14 Best Collagen Creams Work Overtime to Plump and Firm Skin

It may come as a surprise that the best collagen creams don’t always contain their namesake ingredient—at least, not if their purpose is to actually boost collagen. Confused? Let a pro explain: “Topical collagen creams with just collagen boost skin’s hydration and temporarily plump the skin, making it appear supple and radiant, but they do not rebuild dermal collagen,” Dr. Morayo Adisa, MD, FAAD, a double board-certified dermatologist and dermapathologist at Dermatology Physicians Chicago – Kenilworth, explains. “The molecules of topical collagen are usually too big to penetrate beyond the surface of the skin.” However, she says, the topical creams formulated with ingredients such as vitamin C, peptides, or growth factors can actually help stimulate collagen production.

Vogue’s Favorite Collagen Creams:

So while the phrase collagen cream may be a bit of a misnomer, it is fair to say that the best of the bunch can help give the skin that smooth, bouncy look the structural protein is known for. And even for those not yet affected by visible signs of aging—aka, those who were still in diapers when Elemis unveiled its pioneering Pro-Collagen Marine Cream in 2003—using collagen creams can help deliver that dewy glow that’s desirable at any age.

So, which collagen cream—and more over, which active ingredient—is right for you? Valerie Aparovich, a biochemist, certified cosmetologist-aesthetician, and the science team lead at OnSkin, breaks it down. “For a quick hydration boost, opt for formulas with collagen,” she says. “For anti-aging benefits, such as firming and wrinkle reduction, look for products containing peptides.” In both cases, she recommends choosing formulas rich in antioxidants, as they help preserve collagen by reducing free-radical damage that can hasten its degradation. With that cleared up, it’s time to shop. Ahead, find an edit of the absolute best collagen creams on the market, ranging from buzzy K-beauty finds to high-tech formulations and the Elemis O.G. itself.

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Best Classic: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream

• Why We Love It: A longtime favorite amongst Vogue editors looking for a plumper, firmer glow, Elemis’s algae-infused cream inspired senior beauty shopping writer Kiana Murden’s “Ode to the OG Collagen Face Cream.” Developed in 2003, the formula is infused with sustainably sourced marine and plant extracts, including ginkgo biloba, mimosa, and padina pavonica. It hydrates, plumps, and repairs the skin while smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. And at the end of the day, the collagen cream standard-bearer feels great on the skin. “Like any of the leading luxury cosmetics on the market, a sensorial experience is a must, and Pro-Collagen Marine Cream certainly delivers,” Murden says. “Its silky cream texture feels weightless on the skin, layering well with other products in my routine.”
• Key Ingredients: Ginkgo biloba, mimosa, padina pavonica
• Best For: Wrinkles, firmness, tone, hydration
• Size: 1.6 oz

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Best K-Beauty: Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream

• Why We Love It: This Korean jelly cream has gone viral—and not only for its pink-tinted Instagram appeal. Infused with hydrolyzed collagen and elastin, as well as niacinamide and squalane, the radiance-boosting salve has impressed even the most discerning skin-care pros. “This contains humectants to hydrate the skin, squalane to support the skin barrier, and niacinamide, which helps improve tone and texture,” says Dr. Hadley C. King, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. Aparovich adds her own ringing endorsement: “Featuring a dozen plant extracts derived from a diverse blend of fruits, berries, vegetables, and flowers, it’s an antioxidant powerhouse that helps protect cellular health, revitalize the skin, and promote a healthy glow, further enhanced by the brightening effects of niacinamide,” she says.
• Key Ingredients: Hydrolyzed collagen, niacinamide, squalane, hydrolyzed elastin
• Best For: Radiance, firmness, restoring skin barrier
• Size: 3.7 oz

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Best for Oily Skin: SkinMedica HA5 Hydra-Collagen Replenish + Restore Hydrator

• Why We Love It: Whipped up with five types of hyaluronic acid, SkinMedica’s creamy serum delivers deep hydration to make the skin look dewy and plump. “This product is awesome for both immediate and long-term hydration,” says Dr. Shannon Humphrey, MD, FRCPC, medical director of Humphrey & Beleznay Cosmetic Dermatology in Vancouver. “Hydration has such a powerful visual and tactile impact. Skin appears smoother, more radiant, and feels more like younger skin.” The cream also has buy-in from Dr. Nazanin Saedi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Dermatology Associates of Plymouth Meeting. “This cream is lightweight and extremely hydrating,” she adds, making it a great choice for acne-prone skin types. “The texture also plays well under makeup, making it the perfect morning moisturizer.”
• Key Ingredients: Five types of hyaluronic acid, avocado oil esters, vitamin F, passion fruit seed oil, vitis flower stem cell extract, lotus sprout extract
• Best For: Hydration, fine lines, wrinkles
• Size: 2 oz

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Best Peptide Cream: Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide-Plumping Moisturizer

• Why We Love It: Promising to restore skin’s bounce and firmness, this peptide-infused moisturizer has an ingredient list that Dr. King stands by. “It contains humectants like glycerin to hydrate and plump the skin, and emollients like squalane to support the skin barrier,” she says. “It also contains anti-aging peptides that help stimulate collagen production and smooth fine lines.” Aparovich is also a fan. “This lightweight, non-greasy gel-cream is suitable for all skin types, delivering potent hydration and moisture and boosting plumpness and suppleness,” she affirms. In addition to the ingredients listed above, Aparovich notes that the product contains Pyrus malus (apple) fruit and Gigartina stellata extracts, which “soften the skin and raise its antioxidant capacity.”
• Key Ingredients: Pro-collagen peptide complex, squalane, Pyrus malus (apple) fruit and Gigartina stellata extracts
• Best For: Wrinkles, loss of firmness, plumping, restoring bounce
• Size: 1.7 oz

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Best Drugstore: Olay Collagen Peptide Moisturizing Cream

• Why We Love It: This drugstore gem is also approved by Dr. King, who confirms that its ingredients work to support skin health for an altogether more youthful look. “It contains niacinamide to improve skin tone and texture, as well as humectants like glycerine to hydrate and plump the skin,” she says. “It also has emollients like fatty acids to support the skin barrier, and Matrixyl, an anti-aging peptide that helps to stimulate collagen production.” Elaborating on the benefits of pairing collagen with niacinamide, Aparovich says: “Niacinamide complements the hydrating and skin-repairing effects of collagen and peptides with its calming and barrier-strengthening properties.”
• Key Ingredients: Collagen peptide, niacinamide, pro-vitamin B5
• Best For: Elasticity, skin-cell turnover, moisturizing, supporting skin barrier
• Size: 1.7 oz

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Best Between Appointments: L’Oréal Paris Collagen Moisture Filler

• Why We Love It: This non-comedogenic formula infuses the skin with plumping moisture while letting the pores breathe. Made with soluble collagen, the budget-friendly salve also has glycerin, shea butter, and frankincense extract, which can help with improve elasticity and firmness. The cream is often recommended by the pros as one of the top—and most accessible—wrinkle fillers to keep the skin plump between procedures. “L’Oréal Collagen Moisture Filler is great for those averse or sensitive to using retinol,” Dr. Kenneth Mark, FAAD, FACMS, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and injectables expert, previously told Vogue. “This product relies on its rich, moisturizing base of shea butter and collagen itself [to fill wrinkles] instead of using retinol. Patients notice an improved appearance of wrinkles fast, in days to weeks, instead of relying on the more physiological, retinoid-induced collagen production that pans out over time.”
• Key Ingredients: Collagen, glycerin, shea butter, frankincense extract
• Best For: Wrinkles, hydration, elasticity, firmness
• Size: 1.7 oz

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Best Wrinkle Cream: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced Anti-Wrinkle Cream

• Why We Love It: “This is a favorite for more advanced signs of aging,” says Kristina Collins, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs micrographic surgeon in Austin. “It addresses glycation, a key process that accelerates collagen breakdown, and helps restore firmness in thinning or sagging skin.” For the uninitiated, during glycation sugar molecules bind to structural proteins—such as collagen or elastin—that keep the skin smooth and firm. Signs of glycation include fine lines, wrinkles, laxity, uneven tone, a rough skin texture, and dullness, all of which the cream works to address. What’s more, it has a light, satiny feel on the skin that makes it easily layered and applied.
• Key Ingredients: 18% concentrated proxylane, 4.25% wild fruit flavonoids, 0.1% glycyrrhetinic acid
• Best For: Wrinkles, laxity, free-radical damage, radiance, fine lines, crows’ feet
• Size: 1.7 oz

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Best for Sensitive Skin: DHC Super Collagen Cream Moisturizer

• Why We Love It: This Japanese cream, formulated with a patented dipeptide, has a stamp of approval from Dr. Corey L. Hartman, MD, FAAD, founder and medical director of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham. “Collagen creams can work, but there are limitations,” he says. “I recommend looking for collagen creams that use active ingredients like peptides, retinol, and vitamin C that can help stimulate and boost the body’s natural production of collagen.” DHC’s vitamin C-infused moisturizer is one such example. “It has a hydrating formula that supports skin elasticity and firmness with its active patented ingredient, micronized collagen dipeptide-8,” he says. “When applied, the formula promotes a firmer and more youthful appearance to the skin.” He adds that the cream is gentle and fragrance-free, which makes it suitable for sensitive and dry skin. From an ingredient perspective, “Using vitamin C alongside peptides helps boost the production of new collagen fibers in the skin, while also protecting existing collagen and brightening the complexion,” Aparovich explains.
• Key Ingredients: DHC-patented dipeptide-8, vitamin C
• Best For: Hydration, texture, radiance
• Size: 1.7 oz

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Best Night Cream: Dr. Diamond’s Metacine InstaFacial Emulsion

• Why We Love It: “This is a high-performance cream that includes growth factors, peptides, and retinoids to support collagen synthesis and skin regeneration overnight,” says Dr. Collins. “I recommend it for patients who want a medical-grade night cream with visible firming effects.” The cream has a loyal following of celebrities, which is no small wonder. The product is the brainchild of Dr. Jason Diamond, a Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon whose client list includes Nikki Glaser and Kim Kardashian. Though the Emulsion—which has the consistency of a creamy gel—can be used on its own, it also works as part of a skin-rejuvenating system that includes the InstaFacial Infusion, a biomimetic collagen serum, and the InstaFacial Plasma Bioactive Growth Factor Serum designed to rejuvenate skin from within.
• Key Ingredients: Hydroxypinacolone retinoate, Myristoyl nonapeptide-3, Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl tripeptide-38, niacinamide, Nicotiana benthamiana hexapeptide-40 sh-oligopeptide-1, hyaluronic acid complex
• Best For: Wrinkles, skin tone, hyperpigmentation
• Size: 0.5 oz

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Best for Radiance: Babor Collagen Peptide Booster

• Why We Love It: “This rich, nourishing cream is filled with peptides and amino acids to help support collagen production, repair and strengthen the skin barrier, and improve the skin’s overall radiance,” says Dr. Saedi. “Shea butter adds an extra boost of hydration, making it a nice, soothing choice for dry and aging skin types.” In fact, it’s her night cream of choice— appreciating its spa-like scent—melding calming notes of orange, mint, rose, and cedar. “This cream will give the skin a softer, more youthful glow,” she says.
• Key Ingredients: Peptides, amino acids, shea butter
• Best For: Smoothness, firmness, hydration, elasticity
• Size: 1.7 oz

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Best for Redness: Derma E Skin Restore Advanced Peptides and Vegan Flora-Collagen Moisturizer

• Why We Love It: “Preferable for dry and normal skin, this cream features several active ingredients that work in synergy to smooth, plump, and refresh the skin,” Aparovich says. Its peptides encourage collagen production, thus firming the skin and improving the appearance of wrinkles, she explains. Meanwhile, “Vitamin E, vegetable glycerin, provitamin B5, and jojoba oil introduce a majorly moisturizing effect and help prevent transepidermal water loss,” she says. There are also botanical ingredients that soothe the skin while reducing redness, including green tea, chamomile, and witch hazel extracts.
• Key Ingredients: Peptides, vitamin E, vegetable glycerin, provitamin B5, jojoba oil
• Best For: Fine lines and wrinkles, plumping, hydration, redness, tone, texture
• Size: 2 oz

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Best for Inflammation: G.M. Collin Marine Collagen Revitalizing Cream

• Why We Love It: “The G.M. Collin Marine Collagen cream is a fantastic addition to any skin-care routine, especially for those looking to boost hydration and glow,” says Dr. Charles Puza, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. “With both high- and low-molecular weight marine collagen, this cream is able to provide hydration to all of the skin—the low-weight reaches the deeper layers, while the high-weight marine collagen targets the more superficial layers.” He adds that the cream has thermos thermophillus ferment to support the skin microbiome and coral seaweed extract to gently exfoliate and calm inflammation. Overall, “This packs an elegant hydration and anti-aging boost,” he says, He adding that the cream was clinically proven to decrease wrinkle volume, improve skin elasticity and texture, and increase hydration.
• Key Ingredients: Marine collagen, thermos thermophillus ferment, coral seaweed extract
• Best For: Wrinkles, elasticity, texture, hydration
• Size: 1.7 oz

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Best Gel-Cream: Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream

• Why We Love It: While signs of aging are most visible on mature skin, collagen production starts to decline in our twenties, and that’s where preventative creams like this come in. “I recommend this one often, especially for younger patients,” says Dr. Collins. “It contains a well-balanced mix of peptides and growth factors to support skin renewal and elasticity without clogging pores.” The cream’s lightweight, gel-cream texture lends itself to mixing with other products—such as serums or moisturizers—and it’s known to give the skin a bit of that ever-desirable plumped-up look. “Hyaluronic acid, glycerin, tocopherol, marula seed oil, and plant-derived stem cell extract deliver a potent dose of moisture, contributing to plumpness and radiance,” Aparovich says.
• Key Ingredients: Signal peptide complex, waterlily stem cell extract, soybean folic and ferment extract, hyaluronic acid
• Best For: Firming, strengthening, fine lines, wrinkles, tone, radiance
• Size: 0.5 oz

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Best Eye Cream: Neocutis Lumiere Firm Iluminating and Tightening Eye Cream

• Why We Love It: “The secret to searching for an effective collagen cream is to emphasize the ingredients that favor natural production of collagen within the skin,” says Dr. Eleonora Fedonenko, doctor of medicine and medical director of Your Laser Skin Care in Los Angeles. “Peptides, vitamin C, and growth factors are all excellent for this.” She calls Neocutis Lumiere Firm Riche Extra a “powerful” option. Rich in peptides and antioxidants, it facilitates collagen regeneration and enhances skin elasticity. “Utilized on a regular basis, this product is capable of keeping the complexion more youthful and firm, especially when it’s complemented with sun protection and proper hydration,” she says.
• Key Ingredients: Growth factors, proprietary peptides, caffeine, vitamin C
• Best For: Smoother, firmer skin under the eyes, fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness
• Size: 0.5 oz

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