The Top 11 Skin Tightening Creams: Tested and Reviewed

12 July 2024 2914

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As you get older, you may notice that your skin doesn’t look quite as bouncy and smooth as it did when you were younger (say, in your 20s)—that’s normal! Here’s the deal: “Normal aging leads to loss of collagen, elastin, and other scaffolding protein in our skin,” explains Anar Mikailov, MD, board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of Skintensive. This loss of collagen and elastin is known as “skin laxity” and may result in wrinkles and sagging on your face, neck, and chest, says Mikailov. When you lose these proteins, your skin can’t hold its shape quite as well or bounce back as easily as it once did.

There are quite a few skincare products and gadgets (like microcurrent devices) on the market that target skin laxity, and we're particularly fond of skin tightening creams, which aim to temporarily tighten and firm the skin on your face, neck, and/or chest. “A skin tightening cream is a product that is formulated to help tighten and firm the appearance of lax or sagging skin, either immediately or over time,” says Geeta Yadav, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of FACET Dermatology. With the help of top skincare experts, we thoroughly analyzed the top skin tightening creams to help you choose the right one for your needs.

If you’re looking for a skin tightening cream that helps smooth and tighten the skin on your neck and offers additional hydration benefits, then this highly-rated option is for you. While it took us a few weeks to notice results beyond hydration, we were ultimately very pleased by how much smoother and firmer (aka more youthful) our neck appeared at the end of eight weeks. The texture of this cream is smooth and milky, allowing it to glide on easily without any irritation. It takes about a minute to absorb fully, leaving our neck feeling silky and moisturized for hours without ever getting greasy.

This skin tightening serum is a favorite of Danielle Norris, licensed master esthetician at RN Esthetics. One of the star ingredients is sodium DNA, a top choice for Norris as it can help support your skin’s elasticity and structure for a more defined look. Formulated as a serum, this skin tightening product is incredibly lightweight and can be used by all skin types, including sensitive. In addition to helping define facial contours, it tightens, firms, and shields skin from damaging free radicals that can further age it.

Size: 1.6 fl oz | Key Ingredients: Sodium DNA to support the look of a more defined facial contour | Plant stem cell complex for antioxidant protection | Retinyl palmitate to minimize the appearance of wrinkles

It’s rare for the benefits of a skin tightening cream to be immediate, but we found that to be the case with this product. We couldn’t believe how dewy, glowy, and tight our skin looked when we applied it. The difference lasted almost the entire day and even helped reduce our skin's dryness and patchiness. An added bonus? This highly effective skin tightening cream also helped minimize the look of our under-eye circles. We also liked that while this cream is quite rich, it never led to any breakouts and layered well with other skincare products and makeup (no pilling here!). Plus, for those sensitive to fragrance in skincare, we're pleased to say it has no discernable scent.

Size: 1.0, 1.7, 2.5 oz | Key Ingredients: Moringa Oleifera seed extract for firming and lifting | Hibiscus morning bloom extract for encouraging collagen production | Hyaluronic acid for plumping | Prickly pear cactus extract for strengthening moisture barrier

When we applied this skin tightening cream, we couldn’t tell whether it was truly working as it didn’t feel like anything was happening. But upon checking out our before and after photos, we were impressed to see that the skin on our neck and chest looked visibly tighter. This cream has a soft and fairly thin texture that goes on very comfortably and keeps us moisturized for a few hours. Its formula even contains salicylic acid to exfoliate and help with uneven texture. For someone with mildly sagging skin who is seeking a pick-me-up, his drugstore buy is a great option.

Size: 2 oz | Key Ingredients: Whey protein to improve smoothness and suppleness | Salicylic acid for exfoliation | Glycerin and aloe leaf juice for moisture

In addition to slightly tightening and firming the skin on our face and neck, this skin tightening cream added excellent hydration to our dry skin. We immediately noticed that our skin had a newfound glow and softness upon application. The ultra-thick, rich formula soaked right into our skin, leaving it moisturized and tighter all day. Not only did this moisturizing cream help lift our skin (especially around our cheekbones), but it also plumped up our fine lines so they were less noticeable.

Size: 1.81 oz | Key Ingredients: Peptides to firm skin | Hyaluronic acid for hydration | Alteromonas ferment extracts to protect against free radical damage | Carnosine to support collagen

Formulated for the neck and chest, this skin tightening cream delivered on its promise to help soften necklines and smooth and firm skin in these areas. While we didn’t see any immediate results, we did experience these softening and tightening benefits with repeated use (twice a day) over time. Although this cream has a thick consistency, it absorbs immediately without leaving any residue or causing any tingling. Plus, the citrusy scent is refreshing and, in our humble opinion, smells nicer than many other scented moisturizers.

While we didn’t experience any visible tightening effects from this cream, we were still happy with the results we did get. Specifically, this skin tightening cream served as a great makeup primer as it seriously smoothed out the texture of our skin. Our skin felt moisturized, soft, and refreshed immediately after applying it. Surprisingly, it even kept our oily skin looking matte so we could apply makeup without worrying about it sliding right off—an effect that lasted all day, never leaving any residue or shine behind. The texture is incredibly lightweight and airy, with a cold and refreshing feel on contact, making it ideal for oily skin.

Size: 05, 1.7 oz | Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid complex to smooth skin texture | Peptides to fill in wrinkles and tighten skin | Caffeine, panthenol, and black tea ferment for antioxidant protection and brighter tone

Retinol is the gold standard in skincare when it comes to targeting wrinkles. This skin tightening cream for the neck is formulated with this powerhouse ingredient to help smooth the appearance of wrinkles and includes peptides to help firm the skin below your chin. We were pleased with the subtle changes noticed on our neck, which had lost some tightness after a recent chin lipo procedure. Before using this cream, we had gone so far as to contemplate getting a mini facelift to deal with the skin laxity, but the formula firmed and tightened our neck in such a way that we felt no need to make an appointment. It even reduced breakouts around our neck, which had been an issue for us in the past.

Size: 1.7 fl oz | Key Ingredients: Retinol to smooth fine lines | Peptide blend to firm skin | Glaucine, an alkaloid compound, to prevent proteins in the skin from breaking down

Our skin immediately looked and felt plumper when applying this skin tightening cream, while we experienced the firming benefits over the eight-week period. We’re happy to report that the wrinkles on our forehead aren’t as noticeable as they were before we started using this cream, and our skin also feels a lot softer and looks less red. We have sensitive skin and did experience some slight tingling the first couple of days we used this cream, but that feeling subsided and actually helped soothe some of our itchiness in the end.

Size: 1.69 fl oz | Key Ingredients: Glycerin and squalane for long-lasting moisture | Hyaluronic acid to plump skin | Chamomile and allantonin to calm skin

Mikailov developed this skin tightening cream for nighttime use on the face, neck, and chest, especially for those struggling with sensitive skin. While retinol is typically used for smoothing wrinkles, it can often be irritating, so he combined it with bakuchiol, a plant-based retinol ideal for reactive skin types. This combination, alongside sea buckthorn berry, targets wrinkles, sun damage, and hyperpigmentation so you can wake up to glowier, happier skin.

Size: 1.6 oz | Key Ingredients: Retinol to smooth wrinkles | Bakuchiol to stimulate collagen production | Sea buckthorn berry to hydrate and calm inflammation | Coconut oil to moisturize

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