11 Top Anti-Aging Ingredients We Can't Live Without in 2023

A wise person once said it’s never too late (or too early) to start introducing reparative, anti-aging ingredients into your skin care routine, and truer words have never been spoken. While buzzy new ingredients come and go, there are some staples (ahem, hyaluronic acid and retinol) that forever remain on our radar for their tried-and-true results. 

So, check out 11 of the best anti-aging ingredients that we’ll be keeping in our beauty arsenals for our best skin in 2023 and beyond.

1. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is as good for your diet as it is for your skin, and luckily it’s so easy to incorporate into your anti-aging skin care routine. This all star antioxidant is often included in serums and creams because it makes for a powerful free radical defense that targets visible signs of aging, including fine lines and wrinkles, dullness and dark spots. 

For an easy and affordable routine, try L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 12% Pure Vitamin C + E + Salicylic Acid Serum twice a day. This brightening serum contains pure l-ascorbic acid that works to brighten the skin and minimize large pores. In the morning, follow it up with L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Day Lotion SPF 30 to firm, brighten, hydrate and protect the skin from harmful UV rays. Your skin will appear brighter and smoother with an even tone in just weeks.

2. Niacinamide

When it comes to preserving skin elasticity and holding in moisture, this form of vitamin B3 is what it’s all about. Niacinamide also helps improve the health of the skin barrier, which in turn improves skin color and reduces redness and dark spots, per the Cleveland Clinic. 

Opt for makeup that includes niacinamide, such as L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Radiant Serum Foundation with SPF 50, so you can care for your skin all day long. There’s nothing we love more than a hybrid product that offers coverage with care.

To include this derm-favored vitamin in your skin care routine, we suggest L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal 12% [Niacinamide + Amino Sulfonic + Ferulic Acid] Dark Spot Serum. Formulated with niacinamide and ferulic acid (which helps to exfoliate), it fades stubborn dark spots to reveal a brighter, luminous skin tone with continued use. 

3. Ferulic Acid

This may be one of those ingredients you don’t hear much about, but it’s certainly one that you benefit from in many ways. A derivative of rice bran oil, ferulic acid is an antioxidant known for its protective properties for the main skin structures. As per the NCBI, skin care products often use ferulic acid as a brightener and a photo-protective agent, slowing down skin photoaging processes — hence why it’s included in the aforementioned Bright Reveal 12% [Niacinamide + Amino Sulfonic + Ferulic Acid] Dark Spot Serum.

It also helps protect skin against free radicals and oxidative stress to keep your complexion looking healthy and youthful. It’s known to oxidize quickly, so formulas that include this anti-aging ingredient must be stabilized properly to maintain the integrity of its benefits.

4. Pomegranate Extract

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), topical application of pomegranate extract has been proven to reduce damage caused by UVB rays — aka the ones that cause burning. It is known to facilitate skin repair and promote regeneration of the epidermis. As a result, pomegranate extract can help reduce the appearance of premature aging caused by sun damage. Additionally, the NCBI states that pomegranate extract has been known to stimulate procollagen synthesis — in other words, it’s part of the process that improves the elasticity of the skin. 

If you’re not using products with pomegranate extract yet you may want to start. We love L’Oréal Paris Glow Paradise Balm-in-Lipstick with Pomegranate Extract because it lets us sport a pout with sheer, luminous color while caring for our lips, which is especially important as the weather gets colder.

5. Retinol 

Let’s just agree that this tried-and-true vitamin A derivative is bound to make the best skin care ingredients list every year. It continues to be the top derm-recommended ingredient for reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Try L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Pressed Night Moisturizer with Retinol + Niacinamide if you’re just easing into this potent go-to ingredient. It’s formulated with the aforementioned niacinamide to brighten, and a soothing complex that helps offset potential dryness that retinol can cause.

Whether you’re a newbie or a savvy retinoid user, we also recommend L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Night Serum, 0.3% Pure Retinol. This nightly serum smooths texture and reduces even deep wrinkles quickly due to its potent concentration of pure retinol.

6. Collagen

We can’t talk about must-have skin care ingredients without talking about collagen. Always a list topper, collagen has reached peak popularity and is showing no signs of coming down — and for good reason. Whether you choose to ingest it or use it topically, collagen has many skin benefits, including improving skin firmness and warding off fine lines and wrinkles. 

If you’re looking for an easy way to incorporate collagen into your skin care routine, reach for L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Collagen Expert Day Moisturizer with SPF 30 during your morning routine, and L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Collagen Expert Night Moisturizer for Face as part of your nighttime skin care routine.

 

7. Calcium

Getting a daily dose of calcium used to mean a heaping helping of foods such as milk, yogurt and salmon. And while what you put in your body will show up on your skin, your breakfast parfait can only do so much to get you a strong and healthy complexion. Adding a moisturizer with calcium, like L’Oréal Paris Wrinkle Expert 55+ Age Defense Lotion SPF, can go a long way in strengthening aging, thinning skin. Calcium is known for its barrier function repair, and the self-replenishing process of skin cells, so it’s an ingredient that you want to have represented on your vanity.

 

8. Hyaluronic Acid

We’ll never get tired of soft, glowing, bouncy skin, and that’s why this moisture miracle makes the list. Did you know that hyaluronic acid can even be injected into the knees to alleviate joint pain? That’s because it’s naturally produced by the body and functions to hold water in order to keep tissues and joints lubricated. 

When it’s infused into your moisturizer, serum, or eye cream, it continues to work its magic on the skin’s surface. We can’t get enough of L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid Serum for its hydrating and replumping effects that make the skin look younger. You can’t neglect the under-eyes, so follow up with L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid + 1% Caffeine Eye Serum to give this delicate skin hydrating and plumping benefits. Plus, it also includes caffeine to depuff and brighten. 

Hyaluronic acid is also found in hair products like L’Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump Hydrating Shampoo, Paraben-Free and L’Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump Hydrating Conditioner, Paraben-Free. Not only does it help to hydrate dry strands, but it also adds volume, shine and defrizzes. 

9. Vitamin E

You may see vitamin E referred to in your skin care products as tocopherol, per the NCBI. It’s the most abundant lipid-soluble antioxidant in the body and helps prevent the production of cell-damaging free radicals. What’s more, the application of topical vitamin E is known to boost skin protection against free radicals generated after ultraviolet exposure. 

That’s why a face serum like L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Skin Care Cell Renewal Anti-Aging Midnight Serum is so key in retaining a youthful, radiant and firm visage. It’s formulated with a complex of hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and a patented antioxidant reserve that quickly absorbs, won’t clog pores and works best at night when skin is most receptive to repair.

10. Aloe Vera

Reaching for aloe vera when you’re suffering from a sunburn may be the most you get up close and personal with this affordable hydrator, but aloe vera is also found in many of our beloved skin care products. For the same soothing properties, plus a variety of vitamins and antioxidant benefits, aloe vera has become a skin care must-have. It’s also found in our favorite makeup and body lotions to help keep the skin hydrated, smooth and shine free. Get your dose of this healing plant with L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 5% Glycolic Acid Peeling Toner, which helps exfoliate the complexion and prep for serums. 

11. Ceramides

Simply put, ceramides are necessary for healthy skin barrier function. They help the skin retain moisture and protect against water loss. An NCBI study confirms that the use of ceramide creams increases skin hydration significantly and can provide soothing properties that can help to alleviate dry skin. L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Micro Hyaluronic Acid + Ceramides Line-Plumping Water Cream is formulated with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, two powerhouse anti-aging ingredients that deliver hydration to the skin, resulting in a bouncy, soft, healthy-looking complexion. After two weeks of continued use, lines are visibly replumped, including forehead, glabellar and under-eye lines, nasolabial folds, crow’s feet and lines at the corner of the lips.

Next: 5 Skin Care Tips for How to Get an Even Skin Tone

Photographer: Stephanie Price, Photo Assistant: Thomas Miller, Digi Tech: Sergio Colon, Art Director: Hannah Packer, Creative Producer: Becca Solovay, Content Director: Shalwah Evans, Visual Designer: Sarah Duvivier, Makeup Artist: Kelly Bellevue, Hair Stylist: Akihisa Yamaguchi, Wardrobe Stylist: Rika Watanabe, Wardrobe Assistant: Fausti, Model: Jacky Lee