To put it plainly, aging can often feel like a losing game. There are countless factors that accelerate the body’s aging and skin’s sagging: diet and lifestyle, age-related loss of collagen and elastin, UV damage, dehydration, worldwide pandemics…. the list goes on. There are, however, many effective at-home skin-tightening remedies that can address everything from diminishing under-eye bags to a softening jawline, without lasers, surgery, or other invasive interventions. Thank you, modern technology!
“We have so many potent actives that really can change the quality and health of our skin,” says leading dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman. “And new ingredients are being discovered daily!” Here, she and New York dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe share some of their favorite beauty tools, rollers, anti-aging serums, ingredients, and treatments that work to firm up skin on the face, neck, and body.
Best Eye Microneedling Device
BeautyBio
“Eye Want It All” Face + Eye Total Rejuvenation Set
Best Face Microneedling Device
Environ
Gold Roll-CIT
Best Skin Toning Device
NuFace
Trinity Facial Toning Kit
Best Face Sculpting Device
Jillian Dempsey
Gold Sculpting Bar
Best Body Toning Device
NuFace
NuBODY
Best Facial Roller
Skin Gym
Rose Quartz Vibrating Lift & Contour Beauty Roller
Best Retinol Treatment
Kate Somerville
DermalQuench Liquid Lift +Retinol
Best Retinol Serum
SkinCeuticals
Retinol 0.3
Drugstore Favorite
RoC
Deep Wrinkle Night Cream
Best Serum With Peptides
SkinMedica
SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum
Best Facial Massager
My Skin Buddy
My Skin Buddy 6x
Best Gua Sha Tool
Skin Gym
Jade Gua Sha Facial Tool
Best Luxe Device
TriPollar
STOP Vx Facial Renewal, Reshaping & Rejuvenation Device
Best Microcurrent Device
Trophy Skin
Trophy Skin Rejuvatone MD
Most Splurge-Worthy Device
Dermalux
Dermalux Flex MD
Compact Light Therapy Device
Solawave
Skincare Wand with Red Light Therapy & Serum Kit
Best Tightening Cream
Peter Thomas Roth
Instant FIRMx Temporary Face Tightener
Best Vitamin C Serum
Dr Dennis Gross
Dr Dennis Gross C + Collagen Brighten Firm Serum
Best Neck Cream
MACRENE ACTIVES
High Performance Neck & Décolletage Treatment
Best Lifting Serum
Chantecaille
Chantecaille Bio Lifting Serum+
Celebrity-Favorite Device
Shani Darden Skin Care
Facial Sculpting Wand
What is the best skin tightening treatment at home?
Being consistent is crucial for skin tightening treatments at home. Dr. Bowe recommends following her “skin cycling” method, which includes exfoliating one night, using a retinoid the next day, letting your skin recover the following two nights, and then repeating the process all over again. “It’s really one of the most effective and reliable ways to firm and tighten skin at home,” says Dr. Bowe.
As for at-home devices? It really depends, notes Dr. Bowe, but gadgets like red light masks can be helpful in smoothing out your visage. As Dr. Engelman noted above, microneedling and microcurrent massagers, like NuFACE, can also improve the appearance of aging skin.
When is the best time to start using skin tightening treatments?
The earlier the better. Dr. Bowe says she has patients in their late 20s who start scheduling tightening treatments at her office, but “I believe that you can achieve a lot of this at home with the right skincare and lifestyle habits.” She recommends using a vitamin C serum followed by sunscreen every morning, skin cycling at night, and managing stress levels with deep breathing, yoga, or meditation. “These are all key when it comes to protecting the collagen you have,” adds Dr. Bowe.
What are the best tips for maintaining tight, firm skin?
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A healthy bedtime routine: “Chronic stress and sleep deprivation can both break down collagen in your skin, leading to premature laxity,” explains Dr. Bowe. “Trying to stick to a regular schedule and protecting your bedtime routine to encourage deep, restorative sleep are essential when it comes to maintaining firm skin.”
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A healthy diet: “Many of my patients find that their skin does benefit from a daily collagen supplement if they’re not regularly drinking bone broth or eating fish skin as part of their daily diet,” says Dr. Bowe. “I usually recommend a high-quality marine source of collagen, but it’s important to take it consistently over 3 months to really appreciate any firming effects in the skin.”
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Having a consistent skincare routine: According to Dr. Bowe, incorporating retinoids, peptides, glycolic acid, and vitamin C into your regimen are the most effective way to revive lackluster skin.
Roxanne Adamiyatt
Roxanne Adamiyatt is the senior editor at Town & Country, where she writes about lifestyle, fashion, travel, and beauty.
April Long
Beauty Director
April Long writes about beauty, wellness, and luxury skincare for Town & Country.
Meg Donohue
Associate Fashion Commerce Editor
Meg Donohue is the Associate Fashion Commerce Editor at ELLE.com.
