I'm 50+ and test skin care for a living: Here are the week's best anti-aging deals

Albolene's inconspicuous, no-frills moisturizing face cleanser is one of those in-the-know beauty secrets, a product you'd never think to buy for yourself until a friend said, "YOU MUST GET THIS. IT'S CHANGED MY LIFE." Well, I am that friend, telling you this lush, velvety, mild, no-fragrance cream is about to transform your entire nighttime skin-care routine and make your face a whole lot softer and happier in the process. 

The gentle, century-old cleansing product removes makeup effortlessly, without water (though you can choose to take it off by using a damp washcloth or cotton pad). It's particularly effective for older women concerned with damaging delicate under-eye areas and causing fine lines by scrubbing away mascara and eyeliner. It's also safe for all skin types. Trust me, if you buy it now (for just $10!) it will become a can't-live-without beauty staple on your bathroom shelves and — if you're a good friend — those of every woman you know.    

StriVectin has been in the prestige skin-care game for decades, and over the years, the brand has built a reputation for thoughtfully formulated anti-aging products made with the highest-quality ingredients. This popular, dermatologist-recommended tightening cream was specifically created to address the slack, sagging skin on the neck — an area that loses collagen and fatty tissue faster than the face. 

It's thick and emollient and really sinks into neck skin without pilling or feeling at all sticky. This is a luxurious product that helps with crepey texture and the appearance of "tech neck" lines. 

Retinol is one of the few ingredients that's clinically proven to help smooth wrinkles — including crow's feet — and brighten dark under-eye circles. This affordable eye cream uses a stabilized form of the retinoid that actually releases slowly over time, which means there's less chance of skin irritation, even for beginners. We've also found that this drugstore pick is effective at reducing puffiness and is gentle enough for sensitive skin.

It's among the most highly rated eye creams on the market, with 15,000 five-star Amazon reviews. It's dermatologist-recommended too. Right now is a good time to give this popular cream a try — it's nearly 50% off.

This is the cream you want if you're, like, "I think tightening creams are BS but I also want to believe they are true because I currently hate my neck." The Gold Bond firming cream is no frills but gets the job done (the job being tighter jowls and a less reptilian neck). The formula is lightweight and on the thin side, but the product absorbs well and is gentle enough not to irritate sensitive skin. 

Note: You'll need to use it consistently for about a month to see results, and it won't, of course, magically make you appear 25, but being able to snag this ample size for less makes this product worth a go.

Once you hit middle age, your lips need extra moisture to stay plump and youthful-looking. The Laneige lip mask is a lifesaver for many — it has endless TikTok mentions and is recommended by more celebrities than I can count (among them: Kelly Ripa, Brooke Shields, Kate Moss, Keke Palmer and Kate Hudson). Users say it works better than Aquaphor for dry lips and that it's changed their chapped-mouth-in-winter lives. They also wax poetic about the texture, taste and, most importantly, the results. It's a great product to add to your arsenal and one of our best beauty products of the year.

Would Drew Barrymore steer you wrong? The actress and talk show host is just one of thousands of fans of Olay's tried-and-true classic products, which include this coveted sculpting cream. The key here is hydration: So much of face and neck aging — including crepey skin — is caused by a loss of moisture, and this thick, almost viscous cream begins to add it back upon first use. It's infused with concentrated, moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, amino peptides and vitamin B3, all of which help plump skin and reduce the signs of wrinkling and sagging.

Women over 60 especially love this drugstore staple, proclaiming: "Great help for moisturizing, I will be 73 this month and, believe me, it really helps keep the wrinkles controlled by plumping up my skin."

Sunday Riley's Good Genes is one of the most effective beauty products I've ever tried, and this six-month supply will last you. Honestly, I like this skin rejuvenating serum so much, if I had to pick one desert-island beauty product (outside of sunscreen), it would be this. The lactic-acid treatment gently yet effectively exfoliates dull surface skin, promoting cell turnover and giving even the dullest, dreariest complexion a healthy, vibrant glow.

It also smooths and plumps rough texture and clarifies an uneven tone. My skin never looks better than when I use this every night and, while this sale price still isn't cheap, a little goes a long way.

I've been loving this extra-firming eye cream from Derma E, a truly quality brand that makes natural, vegan and cruelty-free products that won't cost you a week's pay. Made of skin-revitalizing ingredients like copper peptides and plant stem cells, it's clinically proven to improve elasticity and firmness, and it lightens darker under-eye skin tone. I especially like it for my upper eyelids, where I've seen a noticeable difference in texture over just a few weeks.

More than 1,600 five-star reviewers also praise its lifting and tightening merits, calling it: "A miracle for your eyes — no time travel required!"

If you're looking for an all-over tightening, brightening, hydrating, complexion-smoothing night cream for the face, neck and decolleté, you can't do much better than this clinically proven version by trusted brand RoC — especially at this price. 

The popular cream is nongreasy and noncomedogenic and beloved by both dermatologists and celebrities alike (Sarah Jessica Parker is a fan). And, according to the more than 4,000 five-star reviews, ordinary folks are all over it too: "I'm in my 70s and this cream has been my go-to for years. It works on my skin!"

Yes, CosRx is best known for popularizing snail mucin, but you shouldn't sleep on its other stellar products, including this intensely hydrating cream. A favorite among the K-beauty crowd, this face cream packs and seals moisture into dry, dehydrated skin to prevent further hydration loss. I love this moisturizer for its lightweight, fast-absorbing formula and antioxidant ingredients. The texture is perfectly rich without being too heavy, and the product absorbs fast, all of which is why we named it one of the best anti-aging products of the year. 

Bonus points: In addition to hyaluronic acid, this cream contains vitamin tree water (also known as sea buckthorn), which is filled with vitamins, amino acids and fatty acids that help strengthen the skin barrier and increase hydration even more. The midrange price point is the cherry on top.

We know retinol works reliably to reduce wrinkles, but this Swedish brand's Dark Spot Fix does double duty: It's a skin-lightening treatment containing retinol 8, a stabilized vitamin A complex meant to be eight times more effective than conventional retinol but half as harsh. There's no data to support the company's claim here, but I can tell you this from experience: The formula is creamy and gentle, and it lightened a stubborn brown spot on my cheek I'd been annoyed by for years in just three weeks. 

Though no results will be as effective as a visit to the dermatologist, if you're dealing with mild hyperpigmentation, this is an at-home skin-care win — especially at this price.