Looking for the best non-invasive Botox alternatives because needles aren’t your thing (or your budget’s)? Totally fair. While injections are the gold standard for smoothing expression lines, plenty of people want skincare that can help soften fine lines, boost bounce, and give skin that “I slept eight hours and drank my water” look.
The key is knowing what actually works: think clinically backed ingredients like peptides, retinoids, growth factors, and line-blurring hydrators that temporarily relax the look of wrinkles and plump skin where it counts. Ahead, we tapped top dermatologists to break down the smartest Botox-inspired skincare picks that deliver visible results — no appointment, numbing cream, or downtime required.
Credit: Amazon
Type: Serum | Key Ingredients: Peptides, glycerin | Size: 0.5 fl oz.
This oil-free serum features seven unique peptides to help soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the face — specifically, forehead lines, glabellar (frown) lines, crow’s feet, bunny nose lines, nasolabial laugh lines, lip lines, and marionette lines. “It’s one of the only clinically proven topical products that helps smooth the appearance of expression lines,” says Hadley King, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist. Use twice daily, in the morning and evening, for best results.
Credit: Sephora
Why We Like It
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Budget-friendly
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A little goes a long way
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Water-based
Type: Serum | Key Ingredients: Matrixyl, hyaluronic acid | Size: 1 fl oz.
This wallet-friendly serum combines two of the most effective skin-smoothing ingredients, peptides (in the form of Matrixyl) and hyaluronic acid. Matrixyl is a pentapeptide that has been scientifically proven to stimulate collagen production in the skin. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant that holds 1,000 times its weight in water. The lightweight water-based formula targets fine lines by hydrating the skin and boosting collagen production. This Botox alternative has even gone viral as part of a popular Botox hack on TikTok.
Credit: Amazon
Why We Like It
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Hypoallergenic, latex- and silicone-free
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Targets multiple areas at once
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Layer over skincare seamlessly
Type: Patches | Key Ingredients: Cotton, spandex | Size: 60 single-use patches
Simultaneously target frown lines, crow’s feet, and smile lines with this multi-purpose pack. These wrinkle-smoothing strips gently hold skin in place, softening the appearance of fine lines on the forehead, cheeks, and jawline. We love that they layer seamlessly over your skincare (yes, even serums) and are made from a hypoallergenic, latex- and silicone-free material that’s friendly for sensitive skin. Lightweight, non-slip, and totally residue-free, each pack comes with 60 single-use patches that make “snatched” skin feel refreshingly low effort.
Credit: Amazon
Type: Patches | Key Ingredients: Medical-grade silicone | Size: 2 patches
This medical-grade silicone patch is among the best non-invasive Botox alternatives to keep forehead wrinkles and frown lines at bay. “The patches keep the skin taut so it can’t crease or wrinkle while locking in moisture,” Dr. King says. These patches are designed to sit across the forehead and in between the brows to rehydrate and smooth the area. Wear them for one to two hours for a quick boost or sleep with them on to avoid friction-based creases when you wake up.
Credit: Amazon
Why We Like It
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Firms, lifts, and brightens
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Uses LED, microcurrent, heat, and massage
Type: Device | Key Features: LED therapy, galvanic current | Size: 1 wand
If you’re interested in the benefits of at-home skincare devices without cluttering up your vanity, this multitasking wand is just what the doctor ordered. “A multifunctional device like Solawave uses combination therapy of LED, microcurrent, heat, and massage to promote collagen production, calm, and firm the skin,” says Howard Sobel, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist.
Red light therapy minimizes the appearance of lines and wrinkles, while a galvanic current (electrical current emitted from the device) boosts the absorption of topical skincare products, and a low-vibration facial massage improves contour and radiance. What’s more, the therapeutic warmth emitted from the wand temporarily depuffs. “When used as a follow up to a professional dermatological or medi-spa treatment, it can help to prolong skin firming benefits at home,” says Dr. Sobel.
Credit: Amazon
Why We Like It
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They offer both short- and long-term benefits
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Can be worn to bed to work overnight
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Costs less than $5 per treatment
Type: Patches | Key Ingredients: Retinol, vitamin C, peptides | Size: 6 patches
Microneedling, a.k.a. collagen induction therapy, is a professional procedure that helps plump and smooth the complexion by creating micro-wounds in the skin (it’s also a popular hair loss treatment option). These adhesive patches employ a similar logic — without the needles or pain. Each patch features 450 hyaluronic acid-based “microneedles” that dissolve over the course of six to 12 hours to help powerful ingredients like encapsulated retinol, vitamin C, and peptides penetrate deeper into the skin. These actives boost collagen production and smooth fine lines around your mouth, eyes, and forehead.
Apply before bed and wear the patches for a minimum of six hours for best results. If you have sensitive skin, the combination of retinol and vitamin C may be irritating. Patch test one in a more discreet area (think: under your chin) to see how your skin responds.
Credit: Nordstrom
Why We Like It
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Hydrating, soothing, and age-defying
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Made with a bionymph peptide complex
Type: Cream | Key Ingredients: Peptides, vitamins C and E, hyaluronic acid | Size: 1.7 fl oz.
Makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury bottled up her go-to anti-aging moisturizer, featuring a blend of skin-smoothing peptides, brightening antioxidants, hydrating humectants, and lots more, after years of whipping up small batches to get her celebrity and runway clients red carpet-ready. “A good moisturizer contains humectants to hydrate, emollients to support the skin barrier, and occlusives to lock in the moisture — and this product contains all three,” Dr. King says. The hydrating ingredients are paired with a bionymph peptide complex to diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles, so there is very little this multitasking moisturizer doesn’t do.
Credit: Dermstore
Type: Cream | Key Ingredients: Growth factors, peptides | Size: 1.7 fl oz.
What happens when you combine vegan epidermal growth factors (EGF) with bio-recovery peptides and a blend of three phyto-retinols? You get this skin-smoothing, soothing, and strengthening cream that, Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, helped formulate to repair the skin barrier and reduce signs of aging over time without sensitizing skin. The 1% vegan EGF mimics human protein to boost collagen and elastin production, a plant-based retinol complex imparts all the firming and smoothing benefits of the vitamin A-derivative without the irritating side effects, and peptides work to strengthen maturing skin from within.
Credit: Omnilux
Type: LED mask | Key Features: 633nm (red light) and 830nm (near-infrared light ) | Size: Covers face
There’s a lot of buzz around at-home red light therapy masks and other high-tech skincare tools — and for good reason. Many of the models have impressive results, often eliminating fine lines and acne over time with consistent use. The Omnilux LED Contour Face Mask is FDA-cleared and uses light-emitting diodes (LED) to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and to firm and tone the face.
Although this is quite a splurge, it offers a blend of both red light and near-infrared light which can lead to results after about a month. The flexible silicone mask is lined with LEDs and fits around your face comfortably enough for 10-minute treatments. Initially, it’s recommended to use three to five times per week for a period of four to six weeks. After this, use it for maintenance treatments as needed (but still five times per week max).
Credit: Dr. Whitney Bowe
Type: Serum | Key Ingredients: Retinaldehyde, peptides, lipids | Size: 0.95 fl oz.
If you’re interested in the never-ending benefits of retinol and retinoids but are concerned about your skin’s acclimation process that comes with introducing them to your routine, this mild formula from dermatologist Whitney Bowe, MD, is a good place to start. “This is a gentle way to introduce a retinoid into your regimen with retinaldehyde plus peptides and lipids,” says Kseniya Kobets, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in NYC.
While retinaldehyde is the most potent vitamin A you can get without a prescription, the skin-soothing lipids in this formula make it tolerable for most skin types to use two to three times a week. Dr. Kobets also likes the product because it is hypoallergenic, clinically tested, and refillable.
Credit: SkinBetter Science
Type: Serum | Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides | Size: 1 fl oz.
This targeted treatment plumps deeper expression lines thanks to varying weights of hyaluronic acid, peptides, and other skin-smoothers. “It has injectable-grade hyaluronic acid, peptides, and a collagen nourishing complex of amino acids and vitamin C for the fine and deeper lines,” Dr. Kobets says. The injectable-grade HA instantly fills the expression lines for a smoother effect, while four additional HA molecules lock in moisture. Two neuro-calming peptides are also employed to soften lines and wrinkles over time.
What to Know About Botox Alternatives
- Botox vs. topical Botox alternatives: To prevent the deepening of expression lines, neurotoxin injections are the gold standard. “Botox causes the muscle in the injected area to relax, which lessens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in that area and creates an overall smoother, more youthful-looking appearance,” Dr. Engelman says. “Without Botox, dynamic lines eventually turn into static lines that are present even at rest.” But that’s not to say topical skincare products and other at-home tools can’t have a similar effect. With regular use, there are key ingredients and even at-home devices you can use to smooth the skin and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. They offer both short and long-term benefits that can actually do more to improve overall skin health and quality than neurotoxin injections alone — so long as you use them regularly.
- Ingredients: Peptides, retinoids, growth factors, hydrators, and antioxidants all play important roles in Botox alternatives. “Peptides can tighten the skin and smooth fine lines by supporting the skin’s natural ability to produce collagen and elastin,” Dr. Sobel says. Similarly, the skincare benefits of vitamin-A derivatives like retinol and retinoids are long and far-reaching. “They help to diminish fine lines and wrinkles, retexturize uneven skin texture, and boost collagen for a more youthful complexion,” continues Dr. Sobel. Finally, antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, resveratrol, and glutathione are substances that help to neutralize the oxidative damage caused by free radicals and other environmental stressors (think: UV rays, pollution) on the skin.
- At-home devices: Botox alternatives aren’t limited to creams and serums. “[Wrinkle patches] work by decreasing the movement of the skin, thus preventing the face from making or settling into expressions that deepen wrinkles,” says Dr. Engelman. Devices with LED light therapy come in an array of colors and formats and can be found in both in-office and at-home treatments. Finally, “microcurrent devices send an electrical current to the muscles and skin cells in the face, which smoothes lines and lifts and firms the skin,” Dr. Engelman says. While that effect is often immediate and temporary, there are longer-term results as well. “Microcurrent also triggers collagen production, which creates a firmer, smoother, and more youthful-looking appearance,” she adds.
- Results: Neurotoxin injections take about five to 10 days to kick in and last three to four months depending on the patient and treatment area. Topical skincare and at-home devices require a lot more patience. Generally speaking, it takes a minimum of about 28 days to see the benefits of Botox alternatives like serums and firming creams. However, topical skincare and at-home devices can have the upper hand on Botox when it comes to longevity. While neuromodulators peak about two to four weeks after injection and wear off over time, the benefits of skincare are cumulative. So, while you’ll have to wait longer to see a result (and the result will be less dramatic than Botox), the effect builds and can be sustained over time with regular use.
Why Trust Shape
Meg Storm is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience covering the beauty and aesthetics industry. She is a biannual Botox devotee with a tightly curated skincare and device routine that has been informed by the hundreds of dermatologists and plastic surgeons she has worked with and interviewed over the years. The best anti-aging advice she’s ever received: Never leave the house without sunscreen.
For this article, we interviewed the following experts:
