Grooming · Men over 50

I'm 61. I Tested the 5 Most Popular Men's Face Creams. Only One Took Years Off My Face.

Tallow, retinol, botanical oils, Italian peptides. I used each one for weeks on my own face. Here's the honest ranking.

By Mike Dalton, 61 · Grooming Editor
Updated November 9, 2026 · 3 min read

Short on time? Our #1 pick

TORO Daily Renewal

See why it won →

At 61, my face was the problem.

Grey, tired skin. Deep lines. A jaw starting to slide into my neck. People kept asking if I was tired. I wasn't. I just looked it.

The gym fixed my body. It didn't touch my face.

So I bought the five face creams men my age buy most and used each one on my own face. Four of them moisturized. One took years off.

The five creams tested, lined up — The five creams I tested.

How I ranked them

Four things. Nothing else matters.

Looks younger

Does it take years off, or just soften the skin?

Tightens

Do the face and jaw firm up, or keep sliding?

Works under the skin

Does it reach where lines start, or sit on top?

Clean to use

Soaks in fast. No grease. No smell.

The scorecard

All five, side by side.

	#1TORO	#2Serlino	#3Particle	#4Caldera	#5Forge
Takes years off
Erases lines & wrinkles
Tightens face & jaw
Wipes out eye bags
Peptides + olive oil
No grease, no smell
Score	9.8	8.4	7.9	7.1	6.2

Yes Partly No

The ranking

Best to worst.

Editor's #1 pickMen 50+

Best overall

TORO Daily Renewal

Peptide face cream · Made in Italy

9.8/10

Excellent★★★★★

Made in Italy with peptides and cold-pressed olive oil. The peptides kick collagen production back on. The olive oil carries them under the skin, where the others never reach.

Week one, nothing. Week three, the grey was gone and the bags were down. Week five, my wife asked what I'd done differently. I hadn't said a word.

1Pump

20Seconds

AM+PMDaily

Why it's #1

Visibly younger-looking skin
Erases lines & wrinkles
Tighter face, cheeks & jawline
Wipes out eye bags & that tired look
Instant absorption, matte finish, no smell
Italian peptides & cold-pressed olive oil
60-day money-back guarantee

Cons

Only sold online
Sells out often

Verdict: The only cream on this list that made me look younger. Not softer. Younger.

Check availability →

60-day money-back guarantee

Runner-up

Serlino Lab Night Cream

Retinol + olive oil cream · Made in Italy

8.4/10

Very good★★★★★

The other Italian on the list, and a solid cream. It runs on retinyl palmitate, the mildest form of retinol, with olive oil. My fine lines softened a little. My jaw and the bags under my eyes didn't move.

Pros

Made in Italy
Softens fine lines
60-day money-back guarantee

Cons

Mildest form of retinol
No peptides to rebuild collagen
No change on the jaw or eye bags

Verdict: The closest thing to TORO. Same country, weaker formula: a mild retinol where TORO uses peptides.

Best for men 30–45

Particle Face Cream

6-in-1 face cream

7.9/10

Good★★★★★

The biggest name in men's face cream. Light, easy, a good daily moisturizer for a younger guy. On my face it hydrated well and changed nothing else.

Pros

Light, non-greasy feel
Good daily moisturizer
Easy to find

Cons

Built for hydration, not age
Didn't touch my deep lines
30-day guarantee only

Verdict: A good first cream at 35. Not enough at 55.

Best all-natural

Caldera + Lab The Good

Botanical face serum

7.1/10

Average★★★★★

A premium serum made from 27 wild plants. It's an oil, not a cream, with a botanical scent. Nice to use. It didn't take a day off my face.

Pros

All-natural, plant-based
Premium ingredients

Cons

Oily serum, not a cream
No peptides, no visible lift
Most expensive on the list

Verdict: For men who want natural. Not for men who want younger.

Best for chapped skin

Forge Tallow Balm

Beef tallow balm · Jar

6.2/10

Below average★★★★★

Beef tallow in a jar. You scoop it out with your fingers. Soft skin, shiny face, faint smell. It sits on top. Tallow is for cooking.

Pros

Very moisturizing
Cheapest on the list

Cons

Greasy, shiny finish
Sits on top of the skin
Fingers in a jar every day

Verdict: Fine for cracked hands. Not for a tired face.

Why TORO took #1

It works under the skin

Italian peptides and cold-pressed olive oil. The other four moisturize the surface.

It fits a man's morning

One pump, 20 seconds. Matte finish. No smell. Nobody knows.

Zero risk

60-day money-back guarantee. Use it. Judge it yourself.

Our #1 pick for men 50+

TORO Daily Renewal

Men's face cream · 50 ml · Made in Italy

Visibly younger-looking skin
Erases lines & wrinkles
Tighter face, cheeks & jawline
Wipes out eye bags & that tired look
Instant absorption, matte finish, no smell
Italian peptides & cold-pressed olive oil

60-day money-back guaranteeTry it for 60 days. Not happy? Get your money back.

Check availability →

Only sold online · Sells out often