Best Anti-Aging Cream for Men

Everyone ages.1 One minute, your skin is firm and elastic, able to recover quickly from sun exposure or a night out on the town. Then, you notice a wrinkle that wasn’t there before — and another one. Soon, you may be left wondering if you’re too late, if you waited too long to do anything about your skin’s natural aging.

Fortunately, it’s never too late. And the good news for men is that skincare products have been increasing in popularity and variety for male skin types. The market for men’s skincare increases by almost 10% every year and, in 2021, comprised 45.6% of the entire skincare market.2 And many of these products are effective.

We pored over this booming market to find the top six anti-aging creams for men. In this guide, you’ll find facts, statistics, and comparisons to help you decide what will work best for your skin. You’ll also discover which anti-aging eye cream will be your best choice to pair with a face treatment.

If you’re in a hurry, here’s a list of our top picks below.

At Innerbody Research, we extensively test each health service or product we review. That includes each of the skincare products you’ll read about in this guide. Our testing team ordered these anti-aging creams and eye creams and used them long enough to determine their relative efficacy and to evaluate other aspects of the customer experience.

On top of our hands-on research, our team studied more than three dozen scholarly articles pertaining to skin aging and the various ingredients used in these products to help fight it. We also spoke at length with Dr. Scott Bukoski, dermatologist and member of our Medical Review Board, to get his take on the latest science supporting or undercutting the potential of various anti-aging ingredients.

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions about staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles.

In evaluating anti-aging skin creams for men, our testing team kept a small handful of criteria in mind that would be useful to anyone considering a purchase. These included efficacy, cost, safety, and texture and scent.

Let’s take a closer look at how our top picks performed in these categories.

Effectiveness

Winner: Hims Custom Anti-Aging Cream

When it comes to what you put on the largest organ in your body, quality is a top priority.50 Having a lot of natural ingredients is great, but it doesn’t mean much if an anti-aging cream leaves wrinkles untouched (or worse). The best anti-aging creams should be able to balance ingredients that are good for your skin with potent active ingredients that can fight the signs of aging. When we investigated the formulas of our top products, we looked at where the ingredients came from, their scientific merit (if any), and third-party testing for safety and quality assurance.

A big question for most readers is likely whether or not they need to try a product containing retinol or one that requires a prescription. This will largely depend on your age, skin type, and goals, but research consistently points toward retinoic acid as being the most effective active ingredient in prescription skin care.53 That’s what led us to prefer Hims.

“In the question of efficacy without actually being able to [conduct] clinical trials between all of these products and only being able to surmise based on historical clinical data,” Dr. Bukoski said, “tretinoin and the Hims product would have to be at the top of the list for efficacy.”

Among OTC products, our testing team found that Brickell and Jack Black (unaffiliated with the actor) both provide products without retinoids that were nearly as effective in our testing as those that did.3

Between the two, Brickell went above and beyond with its Revitalizing Anti-Aging Cream For Men. The product includes a wide range of safe and effective ingredients — like aloe vera and shea butter — almost all of which are organic and derived from botanical sources. Our testers found that it absorbed well and didn’t require a large quantity to be effective.

Among eye creams, we found Brickell’s Restoring Eye Cream to be as effective as the company’s face cream. And the fact that you can apply it on the lower brow area without needing to avoid the eyelids makes it a more versatile pick than some competitors. We nearly gave this win to Jack Black’s Protein Booster Eye Rescue, but for the fact that you can’t use it on the lower brow.

Cost

Winner: Geologie Retinol Night Cream

Having expensive skincare products doesn’t mean that you’re getting better results. But the cheapest option isn’t a good value if it’s not going to work. Among effective anti-aging creams that we tried, the clear winner for cost is Geologie with its Retinol Night Cream. Neutrogena used to have a competitive product aimed at men that included retinol and some other effective ingredients for a great price, but the company has since discontinued it.

We took a look at how much one-month and one-year supplies of the top anti-aging creams for men would cost using each company’s best possible price (including available subscription discounts). Here’s what we found:

Geologie’s cost per month comes down significantly from the listed $28 for a one-time purchase of a one-month supply when you opt for recurring shipments of its three-month supply instead. You can also buy a whole year’s supply for as little as $148.50. And as you titrate up the amount of retinol in your formula, the price doesn’t increase, which we greatly appreciate (Hims’ pricing, by comparison, increases with certain ingredient concentrations).

You see similar savings with Geolgie’s two eye creams, but we preferred the Anti-Aging formula over the Dark Circle formula.

Safety

Winner: Blu Atlas Face Moisturizer

Whether or not a given anti-aging cream will cause an adverse reaction depends largely on the type and sensitivity of your skin. It’s also impossible to assess comparative safety among products accurately without head-to-head clinical research. That said, products containing retinol and retinoic acid have been known to cause redness, peeling, and acne in the first few weeks, symptoms that tend to fade with use.4 However, retinoids also make your skin more sensitive to UV radiation, necessitating additional sunblock.

The picture is a little more complicated than that, though. “[Retinoids] may make you more sensitive to the sun when not wearing sunscreen,” Dr. Bukoski noted. “However, we actually can use retinoids in skin cancer prevention and treatment.”

As a result, our top safety pick comes from a product that doesn't contain any retinoids or retinol alternatives. We picked Blue Atlas Face moisturizer as potentially the safest product as it may be least likely to cause irritation from an active ingredient perspective. In fact, the ingredient list in Blu Atlas’ Face Moisturizer contains only nine components, and three of those are only there to create and maintain the product's consistency. The rest are either botanical extracts and oils or water.

As simple as that ingredient list is, it’s still no guarantee that the product won’t cause a reaction for you. "While you may be less likely to have irritation due to the active ingredients in Blue Atlas Face Moisturizer," Dr. Bukoski cautions, "the other added ingredients (and even their foundational organic ingredients) still have the potential to cause allergic reactions on the skin."

The product contains a fragrance, which is something dermatologists will often avoid for patients with sensitive skin.54 And, like fragrance, certain botanical ad oils can cause a reaction, as well.55 But it stands the least chance of doing so among the options in this guide.

Among eye creams, Brickell’s Restoring Eye Cream offered the best ingredient profile, beating out Blu Atlas only because the company doesn’t have a dedicated eye cream (its eye stick is more of a roll-on gel).

Texture and scent

Winner: Brickell Revitalizing Anti-Aging Cream

One of the advantages of having a testing team that can try products on your behalf is that we can report back on aspects of the customer experience other reviewers cannot. In the case of anti-aging creams, we were able to compare textures and scents, which can play an important role in your decision.

By far, our team preferred the scent and texture of Brickell’s unscented cream. It contains rooibos extract, and if you’ve ever had rooibos tea, you’ll be familiar with the earthy aroma it provides. In Brickell’s cream, the result is a slightly sweet, earthy scent akin to the clay used in spa treatments. And its texture allowed our testers to use a conservative amount of the product while still getting full face coverage. Many retinol-based alternatives like Hims’ Rx cream are exceedingly thin and can result in overapplication of some intense ingredients.

Jack Black’s Protein Booster Eye Rescue beat out Brickell for eye cream scent and texture, though. The two are similar in scent; neither really smells like anything. But Jack Black’s texture results in a cream that’s easier to apply and faster to absorb. Brickell’s eye cream felt just a little too thick.

Here’s a quick look at how our top face cream recommendations compare using one-time purchase pricing for a single jar or bottle:

Anti-aging creams are skincare products designed to make your skin appear more youthful. They provide hydration to the skin through a viscous cream applied once or twice a day. The cream soaks into your skin, so you don’t need to wash it off. Some people prefer using skincare creams at night because they take a while to absorb, while others use them first thing in the morning for a refreshed feeling all day. The timing of your application depends on the kind of anti-aging cream you use and how your skin responds to it.

Anti-aging creams don’t work immediately. If you use them regularly over time (most recommend use for at least four weeks), you can expect to see things like:

• Wrinkle and fine line reduction
• Plumper, more hydrated skin
• Lighter discoloration or dark spots

Skincare products are considered “cosmetic” by the FDA, which doesn’t regulate skincare products as strictly as it regulates prescription medication. Cosmetics don’t need to have proven research before going on the market, so there’s no guarantee that any product will work, even if it looks perfect on paper. That said, prescription products like those from Hims are subject to FDA regulations, and Hims’ prescription ingredients are FDA-approved.

Aging is a natural, normal process that happens to us all. However, just because aging is natural doesn’t mean that everyone feels comfortable with its pace of progression. Some people — men included — dislike the feeling of aging skin. Skin age manifests in several different ways:5

• Drier skin, including flaky, itchy patches
• Dark spots from sun damage or natural pigmentation
• Less elastic skin that hangs or sags
• Thinning skin that looks more translucent
• More fragile skin, prone to cuts, bumps, and bruises
• Longer healing times for said cuts, bumps, and bruises
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Increased darkness or puffiness around the eyes

Whether you dislike the reminder that you’re getting older, feel you’re aging beyond your biological age, or simply want to look younger, these anti-aging creams can help you feel young again (or still!). They can also help to reverse sun damage and protect you from future UV rays, thicken your skin to help it heal faster, and tighten loose collagen networks.6

Who might want to look elsewhere?

If you have dark spots that you’re concerned about, reach out to a dermatologist before trying an anti-aging cream to get rid of them. A dermatologist can give you more information on what they are, where they likely came from, and how to treat them. Dark spots aren’t always from aging; they can be manifestations of skin cancer, which can result from spending time in the sun without protection.7

Rough pink patches called actinic keratosis are associated with aging and can be soothed with anti-aging creams.8 But sometimes, they mutate into skin cancer. If you see any new and unusual skin changes, it’s always best to check first with a professional.

Fine lines, wrinkles, and thinning, saggy skin are the features that an anti-aging cream can help with the most. While the products won’t make your face look like you’ve been professionally airbrushed, they can provide the hydration and support your skin needs.

To understand how anti-aging creams work, you must first understand what happens to your skin as you age.

As the largest organ in your body, your skin is relatively sensitive to change over time.50 It helps to protect your internal organs from the environment, taking on UV rays any time you go out in the sun. It also keeps your fluids and electrolytes in balance; your skin is one of the first places you’ll see a difference if you’re dehydrated.

Skin is made up of three layers:51

• Epidermis (outermost layer), which contains pigment and immunoprotective cells
• Dermis (middle layer), which contains nerve endings, sweat glands, and hair follicles
• Hypodermis (inner layer), also known as subcutaneous tissue, contains fat, connective tissue, and blood vessels

Each layer also contains a cross-hatched network of collagen structures and elastin fibers to give it strength and flexibility.

Internal aging factors

Your dermis has an extracellular collagen matrix, where collagen fibers and elastic fibers intertwine to create a structure for your epidermis to grow on.9 Hyaluronic acid is stored in this matrix, keeping your skin hydrated.

As you age, your body makes less of these fibers. They begin to clump together, weakening the structure and decreasing the amount of hyaluronic acid in your skin (a popular ingredient in skin creams). This lack of support and moisture allows for a loss of elasticity (where your skin may sag or become looser) and the formation of wrinkles (where skin sinks into non-supported areas). Likewise, we lose fat from the subcutaneous layer as we get older. That means there’s even less to hold your skin in place.

External aging factors

Oxidative stress is the biggest outside influence on how fast your skin ages.10 When your body breaks down food or is exposed to UV light (among other things), sometimes the atoms involved end up with an unpaired electron. This turns them into free radicals, which damage DNA inside cells and, eventually, cause what we know as skin aging. While we don’t know everything about how free radicals work, we know that antioxidants can safely donate an electron to pair with a free radical, essentially neutralizing it.11

So, what does this mean for your skin? When you go out in the sun, smoke a cigarette, or are exposed to environmental toxins and pollutants like diesel, you take on oxidative stress.52 These exposures add up over time, leading to internal breakdowns at faster rates. Combine that with our cells’ ability to repair themselves diminishing over time, and you end up with aging skin.12

What anti-aging creams do

Avoiding premature skin aging requires taking extra steps to care for your skin, including avoiding sun damage. Regular use of sunscreen and UV blockers, which some anti-aging creams include, is one of the most proactive ways to prevent premature skin aging.13

Anti-aging creams work primarily to restore youthful skin’s properties. A good anti-aging cream includes:

• Antioxidants
• A moisturizer (particularly hyaluronic acid)
• A way of providing structural support (through chemical exfoliation or collagen boosting)

Essentially, it gives your skin its inherent properties back, keeping your skin from aging prematurely and reversing some of the signs of age.

Some of the earliest and most frustrating signs of aging occur around the eyes. You may slowly develop wrinkles or crow’s feet, or you may notice increasing puffiness or darkness around your eyes. Many men also experience eyebrow ptosis, or a drooping of the brow just above the upper eyelid, which can create a tired, even grumpy appearance.14

But many anti-aging skin creams aren’t formulated specifically for the areas around the eyes (some even contain ingredients you wouldn’t want to get too close to your eyes). That’s why we recommend pairing an anti-aging face cream with a dedicated anti-aging eye cream, as well.

Many anti-aging eye creams can help reduce the appearance of crow’s feet, dark circles, and puffiness. Some can also be applied just beneath the eyebrow to fight off eyebrow ptosis. We’ll discuss which of our preferred eye creams can be used this way in each company’s individual section below, but it’s one of the reasons we ranked Brickell’s Restoring Eye Cream as our top pick.

The best ingredients for you vary depending on what your skin needs. There is some overlap with ingredient functions (a hydrating ingredient may also minimize the appearance of fine lines, for example). Below, we’ve sorted these ingredients by their primary mechanism of action, but we need to tackle an important question first: the difference between retinoic acid and retinol.

Retinoic acid vs. retinol

If you spend enough time perusing anti-aging creams, you’ll see these incredibly similar terms in numerous products. Both are retinoids, or derivative compounds of vitamin A with four isoprene units in a head-to-tail structure.56 But retinoic acid is up to 20 times more effective than retinol, and it’s also much more likely to cause irritation.

Because of this difference, retinol is available over the counter, whereas retinoic acid (as tretinoin) is only found in prescription treatments.

“This is probably a very confusing point for the general public,” Dr. Bukoski says, “but [it] definitely matters in terms of expectations and efficacy with retinoic acids/tretinoin being more effective and more likely to cause irritation.”

Now, let’s get back to parsing individual anti-aging ingredients by mechanism of action:

Moisturizers

Moisturizers are ingredients that help hydrate your skin and help your skin maintain that hydration.

Cell regenerators

Two kinds of ingredients help promote cell growth and regeneration. One type exfoliates (removes dead skin cells to reveal new ones), and another helps stabilize and moderate healthy cell growth by fending off free radicals.

While you won’t see any physical exfoliators like microbeads in anti-aging creams, you might find a chemical exfoliator. Three of the most common chemical exfoliants are retinol, AHAs, and BHAs.

Antioxidants

Since oxidative damage is the most significant external factor in aging skin, antioxidants are vital to prevent skin damage over time. There are dozens of antioxidants you might find in an ingredients list, but four of the most common are CoQ10, caffeine, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

Skin protectors

Whether guarding your skin from UV rays, pathogenic microorganisms, or poor air quality, these are the ingredients that can create a viable barrier against environmental causes of aging.

There aren’t many situations where adding an anti-aging cream would be harmful. Most of the time, the only barriers are cost and your skin’s natural oils. Since anti-aging creams all have a heavy moisturizing element, they can sometimes oversaturate your skin, leading to oil buildup that causes acne. If you have oily skin, we recommend looking for an anti-aging cream with a light moisturizer like hyaluronic acid and staying away from heavier bases like jojoba oil.

People who use retinol or its analogs may experience redness, itchiness, flacking, and acne over the first few weeks of treatment. Research indicates that prescription-strength products like tretinoin are more likely to produce these side effects.34 In many cases, these subside over time, but you should consult your dermatologist if any skin characteristics change in ways you aren’t comfortable with or you suspect a more serious reaction.

It may also help to ease into treatment with prescription-strength ingredients. Dr. Bukoski provided us with the following recommendation:

1. Apply a pea-sized amount for the whole face and spread a thin layer. Make sure to completely dry skin before using (otherwise more absorption and irritation occur).
2. Start three nights per week and slowly increase to every night.
3. Apply moisturizer afterwards (sometimes even moisturizer before and after as a sandwich method for those who are particularly sensitive).

There is also some concern over retinoid use during pregnancy. Per Dr. Bukoski, “Even though there is not clear evidence of topical retinoids causing birth defects, the formal recommendation is to discontinue retinoids during pregnancy.”57

Best over-the-counter choice

Brickell offers 15 anti-aging skin care products, from a Repairing Night Serum and a glycolic acid peel to a three-bottle Complete Defense Anti-Aging Routine. Its Revitalizing Anti-Aging Cream For Men is a potent cream moisturizer that promises to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and crow's feet (wrinkles around the eyes).

This heavy cream should only be applied at night, as it's thick and takes a while to absorb into your skin fully. It has an interesting mix of ingredients, including:

• Aloe leaf juice, which has long been used for its healing properties35
• Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE), an acetylcholine precursor and anti-inflammatory agent36
• Green tea
• Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), a plant compound that allows for more sulfur absorption37
• Vitamin E
• Hyaluronic acid

MSM isn’t an ingredient you typically see in topical skin products. Most studies on its effectiveness rely on oral administration.38 Since it’s known to help the body create and process sulfur, and sulfur is a vital component of building collagen links, it makes sense that putting it on your face may provide similar benefit.39

Brickell’s products come scented or unscented. The Revitalizing Anti-Aging Cream uses peppermint, eucalyptus, and lemongrass for a sharp and clean smell, but our testers preferred the unscented version, which still has an earthy sweetness to it that’s subtle and enjoyable.

The cream can separate when left out in the heat, leaving oil on top. This happens because there are no artificial binding ingredients that might affect how it will interact with your face. In testing, we experienced no such separation at above-average room temperature, but we did not test the product beyond 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brickell’s Restoring Eye Cream was also a favorite among our testers. It doesn’t have much of a scent, but its texture allows it to absorb nicely into the thin skin around the eyes. We spoke with Brickell reps to confirm that the product can be used above the eye as well, to combat eyebrow dropping. They assured us that the product was safe and effective for use in that space.

Our Brickell testing experience

Our testing team found Brickell’s formulas to be effective, even after a relatively short trial period. Our testers’ skin seemed to have a little of that glow that people are often looking for, and the areas around the eyes appeared flatter and brighter. It took some getting used to how far the products go with just a little bit, especially after trying some retinol creams that were remarkably thin and hard to spread very far, like the prescription cream from Hims.

We also found that Brickell’s unscented anti-aging cream had the best aroma of the products we tried. Despite being billed as an unscented product, it has a light, natural aroma akin to sweet clay.

Brickell pricing, shipping, and returns

One 2oz jar of the anti-aging cream costs $40 for a one-time purchase, or you can subscribe and save 10% (bringing the price down to $36 per jar). This subscription program is flexible in how often you get new jars. You can get a replacement through the subscription program at the following intervals:

• 30 days
• 45 days
• 60 days
• 90 days
• 120 days

If you aren’t sure if you can commit to a full-sized jar of Revitalizing Anti-Aging Cream for Men, you can order one of the company’s free starter kits in either a scented or unscented formula. You can only purchase one trial set per household. Shipping ($6.95) still applies, so it’s not entirely free. However, if you combine a free trial purchase with at least $99 of other Brickell merchandise, you can skip that cost. The trial kit includes:

• Daily Essential Face Moisturizer
• Purifying Charcoal Face Wash
• Clarifying Gel Face Wash
• Renewing Face Scrub
• Revitalizing Anti-Aging Cream
• Restoring Eye Cream
• Daily Strengthening Shampoo
• Invigorating Mint Body Wash

All orders should ship within 24 hours, and our products arrived within five business days.

You can return anything within 30 days of the purchase date as long as the product is at least half full. This means that if you try the Revitalizing Anti-Aging Cream and find in a week that it’s too heavy or makes your skin break out, you can return it with no questions asked. But with each tub offering about a month’s worth of cream, that half-way point might not be enough to see results, making it hard to determine if it’s working for you. That said, Geologie and Hims are the only two companies with inferior policies, and Kiehl’s doesn’t place any time limit on its return window.

Best budget pick

Geologie has a wide catalog of products suitable for men and women, including anti-aging products, acne treatments, and hair care solutions. It offers a retinol-based anti-aging cream in three strengths: 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%. Each strength is the same price, which we really appreciate; you won’t have to pay more as you graduate to a stronger formula.

That formula combines retinol with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, two popular moisturizers and anti-aging ingredients. It also contains caffeine, which has been shown to help with dark circles.58 There are some common cosmetic chemicals here, like glycerin and dimethicone. These aren't the worst things to include, but companies like Brickell and Blu Atlas have found ways to avoid many of them.

Our Geologie testing experience

We found that Geologie’s retinol cream had a better consistency than similar creams from other companies, including Jack Black’s retinol alternative. Other retinol creams spread too thin too quickly, forcing you to use more of the product. Geologie’s cream is closer to a traditional moisturizer, and you can use less of it to get results. It’s also virtually odorless.

Many of the anti-aging eye creams we’ve tried exclude retinol, likely for fear that users will get it in their eyes and have a bad experience. But we like the fact that Geologie includes it in its eye cream, as it’s an effective tool, especially around crow’s feet.

Geologie pricing, shipping, and returns

We chose Geologie as our best budget pick, but if you land on the initial page for its anti-aging cream, that choice might confuse you. That page lists the product as costing $55. But upon closer inspection, you’ll see this is actually for a three-month supply. Now, once you’ve been using the product for a while and have determined that you like it, it makes sense to buy larger quantities to save some money over time. But new users should be greeted with the $28 price point for the one-month supply, which represents a more reasonable entry price for a retinol cream.

You can bring that cost per month down further by subscribing, buying in bulk, and opting for larger bottles. Here’s how that all works out:

You can pay as little as $12.38 per month if you opt for a one-year supply of the larger bottles, though that would cost you nearly $150 up-front. Still, if you plan on using this product for the long term, that makes it a very good deal.

One of Geologie’s downfalls was its customer relations, specifically its shipping logistics and return policies. Shipping took a little longer than it did from any of the competitors we tried, and other than a confirmation email, we were given no shipping updates or tracking information. Unlike other companies who offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount of money, Geologie charges a flat $5 shipping fee on all orders.

And while money-back guarantees among the other anti-aging creams in this guide range from 30 days to a lifetime, Geologie offers no returns on any of its products.

Best prescription-strength choice

Hims is a telehealth giant that supports men’s health in dozens of areas, from mental health to ED treatment. It has expanded into skincare, and it is one of the only providers that offers a custom-made anti-aging cream for men. This cream is made of three active ingredients:

• Tretinoin (retinoic acid)
• Niacinamide
• Azelaic acid (a topical antimicrobial and anti-inflammation compound)

Hims’ tretinoin may be something of a silver bullet for many patients.

“I have many patients who have come to me after spending hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on trying to find anti-aging creams…” Dr. Bukoski told us. “Once they get to a dermatologist, we generally recommend tretinoin in a compound with other things (such as niacinamide) or Retin-A. Most patients continue getting refills of this and drop any other anti-aging options because the tretinoin works so well and they can stop spending their money based on company advertising.”

The Custom Anti-Aging Face Cream is available in three different strengths, which are picked for you by the doctor based on your skincare needs. The jar itself is different from other creams. When you remove the lid, you reveal a thick plastic disk with a valve in the middle. When you push on the extremities of the disc, it dispenses cream through the valve. This is intended to give you the proper dose with each use, but as we’ll discuss below, it doesn’t always work as planned.

It’s important to mention that, even when precisely dosed, tretinoin can cause heightened sensitivity to UV rays (which is a little antithetical if you’re trying to protect your skin from damage). This is true of most retinoids but may be more pronounced in prescription-strength treatments.40 Hims is aware of this and recommends not applying it immediately before sun exposure and wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen.

It’s possible that Hims is being a little extra cautious here, according to Dr. Bukoski. “[Tretinoin] does probably make you more sensitive to the sun,” he noted, “but if it didn't improve epidermal turnover then it probably wouldn’t work well as an anti-aging ingredient. Furthermore, we use retinoids including tretinoin for skin cancer prevention in the treatment of actinic keratoses. Finally, probably the primary reason for not applying tretinoin before going into the sun is that it is unstable under UV light and will be de-activated and not work.”

To get your prescription, you need to attend a free virtual telehealth appointment. You’ll take a survey that asks about:

• Which state you live in
• Your birthday
• Skin type (very dry, often dry, combination, often oily, very oily)
• Your gender and sex assigned at birth
• If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant
• If you are currently or have ever used a retinol or retinoid product
• If you’ve been diagnosed with rosacea, perioral dermatitis, or facial eczema
• If you have any allergies or medication reactions (and if so, to what)
• If you’re currently taking any medications, herbal medicines, or supplements (and what)
• Any recent surgeries or hospitalizations
• If you have any medical conditions

It takes about 24 hours for a doctor to get back to you with your prescription, and if approved, your order will arrive within a week.

Hims prescription skin care is currently available in every state, but you can’t get a prescription if you use an Armed Forces state code (AA, AE, or AP) for your address.

One thing Hims can offer that other companies can’t is access to a physician throughout the process. If you have a concerning reaction to your face cream, or you have questions about the process in general, you can reach out via Hims’ messaging portal. Our team typically received a response back within 24 hours.

Our Hims testing experience

From an efficacy standpoint, this was one of the more aggressive treatments we tried. Some testers who’ve used retinoid skin creams in the past went right into a nightly routine (against the advice on the packaging to slowly incorporate the product into your regimen). They experienced some redness and peeling after just a few days of consecutive use. That said, those who eased in had a better time and still saw results.

The texture isn’t great, however. It spreads thin too quickly, and our testers often found themselves wondering if they’d gotten the right amount out of the jar. The company’s specialized dispenser system is not effective at providing the same dose with each pump. The first several pumps prime the system, and the first few successful pumps are clearly smaller than intended. Even once you’ve gotten the system working well, you can press too far toward the edges of the disc on one side and end up getting less than the full dose.

This is a good product for people who've tried over-the-counter options in the past and want something both prescription-strength and tailored to their needs. But its delivery needs to be improved.

Pricing, shipping, and returns

Hims advertises its custom face cream as starting at $29 per month, but we’ve found that most formulas quickly exceed this price point. Our testers’ average price per month was $58, far more expensive than Hims’ competitors, though shipping was free.

You can order it month-to-month or purchase a six-month or annual prescription, which is automatically refilled every two months. These prescriptions are pre-paid, meaning you’ll pay for a full three or six jars upfront. Our testing team had to do some digging to find this pricing information, as it isn’t available until after you’ve been approved for a prescription.

Shipping took a little under a week, which was neither the fastest nor the slowest among the products we tested. But because Hims’ skin cream is prescription-based, sales on it are final. Geologie is the only other company in our guide to have such a strict policy, whereas others offer anywhere from 30 days to a lifetime of coverage for your purchase.

Best retinol alternative

Jack Black provides ten “age-defying” products, two of which stood out to our testers. The Nighttime BAK-up Retinol Alternative is a viable option for those interested in retinol but wary of its side effects, or for those who have tried retinol and experienced too much discomfort. Its main ingredients include:

• Bakuchiol: a retinol alternative with clinically tested anti-aging properties41
• Cannabis sativa seed oil: included to prevent moisture loss42
• Ginger root extract: may prevent loss of elasticity from sun exposure43

A double-blind study in the British Journal of Dermatology found bakuchiol to offer statistically comparable results, with the bakuchiol group reporting fewer side effects than retinol.44 However, researchers point out that further research is needed on this relatively new ingredient.

The container is a unique shape: a tube with a dispenser-style pump at the end. In testing, we found that getting all of the product out of the pump can be challenging, so if you think you’re running low fast, you can cut open the bottle to reach the remainder of the product. With this technique, our testers had their tubes last for nearly two months.

The company offers a single eye treatment in its Protein Booster Eye Serum, which our testers found rather effective. Its ingredient profile is a little less exciting, as it contains multiple chemical compounds that other companies try to avoid. To be fair, Brickell’s eye cream has many more such ingredients than its anti-aging face cream; it seems the industry finds it more acceptable to include these ingredients around the eyes, presumably because the products need to reduce lines, puffiness, and dark circles all at once.

Our Jack Black testing experience

Our testing team was very pleased with the efficacy and comparably low side effect profile comparing Jack Black’s Nighttime BAK-up to other retinol products we tried. However, those other retinol products typically had no odor to them, whereas Jack Black’s cream had a slight smell reminiscent of sunscreen. This shouldn’t be an issue for most people, but if you’re looking for something truly odorless, it might not be your best bet.

And while the eye cream isn’t billed as a quick fix the way some roll-on gel eye products are, we found its efficacy to be noticeable after just a few applications. There was a certain liveliness around the eye that was apparent, even if it was hard to quantify.

Jack Black pricing, shipping, and returns

One 1.7fl oz tube of Nighttime BAK-up Retinol Alternative costs $55, or $52.25 with a subscription. However, it's typically on sale for $46.75. And the Protein Booster Eye Rescue is often on sale for $34.85, marked down from $41. These aren't the best prices among such products, but if you can stretch your Nighttime BAK-up to nearly two months as our testing team did, it can bring the cost down.

You can subscribe to Jack Black’s auto-replenishment service, which sends your first bottle at 10% off, and subsequent bottles at 7% off, all with free shipping. While this is a relatively small discount compared to their competitors, Jack Black takes a few extra steps to make it worth your while. That free shipping adds up, and the company sends a gift with your third refill and samples with every box so that you can try other Jack Black products free of charge.

If you're unsatisfied, you have 45 days to return the products. The company insists that the products must be at least half full to qualify for a return, which is ridiculous. Some of these products take several weeks to show results, so you'd need to use it for the full 45 days to understand its efficacy. And with a two-month supply per bottle of Nighttime BAK-up, that will only leave 25% in the bottle. Wouldn't the company want you to give the product more of a chance than less? How are they even measuring to verify that 50% is left? And why do they need that extra product? They certainly aren't recycling it back into the supply chain, so it likely goes to waste. There's only one reason the policy would include this caveat: to disqualify customers from successful return attempts.

Best money-back guarantee

Kiehl’s offers a range of different anti-aging products for men. Chief among these is its Age Defender Cream Moisturizer. This cream uses caffeine and capryloyl salicylic acid as active ingredients. Capryloyl salicylic acid is an oil-soluble BHA, which means it might not be as effective at attacking deep wrinkles as an AHA. Linseed extract also plays a major role in the product, with some studies suggesting it can help improve the body’s rate of skin repair.45

You can apply Age Defender Cream Moisturizer in the morning or at night, but it is a relatively heavy cream made with cocoa seed butter that can leave combination or oily skin feeling greasy with regular application. We recommend using this product at night if you’re worried about the sheen so that it has enough time to absorb fully into your skin.

Kiehl’s Age Defender Eye Repair also utilizes linseed extract, but it pairs it with rye seed extract and mineral compounds intended to reduce the appearance of dark circles. Like the face cream, this product is a little on the heavy side and contains several synthetic components. The company advises against using it for brow ptosis, but company reps directed us to the Super Multi-Corrective Eye Zone Treatment for brow use. It’s marketed toward women, but there is nothing in its ingredient profile to suggest it would be unsuitable for men.

Our Kiehl’s testing experience

Some of our testers have a long history with Kiehl’s, including its anti-aging products. Most of our suspicions about these products were confirmed, specifically that the anti-aging creams are better used at night due to their slow absorption and relatively heavy texture. The products aren’t odorless, either, as both the face and eye creams have menthol ingredients. This is another reason the eye cream isn’t ideal for brow use, as menthol can irritate the eye if you get it too close. Ultimately, our testers preferred the natural scent of other products, like Brickell’s Anti-Aging Cream.

Pricing, shipping, and returns

The jars come in two different sizes: a 1.7fl oz jar and a 2.5fl oz jar. You can purchase these individually or join Kiehl’s auto replenish subscription service, which saves you 10% off all purchases and automatically gives you free shipping. This is comparable to Jack Black’s service, but the discount stays at 10%, rather than dropping to 7% in subsequent orders.

The prices of these products have gone up significantly in recent years. Previously, our reviewers found them to cost around $30 for the smaller jar and $39, for the larger. Those prices have gone up to $47 and $62, respectively.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how much a jar costs and a comparison point on its value per ounce.

If you know you like the cream, it’s a significantly better value to purchase it in the larger size (even when buying a subscription to the smaller size).

For one-time purchases, shipping is free if you spend more than $50. Otherwise, it’s an $8 flat rate. That’s pricier than some others, including Geologie’s $5 charge (though you can’t avoid that charge no matter how much you buy or whether you subscribe).

Kiehl’s has the best return policy of the companies in this guide. It offers you a full refund at any time after your purchase. There appears to be no cutoff date or stipulation about usage. You can try the product to your heart’s content and return it if you don’t like it.

Best for sensitive skin

Blu Atlas' skincare products boast menial ingredient profiles, which should reduce the potential for irritation or other adverse reactions. The company's Face Moisturizer is vegan and made in the United States. Central to its formula is mango seed butter, which is a bit lighter than some alternatives (though not as light as the average retinol cream). Studies show that mango seed butter promotes hydration and healing.46

The cream also contains seaweed extract and vitamin C. Seaweed extract has been shown to have anti-photoaging properties,47 and vitamin C has a long history of use in cosmetics designed to fight aging.48

Here’s a look at the full ingredient list, just to show you how short it is:

• Water
• Mango seed butter
• Moringa oleifera seed oil
• Seaweed extract
• Vitamin C
• Sodium phytate
• Phenoxyethanol
• Ethylhexylglycerin
• Natural fragrance

That’s just nine ingredients, compared to nearly 50 in Kiehl’s anti-aging cream and about 15 in Brickell’s.

The company also has an eye stick that’s designed for acute use, reducing puffiness in a pinch, but it doesn’t offer a cream to treat the eye area over time.

Our Blu Atlas testing experience

While the Blu Atlas formulation's lightness is immediately apparent, so is its scent. For the most part, our testing team has preferred the products that have not included scents, like Brickell, Hims, and Geologie. The coconut apricot scent here is manageable, but it likely will only be ideal for some. It's also fair to say that this may be one of the less effective anti-aging products we've tried. It still makes a great moisturizer, so it could be a smart choice for a younger man who is more concerned with keeping his current youthful appearance than he is with reversing the signs of aging.

Pricing, shipping, and returns

One 2fl oz jar costs $35 for a one-time purchase (up $5 since our last review). If you know you like it, you can also join the Subscribe & Save program, which saves you a whopping 20% on every package (making the price of this jar drop to $28). That’s the steepest subscription discount of the products in this guide. This subscription ships you a new Face Moisturizer every 30 days, but there’s no way to alter how often you get it (though you can skip a shipment without penalty). Since this is a relatively large jar, you might need to skip subscription boxes more often than with other companies.

Shipping is free on orders over $49, which is a low threshold compared to the competition, though it’s still more than the cost of one jar. That said, the company lets you save a little bit by buying two or three jars at a time, which can eliminate shipping costs by getting you over that threshold. Unfortunately, you can’t combine subscription and bulk discounts.

Blu Atlas has a relatively forgiving return policy if you aren't happy with your order. Just reach out to customer service within 30 days, and they’ll let you know where you’ll need to ship your jar. This is on par with several other companies we’ve covered here, but it’s not as forgiving as the policies from Jack Black or Kiehl’s.