7 Best Anti-Aging Skincare Products (and Routine)

Globally, the anti-aging market is worth a whopping $73 billion. By 2027, this number is expected to surpass $93 billion. These numbers include the slew of cosmetic products and treatments formulated to hamper or halt signs of skin aging—like Botox, chemical peels, laser treatments, anti-pigmentation therapies, micro-needling, anti-wrinkle creams, and more.

According to dermatologists, most of what’s out there is a total hoax.

Yet marketing a product or service as “anti-aging” is pretty much the easiest sale there is. Because once you’re sold on the idea that you need to anti-age for healthy skin, these brands have a customer for life. We’re over the dominant and wholly unattainable beauty culture.

Does the thought of a skin aging treatment send shivers down your spine?

Us, too, until we went found these solutions. Ranging from facial exercises to copper oxide pillowcases and more, none of these simple and affordable natural anti-aging skin care methods require going under the knife or injecting a literal toxin into your skin.

But let’s start with the anti-aging skincare routine that you can follow in the morning and evening and then move onto the essentials you’ll need.

An anti-aging morning skincare routine is all about hydration, protection, and preparing your skin for the day. The core steps remain the same in your 30s and 40s, but as skin matures, the ingredients and techniques need a little adjustment.

Key Steps for 30s & 40s:

1. Gentle Cleanser – Removes overnight buildup without stripping moisture. A hydrating, non-foaming cleanser is best.
2. Serum – A lightweight antioxidant serum with vitamin C (for 30s) or vitamin C + peptides (for 40s) to brighten and support collagen.
3. Moisturizer – A hydrating, non-comedogenic formula with hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture.
4. Sunscreen (Essential!) – Broad-spectrum SPF 30+ to protect against premature aging. For 40s, opt for one with added peptides or ceramides.

Additional Boosts

These are additional remedies and treatments you can add to your morning routine (or evening routine, depending on your schedule and preference) to really move the needle on firming up aging facial skin and reducing wrinkles. Keep scrolling for additional research and data on the efficacy on each.

• Red Light Therapy – Research suggests 3-5x per week can boost collagen and reduce fine lines.
• Facial Massage (Optional: Scraper/Roller) – A jade roller or gua sha tool helps reduce puffiness and boost circulation.
• Facial Yoga (2-3x per week) – Helps tone facial muscles and prevent sagging.
• Sauna/Steam Room or Daily Exercise – Sweating helps flush toxins and boost circulation, improving skin health.

At night, your skin focuses on repair and regeneration, so your routine needs to assist this process by incorporating essential products and practices for long-term anti-aging benefits.

Key Steps for 30s & 40s:

1. Cleanser – A gentle cleanser (for 30s) or hydrating oil-based cleanser (ideal for 40s) to remove dirt and makeup.
2. Exfoliation (2-3x per week) – A mild AHA/BHA for 30s (use sparingly if you have sensitive skin) or a gentler enzyme-based exfoliant (like papaya or pineapple enzymes) for 40s to remove dead skin cells.
3. Oil Serum – Retinol (for 30s) or bakuchiol/peptides (for 40s, if sensitive to retinol).
4. Moisturizer – A richer formula with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or squalane for overnight hydration.
5. Silk or Copper Oxide Pillowcase – Reduces friction and prevents fine lines and skin creasing while you sleep.

If you don’t have the time to DIY beauty products, then these are the anti-aging products that are worth investing in.

They’re formulated with certified organic ingredients that are ethically sourced, sustainable packaging, and a minimalist approach that prioritizes both skin health and the planet.

• Cleanser: You can’t get a better cleanser than Ethique’s Bliss Bar™ Face Cleanser. It’s luxurious blend of creamed coconut butter, kaolin clay, and vegetable glycerine removes facial grime without stripping sensitive skin of natural oils, keeps your appearance noticeably younger, is plastic-free, and lasts 120 uses! It is the best sustainable face wash we’ve tested over the years. And they do a whole lot more than just cleansers too.
• Exfoliater: For a gentle yet effective exfoliation, Conscious Skincare’s Enrich Facial Exfoliant has hit the right balance for us. This certified organic, vegan, and cruelty-free scrub is designed for normal and combination skin, using finely ground biodegradable almond shell to slough away dead skin cells—without harming the environment like plastic microbeads do. Infused with organic orange blossom floral water and geranium essential oil, it revives dull skin, boosts circulation, and enhances natural radiance. And the aloe vera and lavender essential oil deeply soothe any irritation, and reduce any stripping exfoliation.
• Oil Serum: The Precious Oil Active Infusion from Activist Skincare is super versatile for facial hydration and layering and is suitable for all skin types, as it’s formulated with chamomile extract, coenzyme Q10, and plant-based antioxidants. We usually apply it in the evening but you can also use it in the morning (or both) depending on your preference. It has also been a game-changer for hydrating my scalp when it gets dry and flaky. Their Calming Force Serum is another great option for sensitive skin. It provides instant relief from redness and irritation and we love how quickly it absorbs, with any greasy residue.
• Moisturizer: Fat & the Moon provides an All Cream that works as a natural moisturizer for both the face and body. Thanks to its multipurpose usage and organic ingredients, it’s easily one of our favorite natural skin care products because it’s lightweight for day use but is still thick enough if you wanted to use it as an overnight cream too. It has some of the best skincare ingredients for anti-aging like organic sunflower oil, rosewater, essential oils and shea butter.
• Sunscreen: Activist Skincare’s SPF 30 Tinted Zinc Mineral Sunscreen Stick is one of our favorite go-to options that has a reef-safe, non-nano zinc formula (that’s free of synthetic fragrance, parabens, silicones, and many other toxins) providing an essential broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection without greasiness or irritation. It comes in 4 different shades so you can match your skin tone, and blends really well (doubles as a concealer). We also love the portable, compostable stick packaging which is handy if you need to pop it in your bag.

No, not that kind of “red light”. The healing benefits of red light therapy (and here we’re talking a Red Light with ideally 700nm and above, below 650nm and the wavelengths are not nearly as remedial) are largely misunderstood by the scientific community today, although it’s undeniable that it provides some of the best natural skin care for aging skin.

Red light therapy (RLT), also referred to as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), low-power laser therapy (LPLT), and photobiomodulation (PBM), is a treatment that seems to aid in the healing of skin, muscle tissue, and other bodily ailments.

NASA used it in the 1980s to grow potatoes in outer space. In the late 1800s, doctors used it to treat skin tuberculosis (TB). Today, light therapy is popping up everywhere, from salons to our family doctor’s offices to home devices sold online.

The treatment exposes you to low levels of red or near-infrared light. Infrared light is a type of energy your eyes can’t see, but the body feels it as heat. Red light is similar to infrared, but the eye can also see it. There are very low levels of heat emitted, which doesn’t harm or burn the ski, and it’s not the same light used in tanning booths, so your skin is never exposed to damaging UV rays. In fact, red light can actually mitigate the effects of UV lights on genes.

So how does it work?

The mitochondria, as anyone that took a US 5th grade science class can tell you, is the “powerhouse of the cell”. They soak in the red light and create more energy, which spurs cellular repair and better cellular health. In turn, skin and muscle tissue are healed.

Along with a variety of ailments it helps with, research shows RLT likely helps with visible aging, and it may smooth your skin and help with wrinkles. It also helps with acne scars, burns, and UV sun damage. One study found that red light therapy increases production of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid in the skin. This, in turn, may assist with fine lines, loose skin, pore size, skin texture, and wrinkles.

It’s even beneficial for other bodily functions like regulating circadian rhythm and can help you get better sleep when used in the morning and night.

Using scrapers and rollers made of semi-precious gemstones like jade or rose quartz may seem like a new-age natural anti-aging skin care home remedy, but it’s actually based on techniques used in China for millennia.

It removes dead skin cells, firms delicate face skin, tightens jawlines and neck skin, reduces puffiness, smooths fine lines, increases collagen production, increases skin hydration, increases circulation, evens skin tone, lessens dark circles, reduces toxins, and makes the face appear visibly supple and lifted.

We personally use the Rose Gold Gemstone Facial Roller by Earth Harbor Naturals, which is made from sustainably sourced jade. We suggest first slathering on some natural aloe vera gel, coconut oil, or argan oil (all rich in essential fatty acids), which will further enhance absorption for a youthful glow and smoother skin.

If you’re ready to upgrade from a roller to a scraper, the traditional Chinese medicine tool “Gua Sha” has got some serious lymphatic massage game. The Gua Sha Facial Lifting Tool at ZeroWasteStore.com features a special shape that provides skin with some next-level firming and lifting, available in jade or rose quartz. With regular use, it eases facial tension, minimizes puffiness, stimulates facial and jawline blood flow, and sculpts and reinvigorates to make any type of skin more youthful.

Yoga has long been touted as an ancient practice that benefits our strength, balance, flexibility, mindfulness, and even youthfulness, but a “downward dog” specifically designed for the face?

We’re all for skipping anti-aging products in favor of yogic asanas to tone up facial muscles, relieve tension in the face, and reduce premature skin aging—no eco-friendly yoga mat required.

Facial yoga’s anti-aging benefits can reduce appearance by three years. Study praticipants followed a 20-week facial exercise program for 20–30 minutes per day, followed by every other day. Everyone—that’s right, everyone—had visibly enhanced cheekbones, fuller cheeks, healthy skin, and looked significantly younger.

The exercises used were developed by Gary Sikorski of Happy Face Yoga, with no standard face yoga sequence to follow. Rather, there are a ton of different exercises you can try, in no particular order, such as these:

• The Cheek Lifter: Open your mouth like an “O,” and fold your upper lip over your teeth. Smile to lift cheek muscles, and place your fingers on the top part of the cheek before releasing the cheek muscles to lower them. Lift the cheek muscles back up, and repeat by lowering and lifting 10 times.
• The Eyebrow Lifter: Press three fingertips under each eyebrow to force open your eyes. Smile while trying to push your eyebrows down against your fingers. Try to frown your eyebrows against your fingers, then close your upper eyelids tightly and roll your eyeballs up. Hold for 20 seconds, then relax. Repeat for 1-2 minutes.
• The Invisible Smile: Smile without showing your teeth. Place your fingers at the corners of the mouth and slide them up to the top of the cheeks, holding for 20 seconds. This will lift the jawline, make you feel happy and help you be present.

Facial massages wield a similar effect. By stimulating the facial muscles with massage, the face can be drained, detoxified, sculpted, toned, and tightened, with old skin cells sloughed, skin smooth, and skin tone more even. It does so by improving circulation of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood flowing to your face. In turn, this boosts elasticity in the skin and helps increase collagen production, all the while getting pampered.

Life’s too short to lose sleep over the aging process.

We all know that a good night’s sleep can make us feel fresh and look rejuvenated, but what about a pillow case that helps stop visible aging, promotes collagen production, and helps gorgeous hair growth?

A silk pillowcase or a copper oxide pillowcase are two of the latest trending beauty tools. While silk was once reserved only for ancient dynasties, the decadent canopy beds of Queen Elizabeth I, or sultry seventies adult films, today silk pillowcases can decrease wrinkles and improve the hydration of the skin barrier, which in turn creates a more youthful appearance.

While silk isn’t usually on our list of eco-friendly pillows, some brands are doing it better for your skin and the silkworms. Check out the 100% organic ethical silk options from Ethical Kind, Nidra, or Swahlee.

If you’re looking for a vegan choice with science-backed proven benefits, copper oxide pillowcases might be the youth-inducing sanctuary you need to get counting sheep. Copper pillowcases look and feel like silk ones, except the material is infused with the vital element of copper-oxide particles that stimulate collagen production. When you sleep on a copper pillowcase, these particles are absorbed by your skin during its nightly process of cell regeneration.

Studies indicate that facial wrinkles are visibly reduced and skin is brightened with a copper oxide pillowcase, since it up-regulates the secretion of extracellular skin proteins absorbed through intact skin on the copper surface.

So while planting yourself face down in some metal may not sound so appealing, keep in mind that copper is an essential nutrient the human body requires to function, and copper is commonly infused in hospital linens, scrubs, and other medical fabrics to prevent the spread of bacteria. It’s found in bandages for wound treatment, since copper helps restore damaged tissue.

For sustainable options, we suggest Brightr’s Eucalyptus Silk Copper pillowcase, made from a blend of sustainable eucalyptus fibers and copper oxide, available in airy, neutral tones and machine washable.

Did you know that the average American woman today applies more than 165 chemicals to her skin every day?

For more than a century, humans have piled petrochemicals onto their flesh, and we’re stoked as ever that more people and planet-friendly beauty trends are on the rise. Women are more at risk of ingesting more chemicals than men since they use more personal products—makeup, anti-aging skin creams, hair products, etc.—in comparison to men.

While some of these chemicals are possibly harmless, others could be endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, or neurotoxins and are absolutely ingredients to avoid in skin care.

Less is more. Regardless of gender, becoming a ‘skinimalist’ is key.

If you’re looking to pare down your beauty routine, there are a ton of the best anti-aging ingredients that double as natural skin care ingredients, ranging from green tea, citrus fruits, argan oil, and avocado to rosehip oil, coconut oil, vitamin C, vitamin E, and beyond. Yes, words like “natural” and “non-toxic” are among the least regulated and most overused words in beauty marketing, the best anti-aging skin care ingredients are that simple.

By stripping skin care back to the very natural basics, we not only combat aging skin, but also wasteful consumption and the deluge of landfill-bound plastic.

In the words of inimitable Richard Simmons, “Number one, like yourself. Number two, you have to eat healthy. And number three, you’ve got to squeeze your buns.”

Research indicates that squeezing those buns—or any exercise—is one of the best approaches to natural anti-aging, by allowing your body to make changes at the cellular level and to increase collagen production.

According to US Dermatology Partners: “Regular exercise can help to prevent and reverse these changes to skin health by changing mitochondrial DNA. Essentially, regular exercise tells the skin to behave as if it’s younger by producing more collagen, retaining moisture better, and increasing skin cell turnover rates.”

Loathe strapping on your running shoes but love a good sweat?

Sweating via sauna or steam room may also help as the skin ages, with numerous studies looking at how it provides health benefits both skin deep and beyond. One study indicates that deep sweating promotes cellular turnover, which in turn slows the aging process. It can help you to remove old, dead skin to reduce dark spots and balance an uneven skin tone. After your sauna, give your skin a good sloughing and you’ll see what we mean.

Regular dry saunas provide additional health benefits like an uptick of collagen production by 40%, leading to healthy improvement of the skin’s appearance, although more research is needed.

After the sauna, you run over to the cold plunge, another fad for all-natural anti-aging skin care that really works.

Cold plunges have a growing body of scientific evidence to support it as a valid anti-aging hack. Whether you take a plunge into an ice bath, cold pool, or try cryotherapy—spending a few minutes in a below freezing chamber—cold exposure provides benefits that can slow down the clock.

By submerging your entire body and head in an ice-cold bath, production of neurotransmitters such as epinephrine and dopamine surge, which provide an instantaneous rejuvenating and energizing effect. Over the mid to long term, evidence suggests cold therapy can reduce systemic inflammation, which drives many chronic diseases, and is even being investigated as a means of slowing dementia.

In many cultures, like Scandinavia, contrast therapy (where hot therapy is alternated with cold therapy) has been used for centuries, especially after intense physical exertion to lessen muscle fatigue, decrease pain, reduce swelling, prevent lactic acid buildup, tone and lift your body and face, and tighten muscle and skin tissue for a more smooth and youthful appearance.