Get smooth and youthful skin with these firming face creams

byElisa García- Faya

The production of collagen and elastin decreases with age, so the skin loses elasticity and firmness, resulting in the appearance of wrinkles and sagging. This is added to the loss of bone mass and muscle tone, further exacerbating this problem. This is how María Agustina Segurado, an expert advisor from NIVEA, explained it to us. Therefore, it is pertinent to use a facial firming cream daily after reaching this age. Throughout this article we show you some of the most recommended and, at the end, we reveal the advice of five experts (dermatologists and pharmacists) to apply these much-needed beauty products in the best way so that they are effective.

Best Face Firming Creams

Best for Sensitive Skin: Avene Dermabsolu Day Cream

BUY for (42.75) €30.50 IN PROMOFARMA

This Avène cream not only firms the face but also, thanks to its orange pigments, gives it a lot of luminosity and good color. The star ingredient that guarantees its effectiveness are vanilla polyphenols, which enhance the synthesis of hyaluronic acid, which help combat flaccidity and loss of skin density.

Pros: its texture is velvety and pleasant so you can say goodbye to the laziness that assails you when, at night and in the morning, it's your turn to apply your daily moisturizer.

Cons: the container that we show you is 40 milliliters, proof that it is not necessary to use a lot of product, quite a challenge for you if you do not know how to dose your cosmetics correctly.

It is a product suitable for all skin types but especially recommended for the most sensitive because, like other Avène products, it includes thermal spring water with a calming effect.

The best if you need to deeply hydrate: HSR Cream Rich from Babor

BUY IT FOR €86.10 ON AMAZON

Sweet almond oil, shea butter, mango seed oil and sunflower seed oil, as well as panthenol, soy protein, vitamin E and vitamin C are the ingredients that it contains This exclusive cream from Babor is recommended to be used morning and night on the face, neck and décolleté, to give the skin elasticity and stop sagging.

Pros: It has a powerful firming effect and its aroma is especially pleasant.

Cons: to perceive the effect of this cream, it should be used in combination with the rest of the products in the line, which are another cream, a serum, an eye contour and a firming foam.

If you want to put an end to the loss of firmness, the ingredients of this cream can help you. Keep in mind that the fat content of many of them is high, so do not take too much product when you are going to apply it.

The best for neck and décolleté: Ainhoa ​​Collagen +

BUY from €42.30 ON AMAZON

"Professional cosmetics without complications" is the motto of Ainhoa, a relatively young brand that is already present in 20 countries. This product can boast of containing 97% natural ingredients. It carries, among other things, collagen and soy extract. These are two of the assets with which you can keep your skin smooth and firm. As you know, we produce less and less collagen and therefore it is necessary, after reaching a certain age, to resort to beauty products that provide it.

Pros: It is a light cream that penetrates especially well and does not leave shine. It has a very pleasant texture and its perfume is soft.

Cons: it is a cream designed above all to combat flaccidity in the neck and décolleté and not specifically to reaffirm the skin of the face.

It is a very suitable cream for young faces who want to prevent wrinkles and not combat them, especially on the neck and décolleté. Two very forgotten areas that we have to take care of.

Best for Overnight: Olay Firming Anti-Aging

SHOP FOR (24.95) €21.99 AT DRUNI

The reason why this cream is called 'Anti-Aging Firming Overnight Olay Regenerist 3 Olay Areas' is that it acts especially on: eyes, facial contours and neck. These are the three areas most affected by the passage of time. Since the skin regenerates while we sleep, it is best to apply this cream before bed. Those who have tried it admit that they notice the difference a lot.

Pros: It works up to 10 layers below the skin's surface so if you put it on with a gentle massage and extend it until completely absorbed, you won't have to worry about some of the product remaining on your pillow , although, as you may already know, it is convenient that these be made of silk to care for hair and skin.

Cons: it is a slightly fatter cream than the previous ones and for this reason it is more suitable for more mature skin that needs more hydration. It is not a non-comedogenic product, so if you are still young, it may cause some pimples.

If you want your skin to look revitalized and toned, this is your product. It also contains niacinamide, which is a highly moisturizing component that is becoming increasingly popular.

Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Fresh Rose Face Cream

SHOP FOR $47 AT SEPHORA

This cream contains a combination of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights. Thanks to these, it has a filling and firming effect. You can use it all year round to protect yourself from the cold, the sun and pollution.

Pros: It is a cream suitable for all skin types with a cream-gel texture that is fresh and soothes even those who tend to have some pimples.

Cons: if what you are looking for is not to fill wrinkles but to prevent flaccidity, we recommend that you resort to creams with collagen or, at least, combine collagen with hyaluronic acid.

It is a very light and pleasant scented cream with a rose scent, perfect for day to day.

The best for skin with scars and marks: Kosei Retikos

SHOP FOR FROM €32.68 ON AMAZON

This anti-aging cream contains a high concentration of retinol, which is one of the anti-aging ingredients par excellence. You will have heard about it as much as hyaluronic acid or collagen. Dermatologists use it to improve cell renewal, hydrate and improve wrinkles.

Pros: Retikos retinol is encapsulated so it does not harm sensitive skin and it does penetrate deeply. In addition, the product contains rosehip, which helps to eliminate scars, so it works very well on skin that has had acne.

Cons: You have to use it gradually. Twice a week at first and gradually increase the regularity.

It is a perfect cream for faces that want to achieve a homogeneous appearance.

Best to apply at night

SHOP for (15.49) €11.49 ON AMAZON

Applying an 'anti-gravity' cream with a 'filling' effect every night thanks to its hyaluronic acid content and other ingredients that make the face look visibly rejuvenated in just a few weeks, can't be a bad idea. That is why the Nivea Hyaluron Cellular Filler firming moisturizing cream is one of our bets.

Pros: Works while you sleep to give you a smooth, even face when you wake up.

Cons: it is a cream especially recommended for mature skin, so although it is convenient to start using a firming cream from the age of 35, it is recommended for slightly older women.

It is a cream with a light texture that will give you a pleasant sensation before going to bed.

What is a facial firming cream?

Cristina Castillo, pharmacist and product manager of Eau Thermale Avène explains it to us in a simple way. 'A facial firming cream is care that provides the skin with the assets it needs to increase its firmness. On the other hand, María José Tous, pharmacist and founder of Laboratorios Kosei, adds: 'a facial firming cream is one whose objective is to improve the synthesis of collagen and elastin fundamentally, which are the fibers in charge of supporting the skin'.

With everything and with this, it is worth knowing that, as indicated by Dr. Cristina Villegas Fernández, Head of the dermatology service at Hospital Universitario Sanitas La Moraleja (Madrid), the term 'facial firming cream' is not used by dermatologists in general . "It is a term that is used colloquially to name those dermo-cosmetic creams that are recommended for skin that is beginning to experience the first signs of aging," she indicates.

Among the ingredients that, according to Tous de Kosei, help us to firm the skin, the following stand out:

Dr. Villegas also recommends retinol, alpha hydroxy acids, antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E, and melatonin. Another fundamental ingredient according to Dr. Hermosín are growth factors because they promote the production of collagen and elastin and also help us to improve blood circulation. Also ceramides, which serve as 'cement' so that the cells do not detach. These ingredients are present in the DNA Regenerating Cellular Cream that is for sale at IDEI that the expert has recommended to us. In addition, it tells us that it is essential that the firming facial creams that we use have a protection factor if they are intended to be used during the day.

In addition, Gabriella Russo, PhD in Pharmacy and Head of the Innovation Department at Amifar Labs in which she talks about the power of organic silicon as a firming active ingredient. 'Organic silicon can be defined as 'the multi-talent of dermo-cosmetics'. It is an essential trace element, essential for giving strength and resistance to connective tissue, in such a way that when there is a lack of this molecule, the elasticity and thickness of the skin decreases', he comments. The Sisbela creams that you can find in Mercadona have this ingredient.

It is important to note that, as indicated by Dr. Marta Hermosín, specialist in dermocosmetics at the Institute of Integral Dermatology (IDEI), these creams are very focused on the lower third of the face, especially the neck and décolleté and even the back of the neck. Also in the hands.

When to use a firming cream for the face?

The pharmacist and product manager of Eau Thermale Avène recommends 'using it as soon as we start to notice skin that lacks firmness, sagging in the facial contour and neck'. María José Tous de Kosei 'before the first symptoms appear as a preventive measure'. 'If we have to talk about ages from 35'. details. Dr. Villegas, for her part, points out that "the ideal is to always carry out adequate photoprotection, from childhood, and to know that these creams, if they are used during the day, must have it incorporated."

Reference should be made to certain groups, such as runners and those who have lost a lot of weight, who, according to Dr. Hermosín, should use this type of beauty product regularly.

How to apply the facial cream?

Cristina Castillo assures that 'they can be applied every day, preferably at night on the face, neck and décolleté'. "Another option is to use a firming mask two or three days a week that provides the assets that our skin needs to increase its firmness," she says. María José Tous specifies that it must be done with 'upward massage and circular movements'.

When to apply the firming facial cream?

Tous says that 'the ideal is to apply the firming cream both in the morning and at night.' 'In the morning we will use a cream with a high sun protection factor, as well as a product with some firming asset such as vitamin C or peptides. For the night we can leave the retinol and a peeling based on alpha hydroxy acids once or twice a week,' specifies the expert. As Dr. Villegas recalls, "night is the ideal time to repair our skin."

For her part, Dr. María Agustina Segurado, NIVEA expert adviser, reminds us that "the most important thing for all these cosmetics to be effective is that we include them in a constant skin care routine. Consistency along with Choosing the most suitable ingredients for each problem is the secret to observing changes in the skin.

These products have been selected by a team from ¡HOLA! independently based on their criteria and experience. The prices indicated as well as the availability of the products are updated as of the date of publication of this article. The content is updated whenever possible. HELLO! you can earn a share of sales and/or other compensation for purchases made on this page.

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