Wrinkle creams or anti-aging creams can improve the appearance of your skin, depending on how long you use the product and the amount and type of the active ingredient in the wrinkle cream.

Common ingredients in anti-wrinkle creams The effectiveness of anti-wrinkle creams depends in part on the active ingredient or ingredients. Here are some common ingredients that may result in slight to modest improvements in wrinkles.

Retinol. Retinol is a vitamin A compound and is the first antioxidant to be widely used in nonprescription wrinkle creams. Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals — unstable oxygen molecules that break down skin cells and cause wrinkles. Retinol is less potent than the vitamin A derivative tretinoin, a prescription topical treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating wrinkles. Avoid vitamin A derivatives if you're pregnant or may become pregnant because they increase the risk of birth defects.