powerhouses can be better than one.
Editor tip: Love it so much you don’t want to run out? This serum comes with refills to keep your skin plump with less packaging.
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, red clover extract, cinnamon extract | Fragrance-free: no
Best with SPF: Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler + Elasticity Day Cream
Why we love it: Sun damage from UV rays? Definitely not doing your wrinkles any favors. Thankfully, this hyaluronic acid-based cream has your back with SPF 30, giving you protection while also delivering a hydration boost. “In my book, hyaluronic acid is an absolute essential for reducing the appearance of wrinkles and expression lines. It attracts and retains moisture up to 1,000 times its molecular weight,” says Dr. Viera. On top of that, proprietary thiamidol helps fade dark spots, while creatine kicks up cell renewal. Hydration, protection, and firmer-looking skin? Sounds like the ultimate triple threat to kick off your morning routine.
Editor tip: Even though this product contains SPF, it’s best to limit reapplying it to just a few times a day and rely on your regular SPF for touch-ups. Thiamidol is a super-effective ingredient for fading dark spots, but using it too much can make your skin sensitive.
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, thiamidol, creatine | Fragrance-free: no
Frequently Asked Questions
Do wrinkle filler creams really work?
Yes, but with some important distinctions compared to their injectable counterparts. “There are many amazing topical wrinkle ‘fillers’ that can really plump your skin. But, these are not as effective as injectable dermal fillers,” says Dr. Viera. The main difference between wrinkle fillers that anyone can buy at a store and injectables lies in the depth of penetration, with “over-the-counter creams working at the surface level and injectables affecting the deeper layers of the skin,” she adds.
How long do wrinkle fillers last?
The effects of wrinkle fillers are temporary: “Usually anywhere from a few hours to a day,” says Dr. Lolis. While they don’t last long, “the benefits over over-the-counter wrinkle fillers are primarily that use see immediate effects. They are needle-free options, and more affordable over injectable fillers,” she adds.
What ingredients can help “fill” wrinkles in a topical product?
When it comes to wrinkle-filling topical products, the key ingredients to look for are all about giving your skin a plumper, smoother appearance. Dr. Viera highlights hyaluronic acid’s “ability to retain and attract moisture—making skin look fuller and reducing fine lines.” Antioxidants like “niacinamide, peptides, and vitamin C help improve skin texture, pigmentation, and fight free radicals while boosting collagen production,” she says. A newer ingredient popping up on ingredient lists is argireline, “sometimes referred to as ‘topical Botox’ for its ability to partially relax muscles and stimulate collagen and elastin production,” she says. Lastly, over-the-counter retinoids “have many important functions in slowing collagen breakdown, increasing cell turnover, and improving skin texture,” she adds.
Meet the Experts:
- Martha Viera, MD, board-certified dermatologist in private practice in Coral Gables, Florida
- Margarita Lolis, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in Hackensack, New Jersey
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.