CHOICE Anti-Ageing Cream Test: Sunscreen First
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Image: Eleven anti-ageing creams independently tested by CHOICE for wrinkle reduction, hydration, user experience and packaging.
Source: CHOICE — CHOICE testing reveals the anti-ageing creams that actually work (and which ones don’t), 15 September 2026.
You Bloody beauty. CHOICE has done it again.
First sunscreen. Now the beauty shelf.
CHOICE calls its expert reviews influence free. Exactly what an industry full of miracle claims, flattering lighting and very expensive little jars could use.
It put 11 anti-ageing creams under the microscope. Six scored below 60%. The top overall performer reached 73% and—at the price CHOICE paid—would cost an estimated $1,203 a year when used twice daily.
That’s a lot of money for a 73%.
Image: The world wide desire for youth - can anti-aging creams help? Could prevention be the more reliable method? - The Sunscreen List™ endorses Sun Protection Systems, a knowledge base and healthy use of outside exposure to the elements, UV, mixed with what we consume and how we treat our bodies as a whole.
No vibes. They measured it.
Over 28 days, 30 women aged 40–65 applied a test cream to one side of the face and a base cream to the other.
CHOICE used 3D scans to measure crow’s feet and a Corneometer to measure hydration. Skin feel, application and user experience also counted.
Then packaging entered the chat.
Packaging made up 10% of the score, including usability, environmental impact and how much cream remained trapped inside.
Because product you can’t get out is product you paid for—and packaging you still have to throw away.
Here’s the bit that matters
After all that testing, dermatologist Professor Deshan Sebaratnam put it plainly:
“Before anyone spends a cent on anti-ageing products, they should be protecting themself from the sun.”
There it is.
Anti-ageing doesn’t begin with another serum. It begins with protecting your skin from the UV damage creating the problem in the first place.
That doesn’t make skincare pointless. Hydration, ingredients, skin feel, price and packaging all matter.
But sunscreen is the foundation—not the afterthought.
Beauty SunSafe® is where skincare ingredients and everyday wearability meet SPF. Active SunSafe® is where we look for SPF test evidence and performance.
Want to understand what actually stacks up?
Know Your Sun with The SunSafe® Advantage →
Disclosure:
The Sunscreen List™ has commercial relationships with some SunSafe® brands and sells the education linked in this article. CHOICE did not commission, approve or contribute to this article, and we are not recommending any cream from its test.
