This $14 Anti-Aging Cream Is Your Secret Weapon Against Wrinkles

The easiest way to fix a wrinkle is to prevent it from happening in the first place. It’s the logic many of your 20-something friends are using when they book a Botox appointment, or part of the reason your mom, your derm, and every beauty editor under the sun will tell you to slather on SPF diligently.

It’s also the rationale behind the new L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Cicacream ($14; target.com), a balmy moisturizer with a goal of repairing and strengthening your skin barrier. Not only does the barrier help regulate your moisture levels, keeping the skin looking healthy, glowy, and supple, but it is the defending factor against free radicals and other agents that can speed up the signs of aging.

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It tackles this with an anti-aging mainstay—retinol, a derivative of vitamin A that is known for speeding up cellular turnover, boosting collagen production, and improving texture and tone. L’Oréal Paris jumped on this with what they call "Pro-Retinol," but that isn’t the only callout anti-aging ingredient in the formula. They infused Centella Asiatica into the cream, which as an impressive legend tied to it for being incredibly reparative. The story goes that tigers would roll in the plant to recover from battles.

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Meant to be applied after cleansing and before moisturizer, you might be skeptical about adding another step into your morning and evening routine, but it’s worth the three seconds and extra tube on your counter, no matter how much of a minimalist you’re trying to become in 2018. It glides over your skin and sinks in quickly, leaving you with a dewy, fresh appearance, and if you have seasonal dry skin, it might be the layering boost you need to beat the flakes. It's not meant to take the place of a moisturizer, but no one's stopping you.

After testing it regimentally for three weeks, my skin felt smoother, softer, a little brighter, and looked all-around healthier. At 26, I don’t have many noticeable fine lines that need erasing, but the brand claims it only takes about two weeks to start to see a difference in that department.

Hopefully, if I actually follow through with my preventative game-plan, I won't have to worry about seeing that switch in the first place.