The Best Anti-Aging Creams for Men

It took biomedical scientist Augustinus Bader 30 years to bring his ambitiously named face cream to the market. The deeply rejuvenating formula is based around his signature Trigger Factor Complex: a cocktail of proteins and vitamins that kicks collagen production into gear, promoting renewal at deeper levels than most. Essentially, your face will look progressively brighter and increasingly hydrated.

So popular was the original cream, there's now one for every skin type, from oily and acne-prone (The Light Cream) to very dehydrated types (The Ultimate Soothing Cream). Believe the hype.

The skin around the eyes is often the first to give your age away. If it's crow's feet or sagging skin that's top of your list to tackle, invest in a targetted eye cream, like this stellar formula by in-demand dermatologist Dr. Sam Bunting. It combines a sensitively measured dose of retinol alongside niacinamide and antioxidant vitamin C.

For the rest of your face, the doc's Flawless Moisturiser is equally impressive.

When it comes to rough texture, acne scars and sun spots, an acid exfoliator is your best bet – but going too hard and fast is an often-made mistake.

Medik8's clever anti-aging duo keeps the active stuff separate, so you can apply it only every few nights, beneath the accompanying probiotic moisturiser.

Clinic favourite Skinceuticals knows how to do retinol right: this lightweight cream formula contains just enough of the active stuff to tackle fine lines and rough texture without upsetting a sensitive complexion.

Retinoids are a tricky but rewarding skincare subject, so work this one into your routine just two nights per week to begin with. After a few weeks, increase to every other evening.

La Roche-Posay’s Redermic treatment is the best budget anti-aging cream on the shelves. The moderate level of retinol inside is tempered by soothing extracts, negating the irritation that can arise from using such potent ingredients. A good choice for more sensitive skin.

If anyone still needs their grooming products to be butch, this classic offering from Kiehl's should do the job. Testosterone-soaked branding aside, it's a brilliant all-rounder for oily and blemish-prone skin types.

Salicylic acid will dissolve breakouts on the, ahem, spot, while essential fatty acids keep your complexion happy, whatever the weather is doing outside.

A pioneer of advanced retinol formulas, Verso knows how to create a seriously hard-working night cream. A step up from your generic moisturiser, this one features the brand’s own, patented, cell-renewing retinoid (one of the only ingredients proven to reduce dark spots and surface wrinkles), alongside anti-inflammatory oats and turmeric.

With formulas as 'active' as this one, it pays to start slowly: apply two nights a week for the first month to avoid any initial irritation.

Founded by a Harley Street surgeon, 111 Skin is leading the doctor-backed skincare boom with a line-up of products that really do not mess around. One of the classics, this day cream (nothing bad happens if you also use it at night) contains the brand's buzzy NAC Y2: an innovative ingredient first used to help skin heal post-surgery, and shown to both prevent pigmentation and lessen fine lines.

Combining hyaluronic acid and squalane (a 'skin-identical' emollient that reinforces the skin barrier), this everyday cream will prevent dehydration from coming to the fore. Place an antioxidant serum underneath it, and you're really getting serious.

L'oreal Paris' reliable anti-ageing cream blends retinol (to resurface) with niacinamide (to strengthen the skin barrier). Used every other night, it'll deliver smoother, more even-toned skin over time. It isn't as potent as some of the alternatives, but regular use will get you similar results.