Botox in a Bottle: 10 Wrinkle-Fighting Skincare Products That Are Injection-Level Good
You’ve probably seen dermatologist-approved beauty products marketed as “Botox in a bottle,” but what does that even mean? No, your skincare hasn’t been spiked with the transformative clear fluid, but rather, these “Botox in a bottle” skincare products are said to mimic the effects of Botox. In other words, you can bid adieu to expression lines, deep wrinkles, and signs of aging—and say hello to firming and elasticity (at a much lower cost!).
About the Experts:
Rachel Lee Lozina is a licensed esthetician, laser technician, and oncology esthetician. She’s also the owner of Blue Water Spa in Oyster Bay, New York.
Christina Uzzardi is an esthetician and founder of Cheeks+Co, a clean facial and waxing spa in Pasadena, CA. She is the former director of operations for ILIA beauty.
Ariel Ostad, MD, is a cosmetic surgeon and founder of a namesake skincare line DR. ARIEL OSTAD'S SKINCARE.
What Is “Botox in a Bottle”?
“The idea is to give your skin a facelift and line-relaxing effect,” says Blue Water Spa owner Rachel Lee Lozina. “Botox (aka botulinum toxin) blocks facial muscle signals, and therefore the skin on top of muscles. It smoothes crow’s feet and lines between your brows. A product that touts itself as “Botox in a bottle” has ingredients, such as alpha hydroxy acid, that immediately improve your skin quality and texture; copper peptides, which are amino acids that stimulate collagen production; and hyaluronic acid, which plumps the epidermis like a big drink of water. Moisture is so important for the skin.”
That said, it’s important to note that it’s not physically possible for skincare to completely match up to Botox. “The active ingredients are not as strong as the neurotoxin,” says Dr. Ariel Ostad. “These products just help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles to minimize the use of Botox.” “Botox in a bottle” skincare products can come in the form of moisturizer, serum, eye cream—you name it. They’re topical products recommended for people who don’t want to go the injectable route with traditional Botox or filler. They’re easy to incorporate into your skincare routine because they’re often multipurpose products that you can use to treat additional concerns like hyperpigmentation or dark spots. They also often contain SPF/sunscreen, and there’s no skin type or skin tone that won’t benefit from their use—just ask your derm! Keep reading for the experts’ best anti-aging skincare picks.
The Best Botox in a Bottle You Can Buy
1. Best Botox in a Bottle Neck Product:
DR. ARIEL OSTAD Neck Refining Cream
With age comes wrinkles, and that means on the neck, too. Dr. Ostad has his own line of skincare products, including something specifically targeted to that area. “Our Neck Refining Cream is a medical grade anti-aging cream for the neck, which contains a combination of unique ingredients,” he says. Improved fine lines and wrinkles on the neck become visible by way of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, ferulic acid, and retinoid acid.
2. Best Botox in a Bottle Splurge:
SKINMEDICA TNS Advanced+ Serum
This one’s a pretty penny, but the brand claims you’ll see results after just two weeks. Dr. Ostad is a huge fan because of its ability to improve the appearance of coarse wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin, and texture. “This serum encourages skin cell renewal and will boost collagen and elastic production for firmer and smoother skin,” he says. The product contains TNS-MR®, a powerful growth factor that boosts collagen and smoothes skin, along with Renessence (RSC) Advanced, peptides, and growth factors.
3. Best Botox in a Bottle Viral Product Combination:
THE ORDINARY Argireline Solution 10% and THE ORDINARY Matrixyl 10% + HA
If you look up the #botoxinabottle hashtag on TikTok, you’ll instantly see it chock full of recommendations to try this duo. And Dr. Ariel says the users aren’t wrong! He’s a fan because not only are they excellent budget buys, but they’re lightweight and help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
4. Best Botox in a Bottle Product for Non-Sensitive Skin:
PAULA’S CHOICE RESIST Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum
If your skin can handle a handful of powerful actives at once, this is an excellent pick, according to Dr. Ostad. The blend of pure retinol and potent antioxidants help smoothen and soften wrinkles while brightening the skin with Vitamin C. This serum also contains hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and Peptides. Retinol and Vitamin C pair together perfectly, so this one’s a gem.
5. Best Vegan Botox in a Bottle Product:
TIDALSHIFT Serum
Esthetician and Cheeks+Co spa owner Christina Uzzardi loves this ocean-blue serum because it packs a punch of actives that target fine lines and wrinkles, while also prepping your skin to withstand future damage caused by environmental stressors. “You’re eliminating and preventing all at once. Niacinamide, ceramides, hyaluronic acid and polypeptides work in harmony to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”
6. Best Botox in a Bottle Eye Product:
COSMEDIX Opti-Eye Serum
This is a bit on the spendier side, but it did win the 2021 Aesthetician’s Choice Dermascope Award. And Uzzardi stands by that win. Cosmedix's hero product is known to dramatically reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, along with the unwanted sagging around the eye area which can be difficult to treat. “All you need is a pin drop and you’ll see instant results which get better over time,” she says.
7. Best Botox in a Bottle Face Oil:
JOSH ROSEBROOK Active Infusion Oil
We love face oils, and we’re so glad Uzzardi shared her favorite. The Josh Rosebrook regenerating retinoid oil touts a clinical concentration of skin brightening Vitamin C and rosehip oil, while smoothing, plumping, toning and lifting.
8. Best Botox in a Bottle Masque:
ENVIRON Revival Mask
This product calls itself a “facelift in a jar” so that must mean something! Esthetician and Blue Water Spa owner Rachel Lee Lozina uses this because of its AHAs and peptides which she says visually improves skin textures, fine lines, and wrinkles.
9. Best Ayurvedic Botox in a Bottle Product:
AVYA SKINCARE Hydroveda Serum
This plumping and hydrating serum replenishes and nourishes tired, dry skin by harnessing modern molecular science and ancient East Asian Ayurvedic medicine. Lozina loves the botanical ingredients and peptides that help make the skin glow. “I also like that it contains turmeric extract, which brightens the skin and lupine which is like Spanx for your face!”
10. Best Drugstore Botox in a Bottle Product:
BAEBODY eye gel
Next time you’re in Target or Walmart, you can snag this wallet-friendly eye gel recommended by Lozina. It includes a peptide complex of Matrixyl 3000, which helps reduce the appearance of puffiness, dark circles, and wrinkles around the eye area.
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