Defy-Your-Age Beauty Awards

Lots of products promise to erase the signs of aging. The trick is figuring out which really deliver. Because we know how disappointing it is to buy a dud, we enlisted a team of top dermatologists to find out which new anti-agers--eye creams, day creams, night creams, peels, and more--truly help turn back time. Here's how it worked: Each product (35 total) was used by five women over age 40 for up to 8 weeks. A derm then analyzed their skin using equipment like the Visia Complexion Analysis machine, which shows improvement in wrinkles, spots, and pore size. One beautiful discovery: You don't have to spend big bucks to look years younger. Not only did these seven skin care stars deliver on their claims, each is $50 or less. Like we said, they're real winners! By Karyn Repinski

Best Night Cream

Vichy LiftActiv Retinol HA Night // "Defy-Your-Age Beauty Awards"

Vichy LiftActiv Retinol HA Night ($42; drugstores)

This potent potion works fast. Overnight, testers noticed brighter skin--and things just got better with time. "The deep wrinkles on the sides of my nose and lips improved dramatically," reported one tester. "My pores are smaller," noted another. Brown spots lightened too. Judge Mary Lupo, MD, credits retinol, "a top gun" in OTC antiagers, for the changes. A host of humectants enhanced hydration and kept side effects to a minimum.

Use it right Even those with sensitive skin can apply this nightly, says Lupo. Daily use of a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen is a must. Don't pair it with any rx retinoids, and avoid scrubs and peels for at least 2 weeks.

Bing Shopping: Purchase Vichy Liftactiv Retinol HA Night

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1 of 9 Photo: Prevention.com

Best Neck and Chest Cream

Olay Definity Neck and Chest Daily Restoration Treatment // "Defy-Your-Age Beauty Awards"

Olay Definity Neck and Chest Daily Restoration Treatment ($25; drugstores)

If you, like author Nora Ephron, feel bad about your neck--or chest (or both), this luxurious cream is the antidote. Loaded with ingredients like glycerin, dimethicone, and panthenol, it drenches this oft-neglected (and thus frequently parched) skin in moisture, leaving it noticeably smoother, firmer, and softer. "My skin felt like silk after using it," said one tester. Brown spots get the boot too, courtesy of vitamin B3 (aka niacinamide), which blocks the key enzyme that colors skin and inhibits its transfer to cells. Vitamin E, a potent antioxidant, squelches free radicals, says judge William Philip Werschler, MD. That means you'll have fewer signs of damage to get off your chest in the future.

Use it right Apply twice daily. The cream absorbs quickly and isn't greasy--so you don't have to wait to get dressed.

Bing Shopping: Purchase Olay Definity Neck and Chest Daily Restoration Treatment

2 of 9 Photo: Prevention.com

Best Skin Peel

Skin Effects by Dr. Jeffrey Dover Glycolic Peel Kit // "Defy-Your-Age Beauty Awards"

Skin Effects by Dr. Jeffrey Dover Glycolic Peel Kit ($25; CVS stores)

If you think patience is overrated, this peel--which delivers a healthy glow in mere minutes--is for you. "My skin was almost instantly brighter and softer," says one tester, who bought another box before finishing the first so she didn't run out. Using it for a longer period of time may also lessen fine lines and refine enlarged pores. Another big benefit: "Makeup goes on much smoother," says judge Ranella Hirsch, MD. Exfoliating glycolic acid is the star of this show, but the soothing pads used postpeel help ensure that skin is beaming, not blotchy.

Use it right To avoid irritation, use only once a week. If your regimen includes anti-agers like AH As or retinoids, wait until skin adapts to them before trying this product.

3 of 9 Photo: Prevention.com

Best Lip Treatment

PCA Skin Peptide Lip Therapy // "Defy-Your-Age Beauty Awards"

PCA Skin Peptide Lip Therapy ($20; 877-722-7546 for purchasing info)

This ultrahydrating treatment is the balm for making lips softer, smoother, and plumper! For starters, it saturates them with ingredients like safflower seed oil and shea butter. These superb conditioners attract and seal water into the skin to reduce dryness and flakiness and, in the short term, smooth lines and make lips look fuller. Tingly peppermint oil increases blood flow to further enhance volume and restore lips' natural healthy color. Over time, a peptide speeds production of new collagen to create lasting fullness and ease vertical lines. The balm is a bit thick, so it takes a good squeeze to get it out of the tube. But its viscosity helps it stay put. Bonus: "When used under lip gloss, it made the gloss last longer," reported one tester.

Use it right The one downside to this balm: It doesn't contain sunscreen. So be sure to first apply SPF 30 or higher during the day, says Werschler.

Bing Shopping: Purchase PCA Skin Peptide Lip Therapy

4 of 9 Photo: Prevention.com

Best Eye Cream

Avon Anew Reversalist Illuminating Eye System // "Defy-Your-Age Beauty Awards"

Avon Anew Reversalist Illuminating Eye System ($30; avon.com)

As anyone over 30 knows, the skin around the eyes is hit hardest by aging. The perfect counterpunch: this regimen, which, according to judge Amy Taub, MD, "really makes a difference." Step one: a cream that activates a repair molecule to trigger production of collagen, which helps minimize crow's-feet and undereye circles. Step two is the "brightening veil," a sheer highlighter with light-refracting mica and silica that instantly soften imperfections. "My skin looks good, even without makeup," said one tester. Not comfortable sans cosmetics? Fear not--the duo isn't greasy, so makeup won't slip and slide.

Use it right Apply the cream in the morning and evening; follow with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 in the am. Use the brightening veil whenever skin needs a pick-me-up.

Bing Shopping: Purchase Avon Anew Reversalist Illuminating Eye System

5 of 9 Photo: Prevention.com

Best Day Cream with SPF

HydroPeptide SPF 30 Anti-Wrinkle Skin Enhancing UV Protection // "Defy-Your-Age Beauty Awards"

HydroPeptide SPF 30 Anti-Wrinkle Skin Enhancing UV Protection ($40; hydropeptide.com)

You gotta love a moisturizer that hides redness and blotchiness and gives you a pretty glow--and our testers certainly did! But that unique feature (the result of pigment-filled spheres that adjust to your skin tone) is just one reason testers unanimously said they'd recommend this lightweight lotion to a friend. Its other winning attributes--long-lasting hydration, noticeably lighter brown spots, and decreased sensitivity--are due to an all-star lineup of rejuvenating ingredients. Among them: moisture magnets like glycerin; UVA-blocking zinc oxide; and vitamin B3 to quell irritation and minimize dark spots. In short, everything your skin needs to look youthful today--and years from now!

Use it right "Boost absorption by using an exfoliating AHA cleanser once or twice a week," suggests judge David J. Goldberg, MD.

Bing Shopping: Purchase HydroPeptide SPF 30 Anti-Wrinkle Skin Enhancing UV Protection

6 of 9 Photo: Prevention.com

Best Brown Spot Fader

RoC Multi Correxion Skin Perfecting System // "Defy-Your-Age Beauty Awards"

RoC Multi Correxion Skin Perfecting System ($50; drugstores)

Brown spots can make you look as much as 10 years older. This three-step system, which includes a cleanser, day cream with SPF 30, and night cream, is the perfect way to get even. Testers were thrilled with how it despeckled skin. "It performed as promised--my brown spots lightened significantly," raved one. Chalk it up to the retinol, soy, and vitamin C in the products--"ingredients proven to improve skin tone," says judge David Bank, MD. Humectants like glycerin and dimethicone hydrate, so skin looks smoother and firmer from the get-go.

Use it right To avoid drying out skin, cleanse only at night (just rinse with lukewarm water in the morning).

Bing Shopping: Purchase RoC Multi Correxion Skin Perfecting System

7 of 9 Photo: Prevention.com

Woman applying face cream // "Defy-Your-Age Beauty Awards"

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Meet The Judges

David Bank, MD, assistant professor at Columbia University/Presbyterian Hospital; practices in Mount Kisco, NY
David J. Goldberg, MD, clinical professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine; practices in New York, New Jersey, and Florida
Ranella Hirsch, MD, past president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology & Aesthetic Surgery; practices in Cambridge, MA
Mary Lupo, MD, clinical professor at Tulane University school of Medicine; practices in New Orleans
Amy Taub, MD, assistant clinical professor at Northwestern University Medical School; practices in Lincolnshire, IL
William Philip Werschler, MD, assistant clinical professor at University of Washington; practices in spokane, WA

8 of 9 Photo: Prevention.com