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You may not be able to drink or chew your way to firmer, bouncier skin with collagen supplements, but slathering on a collagen cream might take your skin in the right direction.
Our skin's production of collagen, the structural protein that gives skin its firmness and elasticity, starts slowing down in our mid-twenties, leading to sagging, wrinkles, and fine lines. Wellness and beauty brands have started offering quick fixes via ingestible and topical collagen that claim to boost collagen production for bouncier, glowier skin. However, collagen loss cannot be replaced by a collagen-infused smoothie or face cream.
Collagen creams, however, can have the rejuvenating effect on your complexion that hydrolyzed collagen supplements promise if they are formulated with proven collagen-stimulating ingredients, says board-certified dermatologist Nina Desai, MD. Ahead, Allure editors and board-certified dermatologists share the best collagen creams that actually firm, tighten, plump, and rejuvenate skin.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall: Beekman 1802 Milk RX Advanced Better Aging Cream, $66
- Best for Dull Skin: Filorga Meso-Mask, $69
- Best for Brightening: Then I Met You Bong² Bounce Cream, $46
- Most Hydrating: Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Moisture Cream, $21
- Best Gel-Cream: Dieux Air Angel Daily Moisturizer, $44
- Best Neck Cream: Neostrata Triple Firming Neck Cream, $98
- Best with SPF: Neutrogena Collagen Bank SPF Moisturizer, $26
- Best for Sagging Skin: Obagi Medical ElastiDerm Lift Up & Sculpt Facial Moisturizer, $135
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does collagen cream actually work?
- What ingredients pair well with collagen?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: Beekman 1802 Milk RX Advanced Better Aging Cream
Why it's worth it: Beekman 1802's Milk RX Advanced Better Aging Cream may feature hydrolyzed collagen on its ingredient list, but the true powerhouse of this milky collagen cream is Nicotiana benthamiana hexapeptide-40 sh-polypeptide-76 a.k.a. reneseed, a gentle, plant-based retinol alternative derived from peptides that naturally occur in a plant closely related to tobacco. Studies have found that it helps skin regenerate collagen by mimicking skin's natural growth factors, resulting in firmer, bouncier skin with improved elasticity.
Tester feedback: "I started using this collagen cream only at night because it's on the richer side, but lately, I keep catching myself reaching for it in the morning, too, because my skin loves it so much," says former Allure beauty editor Devon Abelman. "Goat milk provides my sensitive, acne-prone skin with major moisture and anti-inflammatory benefits. It's naturally rich in gently exfoliating lactic acid, restorative amino acids, and even vitamins A and C to help keep my skin smooth and resilient. Combine those benefits with the wonders of reneseed, and you truly have the ultimate do-it-all moisturizer. You know it's good if I even recommended it to my mom."
Key ingredients: peptides, ceramides, niacinamide, goat milk | Skin type it's best for: all, even sensitive and acne-prone skin | Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Dull Skin: Filorga Meso-Mask
Why it's worth it: Filorga Meso-Mask is a deliciously creamy 15-minute treatment that'll transform dull, tired skin into a brighter, revitalized, and firmer complexion—call it beauty sleep in a tub. Rhamnose polysaccharide reduces redness and even skin tone, while collagen and elastin tag-team smoothing fine lines and plumping.
Key ingredients: collagen, elastin, rhamnose polysaccharide, urea, NCEF | Skin type it's best for: dry, dull, or mature skin | Fragrance-free: no
Best for Brightening: Then I Met You Bong² Bounce Cream
Why it's worth it: When you open up a jar of Then I Met You's Bong² Bounce Cream, you'll notice its vibrant marigold hue and orange juice-like scent. Both stem from the natural color of its citrus reticulata fruit extract a.k.a. hallabong and sea buckthorn extract.
Hallabong, a tangerine native to Korea's Jeju Island, is chock full of vitamin C to give this collagen face cream skin-brightening and hyperpigmentation-reducing benefits. Sea buckthorn extract, on the other hand, is rich in antioxidants to protect skin from UV damage and free radicals while replenishing moisture with its fatty acid content.
Tester feedback: "I absolutely adore Then I Met You's Living Cleansing Balm so it's no surprise I'm equally in love with Bong² Bounce Cream, which also contains seaberry and persimmons to lend it that cheerful marigold hue," commerce editor Sarah Han shares. "I love vitamin C everything during the daytime, so hallabong extract—a.k.a. a sweet, vitamin C-rich orange native to Jeju, South Korea—is perfect for the brightening, tone-evening job. The gel texture is so airy and layers seamlessly underneath my sunscreen and makeup, too."
Key ingredients: citrus reticulata fruit extract (a.k.a. hallabong), squalane, sea buckthorn extract, hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed collagen | Skin type it's best for: all | Fragrance-free: no
Best Gel-Cream: Dieux Air Angel
Why it's worth it: If you prefer gel-cream formulas, you'll adore the non-comedogenic Dieux Air Angel. Although it feels like nothing on skin, a robust roster of intensely moisturizing ingredients, like urea, glycerin, and ceramides, alongside vegan collagen amino acids to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and repair your skin's barrier function.
Tester feedback: "This velvety gel enhances the natural glow of my skin without making it look too shiny or dewy," Abelman says. "It layers seamlessly under sunscreen and makeup and even helps the latter go on smoother and gives it a fresher finish. I went through a bottle of this way too quickly and look forward to replenishing my Air Angel stash."
Key ingredients: peptides, ceramides, vegan collagen amino acids | Skin type it's best for: all, especially sensitive, oily, and acne-prone skin | Fragrance-free: yes
Most Hydrating: Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Moisture Cream
Why it's worth it: Skin1004's Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Moisture Cream is our under-the-radar pick among the wave of collagen creams making their way stateside from Seoul. The K-beauty formula comes in an easy-squeeze tube and delivers the glass skin vibes of your dreams. It's infused with several sizes of hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin instantly and throughout the day (or night), as well as Centella asiatica a.k.a. cica, which is known to repair inflamed skin and stimulate collagen production. Skin1004 also sourced hydrolyzed collagen from snow mushrooms for additional skin nourishment and elasticity elevation.
Tester feedback: "Skin1004's moisturizers never miss in my book, and the Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Moisture Cream is no exception," Abelman says. "It's featherlight but imparts a refreshing sensation as you rub it onto your skin. It feels like my skin is literally gulping it down and putting its ingredients right to work to make my complexion glassier than ever."
Key ingredients: cica, hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed collagen from snow mushroom | Skin type it's best for: all | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Neck Cream: Neostrata Triple Firming Neck Cream
Why it's worth it: Want to boost collagen production specifically in your neck area? Mona Mislankar, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Cincinnati, Ohio, recommends the Neostrata Triple Firming Neck Cream for combating sagging and tech neck. The rich cream clings to your skin, not your clothes, while bringing in bakuchiol, a plant-based alternative to irritating retinoids, and super tiny peptides for efficient firming action.
The neck cream also features amino acids and a proprietary ingredient called NeoGlucosamine, which is a building block of hyaluronic acid that helps decrease the appearance of fine lines of wrinkles, as Mamina Turegano, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New Orleans, previously shared with Allure.
Tester feedback: "This is one of the most derm-recommended neck creams I've come across, and I get it now. It's stocked with all the heavy hitters, including micro-size peptides that go deep into the skin, bakuchiol, and vitamin E," Han says. "I've started to notice necklines forming in the past few years, and my typical facial moisturizers aren't rich enough, but this one has been helping smooth out my neck and decolletage area."
Key ingredients: peptides, apple stem cell extract, bakuchiol, amino acids | Skin type it's best for: all | Fragrance-free: yes
More collagen creams we love:
Neutrogena Collagen Bank SPF Moisturizer
Why it's worth it: Protect the collagen you've already got with the help of Neutrogena's Collagen Bank SPF Moisturizer. Not only does it moisturize skin, but it's also spiked with SPF 30 to protect skin from UV damage, says Lindsey Zubritsky, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Mississippi. Peptides and hydrolyzed collagen join typical chemical sunscreen ingredients to bring additional collagen-boosting benefits to the SPF-infused cream.
Key ingredients: avobenzone (2.5%), homosalate (6%), octisalate (4.5%), octocrylene (8%), hydrolyzed collagen, peptides | Skin type it's best for: all, including sensitive and acne-prone skin types | Fragrance-free: yes
Obagi Medical ElastiDerm Lift Up & Sculpt Facial Moisturizer
Why it's worth it: Obagi's Medical ElastiDerm Lift Up and Sculpt Facial Moisturizer is currently a part of Dr. Malik's skin-care routine, and he's noticed the non-greasy cream has been providing his skin with a firmer, tighter appearance while giving it a "plumpy bounce," he shares. "Their clinical data also supports visible improvements in just a couple of weeks of consistent use."
Dr. Malik points to copper and zinc, which are essential for collagen synthesis and help with elastin production, for these results, as well as texture-improving malonic acid and depuffing caffeine.
Key ingredients: zinc carbonate, copper carbonate hydroxide, malonic acid | Skin type it's best for: all, particularly dehydrated skin | Fragrance-free: no
First Aid Beauty Firming Cream
Why it's worth it: Dr. Desai's go-to collagen cream recommendation is the First Aid Beauty Ultra-Repair Firming Collagen Cream, which is steeped in peptides to boost collagen production, as well as "niacinamide so that even those with sensitive skin can enjoy the benefits of these amazing active ingredients," she explains. It has a rich buttercream-like texture that also soothes skin on contact with the help of colloidal oatmeal.
Key ingredients: niacinamide, ceramides, peptides | Skin type it's best for: all, including sensitive skin | Fragrance-free: yes
Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
Why it's worth it: The marine collagen in Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream was extracted from three types of algae to replenish your skin's hydration levels and improve skin texture. Studies have found that chlorella vulgaris, porphyridium cruentum, and Padina pavonica thallus extracts may facilitate collagen synthesis, trigger tissue regeneration, and curb wrinkle formation.
Tester feedback: "It has a gel-cream texture and just a trace of a soft floral scent (rose and mimosa)," Jenny Bailly, Allure's executive beauty director, previously shared after trying the past Beauty Box addition. "I've slathered a thick layer over a treatment product before bed and awoken to silky (but not sticky) skin. And I've applied a thin layer under my sunscreen and makeup in the morning without seeing a single pesky pill."
Key ingredients: algae extracts, carrot root extract | Skin type it's best for: all | Fragrance-free: no
Olay Collagen Peptide Max Moisturizing Cream
Why it's worth it: Another amazing drugstore collagen cream pick to consider is the Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Face Moisturizer. Kunal Malik, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, recommends the past Best of Beauty winner due to its accessible price point and incredible combination of collagen-supporting palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 and niacinamide. Both help improve skin elasticity, firmness, and texture, he tells Allure.
Key ingredients: niacinamide, panthenol, collagen peptide | Skin type it's best for: all, especially mature skin | Fragrance-free: yes
Osea Collagen Dream Night Cream
Why it's worth it: This luxe, lavender-tinted nighttime moisturizer has a calming floral scent to match, making it a treat for your bedtime ritual. Osea Collagen Dream Night Cream's hydrolyzed collagen teams up with a retinol alternative derived from blue-green microalgae, which speeds up cell turnover and increases collagen production to help smooth fine lines and wrinkles while you get some sleep.
Key ingredients: Aphanizomenon flos-aquae extract (a.k.a. bio retinol), cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen | Skin type it's best for: all | Fragrance-free: No
Peter Thomas Roth Instant Firmx Collagen Bounce Stick
Why it's worth it: Consider Peter Thomas Roth's Instant Firmx Collagen Bounce Stick a fun supplemental product. Reach for the collagen cream stick while getting ready in the morning to add some dewiness to the high points of your face like highlighter or throughout the day whenever you need a quick hit of hydration. It also comes in bronzy and rosy pink shades that you can sub in for lip, cheek, and eye color. Regardless of your shade of choice, the Instant Firmx Collagen Bounce Stick turns classic multi-use makeup sticks into a skin-smoothing, intensely moisturizing purse staple.
Key ingredients: isostearoyl hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, lactic acid, sodium hyaluronate | Skin type it's best for: all, especially dry skin | Fragrance-free: yes
Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream
Why it's worth it: Another collagen cream Dr. Malik loves is Drunk Elephant's TikTok-favorite Protini Polypeptide Cream. The refillable gel-cream formulation doesn't contain collagen, but does pack nine different peptides that assist with evening skin tone, smoothing texture, and increasing firmness, he says. Stem cells extracted from antioxidant-rich plants, like comfrey and water lilies, further help it "hydrates and leave skin feeling and looking plump," he adds.
Key ingredients: signal peptides, bacillus/folic acid ferment extract, marula oil | Skin type it's best for: all, especially mature skin | Fragrance-free: yes
Frequently Asked Questions
Does collagen cream actually work?
The answer to this question depends on your intentions for adding a collagen cream to your skin-care routine. A collagen cream will definitely work if you only want to combat dryness and moisturize your skin. "[Your] skin will look healthier and plump," Dr. Desai says. After all, the only true benefit of topical hydrolyzed collagen is moisturizing skin, as cosmetic chemist Ginger King previously shared with Allure.
If you want your collagen cream to boost collagen production, smooth fine lines, and amplify the elasticity of your skin, topical collagen, itself, cannot do so, according to board-certified dermatologist Dendy Engelman, MD. The collagen molecules used in skin-care products are too large to effectively penetrate the skin barrier and stimulate collagen synthesis.
Fortunately, collagen creams can work to firm and rejuvenate skin if (and only if) topical collagen is joined by ingredients that have been scientifically proven to enhance collagen production, as Dr. Desai mentioned earlier.
What ingredients pair well with collagen?
The most effective collagen-boosting skin-care products are formulated with peptides or retinoids, Dr. Desai says. Unlike topical collagen, these ingredients are known to restore firmness and smooth wrinkles and have dozens of studies to substantiate this.
Some other helpful ingredients to look for in collagen creams include niacinamide, ceramides, and plant-based retinol alternatives, like bakuchiol.
Meet the Experts:
- Nina Desai, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in Manhattan Beach, California.
- Lindsey Zubritsky, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
- Kunal Malik, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City.
- Mona Mislankar, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Cincinnati Skin Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
- Mamina Turegano, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in New Orleans.
- Ginger King is a cosmetic chemist based in New Jersey.
- Dendy Engleman, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that's included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best collagen creams, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
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