11 Skin Plumping Products That Actually Work

Skin plumping products sound like a vague, catch-all phrase. But after years of experimenting with different skincare ingredients and products, I can assure you that this product category serves a very specific purpose. And that’s giving you instantly plump, smooth skin. And I picked out the best skin plumping products including serums and creams to help you get started.

Plump skin means smoother skin with less visible wrinkles and lines. And skin-plumping products work by increasing hydration, which results in a smoother texture with less visible wrinkles and lines. To elaborate, hydration causes a temporary swelling effect on the skin, much like what you see when you wet a sponge. And that “swelling” is what softens the look of wrinkles, and dehydration lines, and gives you plump, bouncy skin.

What to Look For in a Skin Plumping Product

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is a humectant that attracts and binds water to the skin (1). As plump skin is mostly about hydrated skin, hyaluronic acid is the key ingredient to look for in your creams and serums to plump your skin. And it makes sense because our skin produces hyaluronic acid too. But it decreases with age. So replenishing it with topical hyaluronic acid is a good way to get plump skin.

Peptides

Peptides plump your skin in two ways. First, they’re made up of a chain of amino acids. And amino acids are humectants that hydrate your skin. Second, amino acids become more targeted when grouped together to make peptides. And you get different peptides like signal peptides, copper peptides, and neuropeptides. Concerning instantly plump skin, neuropeptides are the ones to go for (2).

Emollients

Emollients like squalane, and ceramides are also important ingredients to look for in your skincare products to plump your skin. Because they help humectants like hyaluronic acid from evaporating from the skin. They keep water in, improve skin barrier function, and keep your complexion smooth and soft (3).

Best Skin Plumping Products

Kiehl’s Vital Skin-Strengthening Hyaluronic Acid Super Serum

This face serum is formulated with hyaluronic acid in smaller molecules. This is to increase absorption so you get better results. And trust me, it works! The texture of it is a runny gel and it absorbs super fast without leaving any noticeable feel on the skin. And you can instantly notice your skin looking smoother and feeling softer. It also contains botanical extracts, including ginseng, to strengthen your skin barrier for long-term results too. Plus, it has a very subtle dewy finish to it, which makes the skin look radiant and even.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ginseng, witch hazel
Skin Type: All
Size: 1 oz/30 ml

SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator

I talk about this serum whenever I talk about hydration, dehydration, or hydration without congestion. This whole treatment is made for plumping your skin on all possible levels. It’s all thanks to hyaluronic acid in different molecular weights as well as amino acids. The lotion-like texture visibly smoothes skin texture and improves elasticity, which is great for mature, aging skin.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, amino acids
Skin Type: All
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free

Peter Thomas Roth Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Moisturizer

We mentioned peptides being so versatile. And the whole Wrinkle Resist line from PTR revolves around different types of peptides for both instant and long-term benefits. This skin-plumping daily moisturizer is made with both neuropeptides and signal peptides. The former softens wrinkles instantly while the latter stimulates collagen. The moisturizer also contains hyaluronic acid as well as natto gum, also known as polyglutamic acid. It’s as hydrating as hyaluronic acid but has longer-lasting effects.

Key Ingredients: Peptides, hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid
Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination
Size: 1.7 oz/50 ml

The Inkey List 5% Hepta-Peptide Serum

And speaking of, here’s a more budget-friendly serum to plump your skin. Also made with peptides with a concentration of 5%, this one actually doubles as a mattifying face primer. It contains silicones, which blur out texture irregularities. But that’s also why this is an excellent option for people with oily skin who want plump skin but not a product with a radiant finish. The serum packs squalane and glycerin to hydrate without clogging pores.

Key Ingredients: Peptides, squalane
Skin Type: All
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, vegan, cruelty-free

Tip: This isn’t like a regular, water-based serum but more like a lotion. So if you use multiple serums, this should be the last one to apply on your skin before you go in with your moisturizer.

Laneige Time Freeze Sleeping Mask

If you can spare a few hours to plump your skin, add this face mask into your evening routine. You guys, this balm-like overnight face mask is the recipe for glass skin. I don’t like to use that term a lot but that’s a good way to frame it. Because this makes me wake up to tighter-looking, smooth, and glowing skin! It plumps the skin with humectants and amino acids and locks moisture in with the help of silicones. That way, the skin pulls in hydration all night and traps water in while you get your beauty sleep.

Key Ingredients: Squalane, glycerin, amino acids
Skin Type: All
Size: 2 oz/60 ml

Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum

This combines a blend of skin plumpers with copper peptides. Copper peptides promote skin repair and also aid in collagen production. So again, you get both instant and long-term benefits. The blend of squalane, hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, vitamin B5, and aloe all help to visibly plump your skin and minimize lines. Also, the slightly blue-tinted serum provides a really nice, refreshing experience for the senses. It contains antioxidants to help with signs of aging too.

Key Ingredients: Peptides, hyaluronic acid, squalane, green tea, turmeric
Skin Type: All
Size: 1.7 oz/50 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

Vichy LiftActiv Supreme H.A. Wrinkle Corrector

I have no idea how a brand can use so much silicone in their face creams but manage to keep their serums so light and weightless. Vichy’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum is gold. But my current favorite is this hydrating serum with 1.5% hyaluronic acid and a vitamin C derivative. The serum is like water for the skin. Because your skin drinks it up and that’s it. No fragrance, no silicones, and no residue on the skin. You simply get instantly and visibly plump skin. I massage this into my frown lines between my brows to plump up that area. And it works. Considering the effects and price, I’d say this is an affordable drugstore serum to plump your skin.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin C
Skin Type: All including sensitive
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, non-comedogenic

Estee Lauder Perfectionist Pro Serum Rapid Firm + Lift Treatment

Right off the bat, let me tell you one thing about Estee Lauder’s serums. Whichever it is, it will give you plump skin even if it’s not its primary function. And followed by their Advanced Repair, this is one of my favorites from the brand. This serum plumps your skin with Argireline, the famous neuropeptide with ‘Botox-like’ effects. It packs humectants like glycerin, sodium PCA, and hyaluronic acid as well as algae extract and squalane to enhance hydration. The best part is it’s madly rich in antioxidants from botanicals.

Key Ingredients: Argireline, hyaluronic acid, squalane, antioxidants
Skin Type: All
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Non-comedogenic

Exuviance Lift Volumizing Hyaluronic Acid Concentrate

Wrinkle fillers are another category of skincare products that give instant results. Unlike serums and creams, these are applied directly where you want to plump. And similar to the products we’ve been talking about, wrinkle fillers are also rich in humectants and peptides. But they’re also heavily rich in silicones to get that wrinkle blurring effect. And one of the most effective products you can try to plump your skin is this instant wrinkle remover. It’s made with different forms of hyaluronic acid paired with other humectants. And it has silicones too, but it doesn’t make the formula thick or heavy. In fact, it’s quite easy to spread. You can also use it on the entire face but save this for those expression wrinkles that need more care.

Key Ingredients: 3x hyaluronic acid
Skin Type: All
Size: 1.7 oz/50 gr

Farmacy Filling Good Hyaluronic Acid Plumping Serum

And speaking of wrinkle fillers, this is another hydrating serum that doubles as instant skin plumper. It has several amino acids and different forms of hyaluronic acid to visibly plump your skin. But more importantly, it has encapsulated thyme extract to increase circulation. And if you’ve ever massaged your face, you’ll know that increased circulation gives you plumper and bouncier skin.

Key Ingredients: Amino acid blend, hyaluronic acid blend, thyme extract
Skin Type: All except for very sensitive skin
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free

Alpha-H Vitamin E Serum with 1% Ceramide Complex

This is an oil-based serum made with a lot of emollients. A quick recap: oils trap water in, much like a glass of water with a few drops of oil in it. And in your skincare, oils help you hold on to your humectants. But don’t worry, the formula is incredibly light and absolutely leaves no oily residue on the skin. In fact, it dries quickly and simply disappears into your skin. You get moisturizing and antioxidant benefits from vitamin E and restorative benefits from ceramides and macadamia oil.

Key Ingredients: Vitamin E, ceramides, macadamia oil
Skin Type: Normal, dry
Size: 0.85 oz/25 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

So these are some of the best skin plumping products that work. Personally, I think Kiehl’s Hyaluronic Acid serum is an overall effective formula. It plumps your skin but also gives it a healthy radiance and it’s suitable for all skin types. An affordable alternative to that is Vichy’s H.A. Filler Serum. It’s weightless, super gentle, and instantly plumps your skin.

FAQ

Read Next: The Best Skin-Firming Ingredients

References:

1. Draelos, Z. D., Diaz, I., Namkoong, J., Wu, J., & Boyd, T. (2021). Efficacy Evaluation of a Topical Hyaluronic Acid Serum in Facial Photoaging. Dermatology and therapy, 11(4), 1385–1394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-021-00566-0
2. Gorouhi, F., & Maibach, H. I. (2009). Role of topical peptides in preventing or treating aged skin. International journal of cosmetic science, 31(5), 327–345. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2494.2009.00490.x
3. Purnamawati, S., Indrastuti, N., Danarti, R., & Saefudin, T. (2017). The Role of Moisturizers in Addressing Various Kinds of Dermatitis: A Review. Clinical medicine & research, 15(3-4), 75–87. https://doi.org/10.3121/cmr.2017.1363