The bottom line about skin care: If you have an aging face and want to appear like you have a, well, less-aging face, you need retinol. And if you’re new to the retinol game or have dry skin, CeraVe’s formula is an excellent place to start. It contains just a .3% concentration, which means it will be gentler and less drying than higher-potency products. It’s also filled with skin-calming agents like niacinamide and moisturizing hyaluronic acid. Best of all, right now it’s inexpensive enough to try without the guilt of a major skin-care investment. 

Let’s face it (no pun): When you’re a woman of a certain age traveling in a certain month, you’re going to feel like you’re baking from the inside. Evian’s perfectly portable face mists are quick-fix skin refreshers used by every old-school beauty editor I know. Not only do they lend an immediate cool-off, they make your face look dewy and pretty too.  

Caffeine has been clinically proven to reduce under-eye wrinkles and lighten dark circles. This serum contains a highly concentrated amount of caffeine, 5%, and the cooling metal roller-ball applicator helps bring additional blood flow to the area. It has over 4,000 five-star reviews (some including before and after pics) and at under $15, it’s a solid skin-care deal. 

Delicate under-eye skin needs extra nourishment, so experts recommend treatments you apply before you go to bed that work while you snooze. This peptide-rich, eye-skin-fortifying cream has racked up more than 1,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.

Want some other options? Check out more of the best eye creams of 2024.

While we’re talking retinol, this Sarah Jessica Parker-favorite brand is a drugstore skin-care legend for a reason: It’s proven. In a clinical study, 97% of those who tried Retinol Correxion reported smoother skin after just a single night. Users said their skin was 63% more hydrated after a week and visibly firmer after a month. RoC’s retinol serum is recommended and tested by dermatologists. It’s also among Amazon’s highest-rated skin care products with more than 13,000 five-star reviews. 

This affordable serum offers 2.5% encapsulated retinol, which is one of the higher concentrations you’ll find in any over-the-counter product. Encapsulation means a slower release, making it less harsh and leading to fewer negative side effects. It’s also packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid and soothing aloe. The texture is thin but not watery, and it absorbs quickly. If your skin can tolerate this level of potency, this is the best over-the-counter retinol serum I’ve tried at this price, rivaling the efficacy of prescription Retin-A with less irritation and ramp-up time. Nearly 10,000 five-star Amazon reviewers also approve, claiming the product is a “gentle retinol serum that works.”   

You may think you don’t need another gadget for your face, but I’m telling you: You want an ice roller. These simple devices wake up your skin in a way almost nothing else does. They’re good for de-puffing eyes, reducing redness and improving circulation in the face and neck. But more than anything, an ice roller just feels good, like a refreshing popsicle for your skin.

These gilded, Jessica Alba-approved eye masks incorporate hyaluronic acid, amino acids and sea moss to hydrate the delicate under-eye area, reducing dark circles and puffy bags and blurring fine lines as they go. They’re also paraben- and sulfate-free, vegan and gentle enough for most skin types. The luxe packaging makes them an excellent gift. 

Our necks age faster than any part of the body, partly because the skin there lacks the fat and essential oils that keep other parts of the face looking smooth and soft. While no product will fully transform the area (surgery is required to achieve a true lift) this silky, lightweight lotion is ultra-moisturizing, nonirritating, and nonsticky — a boon if you know neck creams — and, I can tell you from experience, it helps reduce fine lines and crepey skin with consistent use. It also has a pleasant scent and absorbs quickly. 

The key to keeping mature skin from looking dull and lifeless: finding an exfoliant or resurfacing mask that promotes cell turnover and sloughs off dead cells. This Peter Thomas Roth mask is a tried-and-true favorite — I’ve been using it for 20 years. It’s rare to find such a high-quality product from a luxury brand so deeply discounted.

This is a solid deal on a fan-favorite face serum that has over 94,000 five-star reviews. One enthusiastic user raved: “I was recommended this by an esthetician for my fine lines and surfacing age spots (I am 59). I have noticed my skin looking better and the age spot has faded significantly.”

Not quite what you’re looking for? Check out more of our best serums of 2024.

Dark spots are a weird, cruel indignity of getting older, as if we are some wizened cadet earning our face stripes. This Swedish brand’s Dark Spot Fix is a skin-lightening treatment containing retinol 8, a stabilized vitamin A complex meant to be eight times more effective than conventional retinol but half as harsh. There’s no data to support the company’s claim here, but I can tell you this from experience: The formula is creamy, gentle and lightened a stubborn brown spot on my cheek I’d been annoyed by for years in just three weeks. 

Though no results will be as effective as a visit to the dermatologist, if you’re dealing with mild hyperpigmentation, this is an at-home skin-care win — especially at this price.