9 Anti-Aging Moisturizers Derms Say Are ‘Useless’ For Women Over 40—And What To Use Instead For Hydrated Skin This Summer: Avoid Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ & More

Just because a moisturizer claims it can reinvent your skin and give you the best glow of your life (among other promises it makes) doesn’t mean it can. Furthermore, it may turn out to be one of the worst moisturizers you’ve ever used — and you won’t find out that it’s not all it says it is until you’ve spent money on it.

A major caveat here is that not all moisturizers are good for all people and not all moisturizers that some people dislike are bad for all people. The best moisturizer for your skin is the one that work with your skin type and contains ingredients that don’t cause irritation.

With that said, when we turned to Reddit, we found these nine moisturizers were being called out by some users as among the worst they’ve ever used. Here’s what they had to say about these picks, and what to use instead.

LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask

We were surprised to see LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask make it to a Reddit list of worst moisturizers, and some other Reddit users were, too. But one user had this to say about the moisturizer, which is designed to be applied at night and worn like a mask while you sleep: “Not moisturizer but an overnight mask… it’s Laneige Water Sleeping Mask, absolutely disgusting texture and sit on my face dried up. I wake up with sludge in my nose corner and upper lip and the rest need moisturizing evaporated away. Dare I say Laneige is incredibly overrated .”

ETUDE HOUSE Soonjung Hydro Barrier Cream

This popular K-beauty brand failed to impress some on Reddit, with one writing: “I have extremely dry skin sometimes so this isn’t “heavy” for me, but the Etude Soon Jung hydro barrier cream (not the 2x version). It’s a light-ish cream but it just forms a sticky film and in slightly humid environments it feels suffocating and makes my face sweat.”

Aveeno Calm + Restore® Oat Gel Moisturizer

You'll want to love this moisturizer because it claims it can calm and soothe irritated skin, but not everyone is a fan.

One Reddit user took aim at an ingredient that is in this moisturizer by writing, “I cant use anything with dimethicone :( it constantly pills and never absorbs. Sooo many brands use dimethicone its been hard to find stuff that isnt full of synthetic moisturizing ingredients. Thankfully I have found stuff I can use. The round lab mugwort cream and innisfree creams have this issue.”

But another Reddit user followed this comment with one specifically linking Aveeno to this ingredient: “Yess this is how dimethicone is for me too. Other than pilling it also creates a film layer on top my skin. Feels like sensory hell. Aveeno Calm and Restore Oat Gel Moisturizer is like this.”

Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream

Even though this K-beauty moisturizer regularly enjoys positive reviews and high ratings, one Reddit user wasn’t satisfied with its formulation and wrote: “Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream. I thought it would be fantastic from all the positive reviews from this sub, but it was terrible for me. It's greasy, heavy, never dried down which caused tackiness, not moisturizing, and oddly caused my skin to feel super tight.

I've tried it several times and it doesn't matter what products I use under it, it just never worked out for my normal to dry skin. The gel version is much better imo.”

CLINIQUE Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+

“The worst moisturizers are Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer (an ugly color, so thick and goopy and it just sits on top of your skin and clogs your pores),” begins one Reddit post about the popular cream formula. And despite its high-profile brand name, it only has a 3.9/5-star rating on Sephora, with one shopper writing, “this was my first moisturizer as a teen. but now that I am in my 50's it doesn't work, plus I think it's irritating my skin. I have a new scaley texture and some irritation. I'm using it as a body lotion and switching to something else for face.”

Drunk Elephant Bora Barrier™ Repair Cream

It’s probably typical that a brand that is so popular and goes viral often would have mixed reactions at times about some of its products. In this case, one reviewer had this to say about the Drunk Elephant cream: “My mom got a sample of this in her order and gave it to me. Personally I dont think it was anything special. It does the same thing as a 30 dollar cream. It also had a weird scent. Don’t recommend especially for the price.”

Keep in mind that one person’s worst moisturizer works perfectly well on someone else.

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

The Ordinary became a hit because of its wide range of skincare products at very affordable prices. But some feel their moisturizers and other products miss the mark when it comes to effectiveness. One Reddit user posted, “Underwhelming products: Almost anything by the Ordinary. I've been through at least 8 products, they're all...not worth it. Either nothing happened, or my skin was irritated.”

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 30

CeraVe is a brand that’s often recommended by dermatologists because it is free of irritating ingredients like fragrances and is deemed generally safe on sensitive skin. But this morning moisturizer with SPF 30 was not a favorite on Reddit: “Cerave am moisturizer with spf. No matter how I use this product, it pills. It also has to be rubbed in a lot so that there’s no white cast. Not a fan of their foaming cleanser either, made my skin tight. Good for body breakouts though.”

StriVectin TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream PLUS

It’s a smart move to include your neck in your skincare routine — the delicate and thinner skin here tends to show signs of aging more rapidly than other areas of the body.

But this particular product by StriVectin struck out with one Reddit user, who wrote: “Strivectin Neck Tightening Cream. I think the neck tightening products are very gimicky and unnecessary but since I got a free deluxe sample of this, I thought I'd give it a try.

Within 10 mins of application my neck was so irritated and itchy, I washed it off ASAP. Threw the entire deluxe sample out and never looked back.”

If you are searching for new products to incorporate into your anti-aging skincare routine, look for moisturizers that contain vitamin C and retinol and avoid anything with irritating and drying alcohols, essential oils (your skin may sensitive to them), and sulfates.