My never-ending battle with stubborn hormonal acne aside, my top skin goals include keeping my skin smooth, lifted, and hydrated. At 34, I don’t feel the need to consider seriously the more intense in-office treatments just yet. I’m still very mindful of what I inject in my face. (I’ve stopped filler and Botox about three years ago and only recently went in for a noninvasive Halo Lift treatment for research purposes.) Other modalities like lasers and ultrasound therapy are something I can only do in doses, years apart, because my pain threshold is low and they bring me to tears. What I like to focus on, however, are topical products that keep my skin looking as healthy as possible. This is where plumping moisturizers come in.
Vogue’s Favorite Plumping Moisturizers
As Marisa Garshick, MD, board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology, explains, a plumping moisturizer is designed to boost hydration and improve your skin’s overall texture. If you want to look more lifted, glowy, and smooth, this is the product you should add to your daily routine. “They work by boosting hydration levels in the skin and supporting the skin barrier,” Dr. Garshick says. “Often, [they have] ingredients that also help build collagen.”
Per Dr. Garshick, it’s really as simple as applying the cream once or twice a day to reap its benefits. Those who opt for a morning plumping moisturizer will find it can help create a smooth, hydrated base for makeup, while nighttime offerings help replenish moisture and support skin repair as you sleep. Generally, they’re also well tolerated, often paired with soothing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, or growth factors to offset any irritation.
So if this has piqued your interest, here is an edit of the 10 best face creams for plumping skin to consider adding to your routine. You—and your skin—can thank us later.
Best Hydrating: SkinMedica HA⁵ Hydra Collagen Water Burst Moisturizer
- Why We Love It: Board-certified dermatologist Jane Yoo, MD, says this should be your go-to product to really lock moisture in. It’s made with five forms of hyaluronic acid to seal in moisture for 24 hours, plus vegan collagen that works with the hyaluronic acid to attract more water and smooth uneven texture. For added barrier support (always a welcome add-on), it features a special microbiome barrier complex that helps fortify the skin barrier and keep skin looking healthy.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, collagen, microbiome barrier complex
- Best for: Normal-to-dry skin, dull skin
- Size: 1.7 oz.
Best for the Skin Barrier: Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer
- Why We Love It: A pick from Dr. Yoo, this nourishing cream tackles dehydration and supports the skin barrier to give you that plumped effect. To do so, it contains squalane and hyaluronic acid to deliver long-lasting hydration and ceramides to help visibly improve elasticity and firmness. “It is a great pick if you want hydration and comfort,” she adds.
- Key Ingredients: Squalane, ceramides, hyaluronic acid
- Best for: Skin-barrier support, all skin types
- Size: 1.6 oz.
Best for Crepey Texture: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Cream
- Why We Love It: Dr. Garshick loves La Roche-Posay’s Hyalu B5 cream as it contains multiple forms of hyaluronic acid (three different types to be exact) to help draw moisture in for 72 hours. It also contains ectoin and vitamin B6, which help smooth out the skin and reduce the appearance of any crepey texture. The best part? She says you can use it for the face, chest, and neck too.
- Key Ingredients: Ectoin, vitamin B5, hyaluronic acid
- Best for: Dehydrated skin, all skin types
- Size: 1.69 oz.
Best for Mature Skin: Caudalie Premier Cru
- Why We Love It: Dark circles? Wrinkles? Sagging skin? This rich cream ticks off most—if not all—the boxes if you’re looking to target any antiaging skin concerns. Made with hyaluronic acid and sugars from honey locust trees, this cream helps firm skin and keep it looking plump. And thanks to a patented complex aimed at improving your skin’s longevity, you’ll find other signs of visible aging, such as dark circles and deep fine lines, start to become less noticeable.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, honey-locust sugars, longevity complex
- Best for: Mature skin
- Size: 1.7 oz.
Best Texture: Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Cream
- Why We Love It: A beloved K-beauty formula, Sulwhasoo’s lightweight cream contains squalane for added hydration and to smooth uneven skin texture, as well as vitamin D to protect skin from environmental aggressors. But what really sets it apart is the ginseng, an ingredient renowned for its antiaging benefits. Thanks to this special active, you’ll find your skin feels softer and looks more lifted in just a matter of weeks.
- Editor’s Experience: I rarely finish a product, but this cream from Sulwhasoo is one of my few exceptions. A true luxe sensory experience, its creamy texture feels so good without overwhelming my oily, acne-prone skin. Just after a few weeks of use, I noticed my skin felt softer, more radiant, and super smooth. Yes, a $200+ cream is a huge ask. But if you can splurge for it, I cannot recommend it enough. —Audrey Noble, contributor
- Key Ingredients: Ginseng, ginseng peptides, vitamin D, squalane
- Best for: Splurge
- Size: 1.69 oz.
Best for Dull Skin: Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream
- Why We Love It: A favorite of Dr. Yoo’s, Tatcha’s Dewy Skin Cream does it all. It uses hyaluronic acid to provide the skin with long-lasting hydration, plus squalane to seal in moisture and Japanese purple rice, which helps protect the skin from oxidative stress (a known cause of fine lines).
- Editor’s Experience: Though I have oily and acne-prone skin, this rich cream does not make me break out; it’s neither heavy nor pore-clogging. That way, I still get the radiance boost from the hydrating agents. It’s been one of my go-to moisturizers for years. —A.N.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, squalane, Japanese purple rice
- Best for: Dull skin, dry skin
- Size: 1.7 oz.
Best Drugstore: Neutrogena Collagen Bank Moisturizer
- Why We Love It: You do not have to break the bank for a good plumping moisturizer. Case in point: this Neutrogena moisturizer. A pick from Dr. Garshick, this can pretty much do it all when it comes to antiaging, thanks to its micropeptides and bakuchiol content. “This helps to firm and plump the skin, while improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles,” she says.
- Key Ingredients: Micropeptides, bakuchiol
- Best for: Wallet-friendly
- Size: 2 oz.
Best With SPF: RoC Multi Correxion Hydrate and Plump Daily Moisturizer SPF 30
- Why We Love It: Dr. Garshick loves a multitasker, and honestly, so do we. RoC’s moisturizer not only has hyaluronic acid to help plump the skin by drawing in moisture but also chemical UV filters for protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays—known to cause wrinkles, acne, and hyperpigmentation. Plus, she says it’s noncomedogenic, so you won’t clog your pores and have to deal with those pesky breakouts. At under $30, it certainly does feel like a steal.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, SPF 30
- Best for: Sun protection, all skin types
- Size: 1.7 oz.
Best for Oily Skin: Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb
- Why We Love It: One of the many plights of oily and/or combination skin is that we have to be very careful when it comes to hydrating moisturizers. Sure, something can hydrate our skin, but if it’s too rich or heavy, we could face clogged pores and a whole other set of skin concerns. That’s where this moisturizer comes in. Dr. Yoo loves its gel formulation that is cool to the touch and contains nourishing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to give skin a hydrated, plumped look. “It’s lightweight, fast absorbing, and a great option for oily or combination skin,” she says.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, squalane
- Best for: Oily Skin
- Size: 1.69 oz.
Best for Sensitive Skin: Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Renewal Firming Cream
- Why We Love It: Much like oily and acne-prone skin, sensitive skin needs a cream that strikes the perfect balance between hydration and nourishment—a line the Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Renewal Firming Cream toes well. Dr. Garshick likes this cream because it is made especially with sensitive skin in mind. You’ll find the hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to help firm skin, but it is the brand’s thermal spring water that she says will soothe any irritation.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, glycerin, Avène thermal spring water
- Best for: Sensitive Skin
- Size: 1.6 oz.
Everything You Need to Know
Do Plumping Creams Really Work?
Yes, plumping creams do actually work. Dr. Yoo explains that they work by drawing moisture into the skin with humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which then increase the water content in the outer layer of your skin and give you an immediate plumping effect. She adds that they also support your skin barrier, helping hydration last longer.
But both experts say these plumping effects are temporary and you’ll need in-office procedures to address true skin laxity or deeper volume loss.
What to Look for in Plumping Moisturizers
The best ingredients to look for in a plumping moisturizer are those that hydrate and support the skin barrier. You’ll want to look for humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, as Dr. Garshick says they help attract water to the skin. For added moisture retention, Dr. Yoo says ingredients such as ceramides and niacinamide will help strengthen the skin barrier; emollients such as squalane can smooth skin texture; and occlusives such as petrolatum and dimethicone can help reduce water loss.
You can also look for antiaging actives such as peptides and retinol, which Dr. Garshick says can support collagen production and improve plumpness over time.
How We Tested
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—from board-certified dermatologists to celebrity estheticians—to gain professional insight into the industry’s standout products: those that specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate thoughtful edits.
Regarding plumping creams, we selected the best based on the following criteria: ingredients, texture, packaging, finish, and the skin-care concerns they address. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we recommend.
Meet the Experts
- Jane Yoo, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Jane Yoo MD Dermatology.
- Marisa Garshick, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology.
