Key ingredients: retinol, rosa damascena flower water, shea butter extract, avocado extract | Fragrance-free: no
Frequently Asked Questions
Which signs of skin aging appear on the body?
As we all know, aging is a wonderfully natural process that affects every part of our bodies, including our largest organ, the skin. But before we get into treatments, it’s important to understand what’s happening inside your body.
Wrinkles and sagging skin
As you mature, your skin’s once-supple texture becomes more lax due to the loss of collagen, according to Dr. Shirazi. Collagen is the main protein that acts as the scaffolding for your body’s connective tissues, including your skin, and as you age, your body’s natural supply depletes. This depletion leads to the formation of wrinkles, crepiness, and skin sagging. “Crepey or loose skin, particularly on the abdomen, upper arms, back of the hands, and thighs, known as skin laxity, becomes more pronounced with age,” explains Dr. Shirazi. She also notes that the loss of collagen around blood vessels, particularly in areas with lots of movement, like the backs of your hands, can increase bruising without memorable trauma to the skin. “This is common on the hands and back of arms, known as actinic purpura,” she adds.
Another visible change? As you age, your skin’s ability to retain moisture and produce much-needed oil also diminishes, according to Dr. Shirazi. This leads to a drier, rougher texture and pronounced wrinkles—while we can’t reverse these processes altogether, we can mitigate them with the right body lotion.
Age spots
If you’ve noticed a few dark spots pop up on your body, these could be age spots. “Age spots, also known as liver spots or sunspots, can happen when the skin is [over]exposed to sun,” explains Purvisha Patel, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Memphis, TN. Factors like genetics and lifestyle habits can also impact the formation of this form of hyperpigmentation, but you’ll most likely notice them on sun-exposed areas of your skin like your face, neck, forearms, hands, and legs. “They can come up as raised growths that are tan-dark brown with a wavy surface, called seborrheic keratosis, or they can be flat,” adds Dr. Shirazi.
Like any form of hyperpigmentation, these spots may be permanent, but lotions and creams with brightening ingredients (which we’ll get to) can minimize their pigmentation. To make sure they don’t intensify, we always recommend our golden rule to skin care: Wear (and reapply!) sunscreen every day.
What are the best ingredients for maturing skin?
There’s nothing on the market that’ll erase wrinkles, textural concerns, and hyperpigmentation entirely, but the best body lotion for aging skin can pack quite a few derm-approved ingredients to can tone down their look.
Retinol
Retinol, also known as vitamin A, is known as one of the gold-standard ingredients for aging skin due to its fine line- and discoloration-reducing properties. “Retinols help improve the quality of the skin, lighten discoloration, boost cellular renewal, and stimulate collagen and hyaluronic acid production,” says Dr. Shirazi. Due to its myriad benefits, Dr. Shirazi recommends adding this ingredient to your body-care routine. Keep in mind that it’s known to irritate sensitive skin and heighten sun sensitivity, which is why it’s pertinent for you to apply retinol at night and apply sunscreen during the daytime.
Alpha hydroxy acids
Both Dr. Shirazi and Dr. Patel say that alpha hydroxy acids, a group of chemical exfoliators also known as AHAs or fruit acids, are key to supple, firm skin. “Our skin cells become lazy with age, so exfoliating acids help promote cellular turnover and remove dead skin cells that build up on the outer skin layer,” explains Dr. Shirazi. She recommends glycolic acid, an intensive AHA that unclogs pores, smooths skin, and even acts as a hydrating humectant.