These dermatologist and Allure editor-approved skin-care treatments will help iron out fine lines and fill skin creases without the need for needles.
In the quest to get rid of fine lines and plumping lax skin, going under the needle — whether you’re opting for botox injections, neuromodulator, or filler — reigns supreme. That being said, if you wince at the thought of sharp objects or don’t have hundreds (or thousands!) to drop on in-office treatments, there are pain-free, subtle, and relatively inexpensive topical products that we like to call “botox in a bottle” that you can add to your skin-care routine and help stave off early signs of aging.
“The best line-fighting creams are those that help build our skin’s own building blocks, namely collagen and elastin fibers,” explains Deanne Robinson, MD, a Connecticut-based board-certified dermatologist. She recommends topical retinoids, firming peptides, brightening vitamin C, and growth factors to help support skin cell turnover, increase collagen fibers, and hydrate the skin to help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and frown lines.
Below, feast your eyes on 17 skin-care products — including moisturizers, serums, and treatments — all guaranteed to help iron out lines and fill in creases. No needles required, my friend.
Best Overall (The Original Breakthrough): Erasa Xep-30 Extreme Line Lifting and Rejuvenation Concentrate
Don’t be fooled by the pearly pink bottle. Erasa’s Xep 30 Extreme Line Lifting and Rejuvenation Concentrate is drill-sergeant-tough on fine lines and wrinkles. The proprietary hero ingredient, XEP 30, is a neuropeptide that — similar to Botox — actually communicates to tensed-up facial folds and tells ’em to relax. Another all-star ingredient, niacinamide, restores elasticity. Best of all, this stuff actually starts to work within two weeks. As Amy Forman Taub, MD, a Chicago-area board-certified dermatologist previously told Allure, “I haven’t seen anything else act this quickly.”
Allure Best of Beauty Veteran: SkinMedica TNS+ Advanced Serum
SkinMedica’s TNS+ Advanced Serum has won multiple Best of Beauty Awards for good reason. “The formulation feels silky and smooth on your skin and provides a powerful combination of growth factors and plant-based antioxidants to boost collagen and elastin,” Austin, Texas-based, board-certified dermatologist Heidi Prather, MD previously divulged of the popular treatment. (Said antioxidants include green microalgae extract, marine extracts, and French flaxseed extract.) In a nutshell, growth factors restore the ability to signal skin-cell repair that we inevitably lose over time. With regular use, you’ll start to notice fine lines smoothing out and a firmer, glowing complexion.
Best Affordable Retinol: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel
“Adapalene is a prescription-strength retinoid but has been available over the counter for a few years now, making it accessible to the masses,” says New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Angelo Landriscina, MD, who highly recommends La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar Adapalene Gel (a product he uses himself nightly). “Retinoids like this one can even out skin tone, increase collagen production, and even treat acne and acne scarring.”
As with any retinoid, you won’t notice any major changes in your skin overnight, but with continued use, you’ll start to see fine lines, wrinkles, and discoloration fade significantly. This non-greasy option is also a great one for folks with oily skin who dislike heavy night creams.
Best Retinol Alternative Serum: Isdin Melatonik Recovery Night Serum
“Isdin’s Melatonik Recovery Night Serum is a great treatment that contains the plant-based retinol alternative, bakuchiol,” says New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Robert Finney, MD. “In a clinical trial, [it] reduced wrinkles as significantly as retinol, but is pregnancy safe and without the classic irritation that comes with retinol.”
In addition to bakuchiol, this featherlight serum also contains vitamin C, a powerhouse antioxidant that helps to brighten dark spots and firm the skin. “I always tell patients a little goes a long way, so start off with a few drops on your entire face at night underneath your moisturizer,” advises Dr. Finney.
The TikTok-Viral Sensation: The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%
For those who are ballin’ on a budget, TikTok darling The Ordinary has the Argireline Solution 10%, which clocks in at just $9 and works for all skin types. The water-based serum’s main active ingredient is acetyl hexapeptide-8, or Argireline, which is a peptide quite literally marketed as “Botox in a cream” for its ability to temporarily relax facial muscles. Quite impressive, we think.
P.S. Matrixyl is another hot ingredient for firmer and plumper skin. The Ordinary’s Matrixyl 10% + HA houses this peptide complex, which has been shown to enhance collagen production, as well as hyaluronic acid to curb moisture loss.
Best Collagen Booster: Peter Thomas Roth Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Serum
Peter Thomas Roth’s Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Serum is like a multivitamin for aging skin. Infused with vitamins A, C, and E, it brightens and tightens, while hydrating hyaluronic acid and squalane plump skin for youthful dewiness. This formula also contains neuropeptides, which are thought to increase skin’s collagen production.
Best Eye Treatment: Alastin Restorative Eye Treatment
Alastin’s Restorative Eye Treatment comes recommended by Dr. Marchbein, who advises paying special attention to the eye area as this is where the skin is the thinnest and thereby most susceptible to premature signs of aging. (Related reminder: Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your eyelids. And if you have sensitive skin or watery eyes, we recommend choosing a mineral sunscreen.)
“This cream can be used twice daily and contains lots of powerful ingredients, including peptides to boost collagen production and skin elasticity, [as well as] niacinamide, squalane, and plant extracts,” she says. “It also contains darutoside, which is one of my favorite [ingredients] to help with puffiness, fine lines, and dark undereye circles.”
Best Blurring Effect: No7 Instant Illusion Wrinkle Filler
If instant gratification is your thing, look no further than No7’s Instant Illusion Wrinkle Filler. The creamy formula works as a primer would (as in, it offers a blurring effect), but unlike a primer, this stuff is meant to be used after you’ve applied foundation. Simply pat over deep-set lines, et voila! Light-reflecting particles make wrinkles take a back seat to smooth skin.
Best for Sensitive Skin: Bareminerals Ageless 10% Phyto-Retinol Night Concentrate
A plant-based retinol alternative is the powerhouse ingredient in BareMinerals’ Ageless 10% Phyto-Retinol Night Concentrate. Not only does the treatment smooth fine lines, but it does so without causing irritation, redness, or drying skin out. Like many others on this list, the formula also has hyaluronic acid for added plumping benefits. If you need even more proof of why we love this product so much, take note that we gave it a 2021 Best of Beauty Award.
Best “Botox in a Bottle” Face Mask: Chantecaille Bio Lifting Mask+
Though it’s definitely a splurge, Chantecaille Bio Lifting Mask+ is a 2022 Best of Beauty winner that firms skin and defines facial contours. The rich cream, which can be washed off after 10 to 15 minutes or left on overnight for a more intense treatment, features a cocktail of plant stem cells, peptides, and moisturizing agents that smooth and lift skin — nearly like magic.
Best Antioxidant Serum: Paula’s Choice Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum
The Paula’s Choice Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum is a silky formula that employs a 0.1% concentration of retinol to soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. (As with all retinol products, remember to apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 the following morning.) Boosting those benefits is a powerhouse duo of brightening vitamin C and moisturizing vitamin E. “Compounding vitamin C with another antioxidant [like vitamin E] helps preserve the stability and boost the effectiveness of the serum,” Michelle Henry, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City previously explained. When paired together, the UV protective benefits of vitamins C and E are also doubled.
Best Serum for Forehead Lines: Dr. Brandt Needles No More Wrinkle Smoothing Cream
If the volatility of the past few years has etched a few furrow lines between your brows, chill ’em out with Dr. Brandt’s Needles No More Wrinkle Smoothing Cream. The minty-smelling cream features a blend of neuropeptides, magnesium, and adenosine, which literally relaxes the underlying muscle — similar to the way Botox would (albeit not as dramatically).
Rounding out the lightweight cream are lactic and glycolic acids to help stimulate collagen renewal, as well as hydrating glycerin and vitamin E to support the barrier and prevent moisture loss. The best part: This formula gets to work within a mere 30 minutes to reveal softer forehead lines and crow’s feet.
Best Hybrid Moisturizer: Kate Somerville 2-in-1 Plumping Moisturizer + Serum
If you’re diligent with moisturizer but forgetful about applying serums, consider Kate Somerville’s 2-in-1 Plumping Moisturizer + Serum. Spiked with three different sizes of hydrating hyaluronic acid molecules to target different layers of the skin, this stuff works its plumping magic in a mere 30 minutes. The formula is in it for the long haul, too, thanks to collagen-triggering amino acids, which iron away fine lines over time.
Best Multi-Peptide Serum: Revision Skincare Revox
Revision Skincare’s Revox does a fabulous job softening expression lines around the eyes, forehead, and mouth, and can be used as a neck cream as well. To get into the nitty-gritty, it’s made with seven peptides: palmitoyl hexapeptide-19, acetyl hexapeptide-8, acetyl octapeptide-3, dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate, palmitoyl tripeptide-28, trifluoroacetyl tripeptide-2, and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7.
Now, we also can’t pronounce those but we do know that when they are combined with the gamma-aminobutyric acid in the formula, skin starts to appear firm, expression lines start to look filled, and skin is hydrated.
Best Exfoliating and Smoothing Serum: Estée Lauder Perfectionist Pro Rapid Firm + Lift Treatment
Estée Lauder’s Perfectionist Pro Rapid Firm + Lift Treatment boasts a blend of patented peptides formulated to boost collagen and elastin production. This formula absorbs faster than you can say adios to sagging skin, and goes to work almost as quickly. Within two weeks, prepare to notice skin that looks more lifted — particularly around the jawline and cheekbones. Plus, this product is spiked with alpha hydroxy acids for gentle-yet-noticeable skin resurfacing. Sculpting and smoothing sans needles? We’ll take it.
Best Copper Peptide Serum: Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum
Biossance’s Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum is like the equivalent of drinking a glass of water, thanks to its rapid plumping complex, which is packed with a hydrating team of hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid (PGA), and sugarcane squalane. For those unfamiliar with copper peptides, just know that they “help active wound healing pathways” which in turn stimulate collagen production, according to New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Yoon-Soo Cindy Bae, MD.
Best Trusted Drugstore Find: Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer
As the name implies, the Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer is formulated with fine line-smoothing collagen and peptides to plump up skin over time. There’s also moisturizing glycerin and nourishing niacinamide to hydrate and smooth texture simaltaneously. It’s no wonder this drugstore find earned itself a 2021 Best of Beauty Award.
