Yahoo Life Shopping
Why you can trust us

We independently evaluate the products we review. When you buy via links on our site, we may receive compensation. Read more about how we vet products and deals.

A 51-year-old beauty editor's favorite 4th of July deals on anti-aging products

The best ongoing sales on everything from CeraVe's wrinkle-smoothing retinol to a gentle dark-spot corrector — starting at just $7.

face serums on a blue backdrop with stars
The year's best 4th of July beauty sales come from trusted brands like CeraVe, L'Oreal and CosRx. (Amazon)

Sure, the 4th of July is over — but the beauty sales are not. Before you head out into the weekend, might I suggest checking out these excellent deals on skin care? As a beauty editor, summer is the season when 4th of July and Prime Day sales make me want to stock up on the anti-aging products I use year-round — that is, the best retinol serums, plus as much vitamin C as I can find — while also investing in summer-specific skin-care needs, like a quality ice roller and a cooling facial mist.

Quick overview
  • CeraVe Retinol Serum

    $11$22
    Save $11
  • L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Midnight Serum

    $22$44
    Save $22
  • Evian Facial Spray

    $7$9
    Save $2 with coupon
  • CosRx Snail Mucin 96% Power Repairing Essence

    $12$34
    Save $22
  • Dongyu Caffeine Eye Serum and Under Eye Roller

    $15$20
    Save $5 with coupon
  • Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex

    $34$70
    Save $36
  • RoC Retinol Correxion Anti-Aging Wrinkle Night Serum

    $26$33
    Save $7
  • Yeouth Retinol Serum with Hyaluronic Acid

    $15$20
    Save $5
  • Esarora Ice Roller for Face

    $16$19
    Save $3 with coupon
  • Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask

    $34$60
    Save $26
  • TruSkin Vitamin C Face Serum

    $39$49
    Save $10
  • Verso Skin Care Dark Spot Fix

    $52$95
    Save $43
See 7 more

Right now, the extended 4th of July sales are — dare I say it? — quite good, with trusted, high-quality brands like L'Oreal, CeraVe and CosRx on sale and regular-rotation serums and creams ringing in at steep discounts. Check out my favorite deals below — your skin will thank you.

The bottom line about skin care: If you have an aging face and want to appear like you have a, well, less-aging face, you need retinol. And if you're new to the retinol game or have dry skin, CeraVe's formula is an excellent place to start. It contains just a .3% concentration, which means it will be gentler and less drying than higher-potency products. It's also filled with skin-calming agents like niacinamide and moisturizing hyaluronic acid. Best of all, right now it's inexpensive enough to try without the guilt of a major skin-care investment. 

$11 at Amazon

Jane Fonda says she uses this serum every night on a clean face: "It has a lot of antioxidants and good things to hydrate the skin." It's also currently 50% off!

$22 at Amazon

Let's face it (no pun): When you're a woman of a certain age traveling in a certain month, you're going to feel like you're baking from the inside. Evian's perfectly portable face mists are quick-fix skin refreshers used by every old-school beauty editor I know. Not only do they lend an immediate cool-off, they make your face look dewy and pretty too.  

Save $2 with coupon
$7 at Amazon

When it comes to serums, not many come close to this beloved snail mucin from CosRx — it's won multiple awards, has almost 70,000 five-star reviews on Amazon and has also impressed most every beauty editor I know. After using it the first time, my face was noticeably dewier and softer. Other users have boasted about its ability to soothe, hydrate, repair and improve dullness in the skin. 

If you're new to K-beauty and are looking for a product that defines the entire genre, this is it.

$12 at Amazon

Caffeine has been clinically proven to reduce under-eye wrinkles and lighten dark circles. This serum contains a highly concentrated amount of caffeine, 5%, and the cooling metal roller-ball applicator helps bring additional blood flow to the area. It has over 4,000 five-star reviews (some including before and after pics).

Save $5 with coupon
$15 at Amazon

Delicate under-eye skin needs extra nourishment, so experts recommend treatments you apply before you go to bed that work while you snooze. This peptide-rich, eye-skin-fortifying cream has racked up more than 1,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.

Want some other options? Check out more of the best eye creams of 2024.

$34 at Amazon

While we're talking retinol, this Sarah Jessica Parker-favorite brand is a drugstore skin-care legend for a reason: It's proven. In a clinical study, 97% of those who tried Retinol Correxion reported smoother skin after just a single night. Users said their skin was 63% more hydrated after a week and visibly firmer after a month. RoC's retinol serum is recommended and tested by dermatologists. It's also among Amazon’s highest-rated skin care products with more than 13,000 five-star reviews. 

$26 at Amazon

This affordable serum offers 2.5% encapsulated retinol, which is one of the higher concentrations you'll find in any over-the-counter product. Encapsulation means a slower release, making it less harsh and leading to fewer negative side effects. It's also packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid and soothing aloe. The texture is thin but not watery, and it absorbs quickly. If your skin can tolerate this level of potency, this is the best over-the-counter retinol serum I've tried at this price, rivaling the efficacy of prescription Retin-A with less irritation and ramp-up time. Nearly 10,000 five-star Amazon reviewers also approve, claiming the product is a "gentle retinol serum that works."   

$15 at Amazon

You may think you don't need another gadget for your face, but I'm telling you: You want an ice roller. These simple devices wake up your skin in a way almost nothing else does. They're good for de-puffing eyes, reducing redness and improving circulation in the face and neck. But more than anything, an ice roller just feels good, like a refreshing popsicle for your skin.

Save $3 with coupon
$16 at Amazon

The key to keeping mature skin from looking dull and lifeless: finding an exfoliant or resurfacing mask that promotes cell turnover and sloughs off dead cells. This Peter Thomas Roth mask is a tried-and-true favorite — I've been using it for 20 years. It's rare to find such a high-quality product from a luxury brand so deeply discounted.

$34 at Walmart

This is a solid deal on a fan-favorite face serum that has over 94,000 five-star reviews. One enthusiastic user raved: "I was recommended this by an esthetician for my fine lines and surfacing age spots (I am 59). I have noticed my skin looking better and the age spot has faded significantly."

Not quite what you're looking for? Check out more of our best serums of 2024.

$39 at Amazon

Dark spots are a weird, cruel indignity of getting older, as if we are some wizened cadet earning our face stripes. This Swedish brand's Dark Spot Fix is 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, gentle and 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.

$52 at Amazon

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.