As soon as you open the TikTok app, you are bombarded with a new beauty trend that everyone is talking about. While most trends are not worth a second glance, the “Botox in a bottle” videos caught our attention. We are all for people going to a professional for cosmetic treatments, but the idea of a needle-free method at home is intriguing. So, we turned to three dermatologists to get their expert opinions. Is “Botox in a bottle” the real deal?
What Is “Botox in a Bottle”?
“The phrase ‘Botox in a bottle’ is a term popularized on TikTok for topical products with antiaging properties that aim to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the face,” Libby explains. Essentially, these promote wrinkle-reducing, plumping, and firming benefits to reveal smooth, radiant skin. According to Shirazi, topicals work at the cellular level to enhance skin’s natural biology. “They boost vital structures like collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid as well as hydrating skin cells, enhancing cell turnover, and supporting the skin barrier,” she says.
Our Top Picks
- Best for Mature Skin: SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum, $295
- Best Retinol: RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum, $30
- Best Overall: The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA, $21
- Best for the Neck: Reserveage Beauty Firming Neck Cream, $31
- Best Plumping Serum: Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Plumping Serum, $68
- Best for Fine Lines: Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Activating Serum, $69
- Best Mask: Chantecaille Bio Lifting Mask+, $215
What Ingredients Should You Look For?
To start, Engelman suggests that maintaining skin barrier hydration is essential to retaining plump, bouncy skin, as dehydrated skin exaggerates signs of aging. “Hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalane, and niacinamide are key, as are ingredients that improve the skin’s ability to hold onto moisture, like ceramides and peptides,” she instructs.
Aside from hydrators, our experts emphasize the importance of utilizing ingredients that spur the production of collagen and elastin in the skin, as well as agents that protect and repair skin damage. Retinol, retinol alternatives, matrixyl, argireline, peptides, exfoliants, and antioxidants should be incorporated to see lasting results. And if it’s not said enough, Shirazi shares again the importance of daily sun protection.
With this guidance in mind, discover an edit expert-recommended skin care products that work like “Botox in a bottle.” Use them as a preventative treatment or to prolong results in between injections.
Best Overall: The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10% and Matrixyl 10% + HA
- Why We Love It: TikTok users share that this duo helps soften facial creases and inhibit facial muscle movement, particularly atop the forehead and crow’s feet, just like Botox.
- Key Ingredients: We discovered this duo by The Ordinary in our TikTok scrolling,