A topical composition for application to aging skin, comprising an effective amount of S-acyl glutathione derivative of formula (I)wherein R1 consists of an unsaturated or saturated C16 group and R2 is a hydrogen, aliphatic or aromatic acyl group; and a dermatologically acceptable carrier. Preferred compositions comprise about 1.0% to about 3.0% by weight of S-palmitoyl glutathione.