Botox-Like Skin Care Products

According to my unofficial research, there are two types of people who want–but aren’t getting–Botox. The first are those who are foregoing it because of the financial strain caused by inflation and rising prices. (It typically costs $200 to $500, depending on dosage.) The second are people like me who are concerned with signs of aging but don’t feel it merits the seriousness of a professional treatment.

I was knee-deep in Reddit boards looking for the best topical solution when I remembered I could forgo the peanut gallery and talk to an actual expert, Dr. David Shafer, double board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Shafer Clinic in New York City. I’ll get into the details below, but the TL;DR is that although nothing topical can truly replicate the anti-aging injection, the three products that will get you the most similar results start at just $12 with Gold Bond’s Age Renew Neck and Chest Firming Cream.

If you need a refresher, “Botox Cosmetic is the gold standard when it comes to treating moderate to severe dynamic wrinkles and fine lines,” Dr. Shafer said. “There’s really no skincare product that can fully replicate those results but there are definitely products that can get you closer by helping soften fine lines, improve skin quality, deeply hydrate, and support collagen production.”Gold Bond always comes up when I ask dermatologists for recommendations, which is nothing but good news since its products usually fall under the $15 mark. The Age Renew Neck and Chest Firming Cream “is one of the closest things to [Botox for] achieving a wrinkle-free look,” Dr. Shafer said. The cream is packed with proteins, hyaluronic acid, acids, and vitamins that “target crepey skin, dryness, and loss of firmness…it helps improve hydration, smoothness, and suppleness for a more youthful appearance.”Allergen Aesthetics is the brand that makes Botox, so it’s unsurprising that its topical skin care brand, Skinmedica, would be behind one of Dr. Shafer’s recommendations. He said the brand’s Skinmedica TNS Advanced Face Serum is “one of the holy grail anti-aging products…It supports healthy skin function, improves the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and helps with skin laxity and sagging over time.” Dr. Shafer’s third suggestion is another under-$20 gem: Byoma’s Barrier Repair Moisturizer Treatment. He said it’s “another skin care product that is close to [Botox for] addressing fine lines and signs of aging.” The key ingredients here are squalane, a barrier lipid complex, and avocado oil. The trifecta “visibly softens fine lines while also strengthening and protecting the skin barrier, which is key for healthy, youthful-looking skin,” he said.