wrinkles

What Are Wrinkles?

Wrinkles are creases and folds in the skin that become more visible as skin loses firmness, moisture, and bounce. They usually show up first as fine lines on the forehead and around the eyes, then deepen into set-in lines that stay visible even when your face is at rest. A good routine cannot stop time, but sunscreen, retinol, peptides, and steady hydration can measurably soften how wrinkles look.

Why Wrinkles Show Up

Skin ages from two directions at once.

• Intrinsic aging is the slow, built-in kind. With every decade, skin makes less collagen and elastin, the surface renews more slowly, and natural moisture factors decline. Skin looks thinner, drier, and less springy, so creases form more easily.
• Extrinsic aging comes from outside: mostly daily UV exposure, plus smoking and pollution. This is the part you can influence. In a 4.5-year trial of 903 adults in Australia, people who used sunscreen daily showed no detectable increase in skin aging on the backs of the hands, and were 24% less likely to show aging than people who used it when they chose to (Hughes and colleagues, 2013). In a study of 350 adults in Korea, current smokers were about 2.7 times more likely than nonsmokers to have moderate to severe facial wrinkling, after adjusting for age (Koh and colleagues, 2002).

Movement adds a third layer. Every frown, squint, and smile folds the skin in the same place. Young, elastic skin smooths out again; as elasticity drops, the folds start to stay, which is why the first lines appear on the forehead, between the brows, and at the outer eye corners.

Fine lines, expression lines, and deep wrinkles

For the specific areas, see our guides to expression lines and crow's feet.

The At-Home Routine for the Look of Wrinkles

Morning

1. Cleanse gently. Tight, squeaky skin makes lines look sharper.
2. Peptide serum. Apply to forehead, eye corners, and around the mouth while skin is slightly damp.
3. Moisturizer. Seals in water so fine lines look plumper through the day.
4. Broad-spectrum sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher. This is the single step with the longest track record for the look of aging skin.

Evening

1. Cleanse to remove sunscreen and makeup.
2. Retinol two or three nights a week at first, building up as your skin is comfortable.
3. Peptides and moisturizer on the other nights, or layered over retinol once your skin is used to it.

Ingredients With Evidence

Retinol (vitamin A)

Retinol is the most studied over-the-counter ingredient for the look of wrinkles. In a randomized, double-blind study, Kafi and colleagues (2007) had elderly adults apply a 0.4% retinol lotion to one arm and a plain lotion to the other, up to three times a week for 24 weeks. Fine wrinkling improved significantly more on the retinol side, and skin samples showed more procollagen. Retinol can cause dryness and flaking at first, so start slowly, use it at night, and wear sunscreen every day.

Matrixyl type peptides

Palmitoyl peptides are amino acid sequences that act as messengers in the skin. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, Robinson and colleagues (2005) had 93 women apply palmitoyl pentapeptide to the face for 12 weeks; expert graders measured an improvement in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles compared with the placebo. Its successor, Matrixyl 3000, was tested by its maker: in Sederma's two-month half-face study, 23 women (average age 56) applied a 3% cream twice daily, and the surface occupied by deep wrinkles fell by 39.4% from the start while the placebo side did not improve (supplier data).

Wrinkle-relaxing peptides

Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8) is often called a topical alternative to Botox. It is not Botox, and its effect is gentler, but it is well studied for expression lines. In a randomized, placebo-controlled study of 60 adults, Wang and colleagues (2013) had participants apply Argireline twice daily around the eyes for 4 weeks; skin replicas showed significantly reduced roughness in the Argireline group and no significant change with placebo.

Hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid holds water in the upper skin, which gives a quick, visible softening of fine lines. In a 60-day randomized, vehicle-controlled study of 76 women aged 30 to 60, 0.1% hyaluronic acid creams improved hydration and elasticity, and the lower molecular weights were associated with a reduction in the look of wrinkle depth (Pavicic and colleagues, 2011).

Realistic Timelines

• Same day: hydration plumps fine lines within hours, and the effect fades if you stop.
• 4 weeks: the Argireline study above measured smoother skin around the eyes at 4 weeks.
• 8 to 12 weeks: peptide studies measured changes at two to three months.
• 6 months: retinol studies run about 24 weeks for full results.

Take a photo in the same light every four weeks; gradual changes are easy to miss in the mirror.

How to Choose Products for Wrinkles

• Match the line to the ingredient. Movement lines respond best to relaxing peptides; set-in lines need retinol or Matrixyl type peptides; dry, crepey lines need hydration first.
• Look for stated percentages. Studies tested specific concentrations. A product that lists its peptide percentages lets you compare.
• Sensitive skin: patch test on the inner arm for 24 hours, start with the lowest recommended rate, and work up. Skip retinol if your skin reacts to it and lean on peptides instead.

For a step-by-step plan, read our skin care routine for wrinkles.

Products in This Collection

• Wrinkle Eraser Supercharged Peptide Serum: 11 peptides, including Argireline, Snap-8, and Matrixyl 3000, for the look of forehead lines, 11s, crow's feet, and lines above the lip.
• Super Peptide Anti-Aging Serum: eight peptides at listed rates, including 10% Argireline Peptide Solution, 10% Snap-8, and 20% Matrixyl 3000, for both movement lines and firmness.
• Ageless Advanced Age-Defying Serum: Matrixyl Synthe'6, Syn-Ake, Snap-8, and Adipofill-in for the look of deeper folds and lost fullness.
• Expression Line Deep Wrinkle Serum: a hyaluronic acid gel with 10% Matrixyl 3000 and 5% Syn-Ake for frown lines and forehead creases.
• Ageless Advanced Peptide Moisturizer: Matrixyl Synthe'6, Syn-Coll, and hyaluronic acid as the moisturizing step for dry, mature skin.
• 2.5% Retinol Moisturizer: a night cream for the look of set-in lines and uneven texture; not for sensitive skin.
• Matrixyl 3000 Serum Booster: for DIY formulators, blend at 8% (72 drops per ounce) into a water-based serum or cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age do wrinkles start?

Fine lines often appear in the late 20s or 30s, starting on the forehead and at the corners of the eyes. Lines that stay visible at rest usually show up later, from the 40s on. Sun exposure and smoking bring both stages earlier.

Can wrinkles be reversed?

Topical products cannot erase a set-in wrinkle, but they can measurably reduce how it looks. Studies of retinol, peptides, and hyaluronic acid have measured smoother, less deep-looking lines over 4 to 24 weeks. Daily sunscreen protects those results.

What is the best ingredient for wrinkles?

Retinol has the longest research record for the look of wrinkles, and daily sunscreen is the best long-term protector. Peptides are a strong choice for expression lines and for anyone whose skin does not tolerate retinol.

Do peptides work as well as Botox?

No topical works like an injection, and peptides are not Botox. Wrinkle-relaxing peptides such as Argireline give a gentler, gradual softening of expression lines, without needles.

What is the difference between fine lines and wrinkles?

Fine lines are shallow and often linked to dryness, so they respond quickly to hydration. Wrinkles are deeper creases that stay visible when your face is relaxed. Fine lines that are left unprotected tend to deepen over time.

Does drinking water reduce wrinkles?

Drinking enough water supports overall health, but there is little evidence that extra water alone changes wrinkles. Topical hydration with humectants such as hyaluronic acid, sealed in with moisturizer, has a clearer, measurable effect on the look of fine lines.

Sources

• Hughes MCB, Williams GM, Baker P, Green AC. Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2013;158(11):781-790. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-158-11-201306040-00002
• Koh JS, Kang H, Choi SW, Kim HO. Cigarette smoking associated with premature facial wrinkling: image analysis of facial skin replicas. International Journal of Dermatology. 2002;41(1):21-27. PubMed 11895509
• Kafi R, Kwak HS, Schumacher WE, et al. Improvement of naturally aged skin with vitamin A (retinol). Archives of Dermatology. 2007;143(5):606-612. doi:10.1001/archderm.143.5.606
• Robinson LR, Fitzgerald NC, Doughty DG, et al. Topical palmitoyl pentapeptide provides improvement in photoaged human facial skin. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2005;27(3):155-160. doi:10.1111/j.1467-2494.2005.00261.x
• Wang Y, Wang M, Xiao S, et al. The anti-wrinkle efficacy of Argireline, a synthetic hexapeptide, in Chinese subjects: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 2013;14(2):147-153. doi:10.1007/s40257-013-0009-9
• Pavicic T, Gauglitz GG, Lersch P, et al. Efficacy of cream-based novel formulations of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights in anti-wrinkle treatment. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. 2011;10(9):990-1000. PubMed 22052267
• Sederma, Matrixyl 3000 technical document (supplier data).

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

About the Author
Written by Kari Thomas, cosmetic formulator and founder of Skin Perfection.