The idea that a sub-$10 skin care serum could offer the same benefits as an expensive in-office injectable sounds too good to be true. So, you can imagine my skepticism when a video came across my TikTok feed suggesting The Ordinary’s 10% Argireline Solution could do just that. But I also wasn’t about to let my cynicism get in the way of me doing some digging.
As convincing as the bold statements are for regular beauty users, I wanted to ask the professional opinion of a board-certified dermatologist.
According to New York-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Brendan Camp, neurotoxins, the active ingredient in Botox, “interfere with the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, into nerve synapses.” This temporarily freezes the muscles to reduce the appearance of dynamic lines and prevent new ones from forming.
The Ordinary’s lightweight and water-based solution features a 10% concentration of Argireline, otherwise known as Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, “a skincare ingredient that may reduce the appearance of expression lines by working as a neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptide,” Camp said.
One Sephora reviewer corroborated Argireline’s temporary muscle-freezing potential by claiming they could finally relax their over-active forehead muscles after using the serum for just a week.
