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

A new year brings the promise of new opportunities, new goals, and new routines — including for our skin. And whether you’re in your twenties or your sixties, it’s never too late (or too early) to start introducing anti-aging elements into your skin care routine. 

1. Vitamin C

2. Niacinamide

When it comes to preserving skin elasticity and holding moisture, this antioxidant is what it’s all about. It also helps improve the health of the skin barrier, which in turn improves skin color and reduces redness and hyperpigmentation. Opt for makeup that includes niacinamide, such as the 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.

3. Retinol 

Let’s just agree that this tried-and-true vitamin A derivative is bound to make the list every year. It continues to be the top derm-recommended ingredient for reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and even helps to keep breakouts at bay. Try the 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 to offset potential dryness that retinol can cause.

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

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. It is known to facilitate skin repair and promote regeneration of the epidermis. As a result, pomegranate extract can help to 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 in 2023. We love the 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 over the next few weeks.

5. 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. Looking for an easy way to add collagen to your skin care routine? We’ve got you — reach for the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Collagen Expert Day Moisturizer with SPF 30 during your morning routine and the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Collagen Expert Night Moisturizer for Face as part of your nighttime skin care routine.

6. 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 the 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.

7. 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 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. So when it’s infused into your moisturizer, serum, or eye cream, it continues to work its magic on your skin’s surface. We can’t get enough of the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid Serum for its hydrating and replumping effects that make the skin look younger.

8. Vitamin E

9. 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. It 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.

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 with the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 5% Glycolic Acid Peeling Toner, which helps exfoliate the complexion and prepare your skin for your go-to serum.   

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. The 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: The 15 Best Skin Care Products We Used in 2022

Written by: Shalwah Evans, Photo: iStock