Natural Alternatives To Botox & Other Treatments

natural alternatives to botox

YES, natural alternatives to Botox and other salon treatments DO exist! They’re cheaper, and safer, too

By Sophia Hussain

Women around the world spend millions on expensive salon treatments they hope will turn the clock back. From Botox to fillers, peels to eyelash growing treatments, the demand for products that can tighten skin and restore youthful beauty will never fade.

However, as well as being costly, many anti-ageing salon treatments are uncomfortable or even painful procedures, causing some individuals to experience unpleasant side effects. So here, we’ve come up with some natural alternatives to Botox and other typical beauty treatments.

They are definitely cheaper and safer than anything you’d get in a clinic, but it’s important to keep this in mind: as with all cosmetic procedures, the best results are achieved with a consistent regimen. So if you choose to supplement your beauty regime with a natural, at-home ‘salon alternative,’ you should definitely make sure you undertake the routine regularly to really see a difference!

Natural Alternatives To Salon Treatments

natural alternatives to botox

1. Natural Alternatives to Botox

Botox is an injectable toxin produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum, and is the most popular treatment used to smooth out wrinkles in the forehead (frown lines) and around the eyes (crow’s feet). However, let’s remember that this is a toxin, delivered via a needle!

Side effects can include double vision, breathing problems and allergy-induced rashes, so why not save the estimated $200-500 per treatment and invest in natural alternatives to Botox instead?

We’ve got a few options for you, below.

a) Frownies

We get wrinkles because of repeated movements of the muscles under the skin. Botox, of course, freezes the muscles, stopping this. But there’s a far more natural way to do this, too. Thing is, you need to use these at home.

Frownies are one of the best natural alternatives to Botox. These are little patches of inexpensive, natural Kraft paper that are ‘glued’ to the skin, temporarily ‘freezing’ the muscle movements that cause wrinkles, just as Botox does. And as with Botox, over time with regular use, if you stop those muscles from working so much, they will lose their strength – and their ability to wrinkle the skin.

Tip: Tend to get temporary wrinkles when you sleep because the pillow forces your skin to scrunch up? Wearing Frownies at night assures you’ll wake up wrinkle free. Before bedtime, just stick a Frownie on the part of your face you want to be smooth, get a solid 8 hours, and voila! You’ll wake up looking great.

b) Face Saver Balls

After renowned fitness trainer, Yamuna noticed she was getting wrinkles. She shunned Botox and decided to do her own research and trials. Eventually, she came up with a concept that has earned her a large and loyal following – the Yamuna Face Ball, a rubbery ball that claims to work on the bone to improve its health and mass reduce skin sagging as a consequence. The ball also works out muscles, increases circulation, tones and helps reverse the effects of gravity – much like Botox does.

Today, at more than 60 years of age, Yamuna is more beautiful than ever, and claims that regular sessions that involve moving the ball across areas of the face that are often ‘stuck’ in a position due to squinting, frowning or grinding teeth can result in firmer, healthier skin, giving a ‘lifted’ appearance with diminished fine lines.

The Face Saver ball was originally meant for women over 40, but women as young as 20 can start using the ball, in order to prevent repetitive stress patterns from becoming a problem as they age.

c) VTOX

Facialist to the stars Linda Meredith was aware that her celeb clients, who include Kate Moss, Stella McCartney and Gwyneth Paltrow, all wanted a natural alternative to Botox. They were afraid of Botox’s potential health risks, especially when they were pregnant, and asked Meredith if she knew of an alternative.

At the time, she didn’t, so she created one: VTOX.

This Botox alternative contains natural neuropeptides and algae, which surround the muscles with proteins to block the skin from contracting strongly around muscles, whilst still allowing for some movement. Apparently, when the algae extract is combined with other ingredients, the skin around it will appear more youthful, without seeming to be ‘frozen’.

Rather than being injected by a needle, VTOX is absorbed directly by the skin, and is so safe, it can be bought online and easily used at home.

2. Natural Lip Plumpers

natural alternatives to botox

Restylane is commonly used to increase lip volume. This injectable gel is made from hyaluronic acid, and is also used to smooth fine lines, and restore the contours in the jawline and chin. Priced similarly to Botox and injected with an even larger needle, side effects can include swelling, itching, discolouration, and tenderness at the injection sites.

Instead, for temporarily naturally plump lips, try this.

  • Pour a tiny amount of peppermint oil or cinnamon powder into a small bowl
  • Dip a water-dampened cotton swab into the powder
  • Apply the peppermint oil or cinnamon-dipped cotton swab onto clean smooth lips.

This will cause a mild tingling sensation. Let this sit for a few minutes then wipe off the remaining powder. Your lips will have plumped up slightly with results lasting for at least a few hours.

Sure, it’s temporary, but it’s practically free, and zero ‘duck face’ is guaranteed!

Tip: To ensure your lips are at their plumpest, dry brush them with a toothbrush to remove dead skin cells. Be sure to moisten after with a natural lip balm.

3. Chemical Peel Alternatives

In addition to natural alternatives to Botox, there are natural alternatives to chemical peels, too!

A chemical peel involves applying Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s) to the skin to peel off the top outer skin layer (epidermis). This exposes newer smooth skin underneath.

Many people go to a dermatologist or beautician for a chemical peel. But you can also achieve a smoother, clearer, more refreshed complexion by using natural materials to peel your skin at home.

Pure pineapple juice contains skin-nourishing enzymes, and lemon contains natural citric acid. Here’s how you can use these both for a light peel.

  1. Drip some freshly squeezed juice onto a cotton round and apply to the entire face.
  2. Leave on the skin for five to ten minutes.
  3. Rinse off with pineapple juice.
  4. Leave that on for five minutes before finally washing your face in warm water to reveal hydrated and glowing skin.

Repeat daily for a week, then once a week for best results.

Looking for something even stronger? You can always try one of these all natural commercial chemical peels at home.

Be sure to follow the instructions carefully!

4. Microdermabrasion Alternative

natural alternatives to botox

Microdermabrasion is a skin exfoliating treatment that specifically targets scars and fine lines. It usually involves applying aluminum oxide crystals to the skin with varying degrees of pressure, which are then suctioned off to reveal new clearer skin.

The most common side effect is skin redness, but the actual procedure can feel uncomfortable and painful, especially when the suction is applied over the scars.

Instead, you can use brown sugar to gently exfoliate the skin. You control the amount of pressure to apply, depending on what feels comfortable and how much you need to rid your skin of dead cells.

Simply do this:

  • Splash the face with warm water
  • Then dip your damp fingers into a bowl of sugar
  • Using these same fingertips, gently scrub the sugar in circular motions over your entire face including your lips, for at least one minute.
  • Rinse off with cold water and pat dry, revealing soft skin with a healthy flush.

Tip 1: Only use sugar on the outside of your skin. Consuming it actually has a negative effect, stiffening collagen fibres and causing wrinkles!

Tip 2: Add a few drops of lemon juice into your scrub to add a bit of a light peeling effect (see above)

5. Eyelash Extensions Alternative

Eyelash Extensions Alternative: Natural Oils

We’re all obsessed with lash extensions these days, and why not? They look gorgeous!

But in addition to natural alternatives to Botox, there also natural alternatives to Latisse. In fact, these are products that can help your lashes grow so lushly, they seem as though they are extensions! Latisse is just one brand name, but there are several eyelash growing serums on the market that promise longer, thicker and darker eyelashes.

However, beware! Even one drop of Latisse that comes into contact with your skin or eye can actually cause permanent discolouration- even to your irises.

Want an even more natural solution? Almonds contain biotin, which contributes to hair growth when consumed. However, using super thick castor oil (its texture is more like a gel than an oil) or skin-soothing almond oil will, over time, help your eyelashes grow thicker and longer.

Here’s how to use oils for longer lashes:

  • Pour a few drops of almond or castor oil into a small bowl
  • Dip a cotton swab and looking downwards
  • Gently apply the oil starting from the upper lash line extending to the eyelash tips.
  • Run the dry end of the cotton swab over the oiled lashes to absorb any excess oil.

Too time-consuming?

You could always try an all-natural commercial product, like WINK. This is an all-natural lash growing formula that is less pricey than Latisse and is proven in clinical studies to work just as well.

Can you believe that 100% of those in the test group reported thicker lashes of up to 20% after a month’s use? It also works on regrowing eyebrows in some cases too, and is made from 100% natural ingredients (mainly oils), with no harmful chemicals whatsoever.

6. Natural Anti-Cellulite Treatment

Anti-Cellulite Treatment: Homemade Wraps

Whilst salons charge an arm and a leg to leave your limbs cellulite free, it’s a bit of a pain to have to drag yourself into the salon when you can do almost the exact same thing they would do to you (for big bucks!) at home.

To do this anti-cellulite treatment alternative at home, you’ll need:

  • a cup of coffee grounds
  • a roll of cellophane wrap
  • wrap around bandages
  • a blowdryer

Now, follow these steps:

  1. First, apply the grounds to your legs, then wrap tightly in cellophane.
  2. On top of this, wrap the bandages around your limbs ‘mummy style’.
  3. Finally, either lie in the sun or a sauna – or if neither is available, blow dry your legs for about ten minutes.
  4. The secret here is the heat it helps the caffeine penetrate the skin, breaking down the cellulite.
  5. Do once a week for a month and you will notice a difference!

7. CACI Facial Treatment Alternative

facial exercises

CACI, or Computer Aided Cosmetology Instrument treatments, tighten muscles under skin with electrical currents, thus giving a tauter, smoother appearance to the face. However, results can be patchy and the expense can be high. Ten clinical treatments are recommended to see results, at about $100 a pop.

Instead of stimulating muscles with electricity, why not just use them to make them tighter? The truth is, most of us use a limited range of facial expressions daily, thus allowing our muscles to atrophy. This leads to slackness. But facial exercises have been used safely for many years by celebrities and models to tone facial muscles, making the visage look tighter. Make sure you do them daily to see results! Here are a few you can try:

For a tighter neck: Lift your lower lip to the point where you are making a pout. Hold that pose for a few seconds. Next, lower your jaw while keeping your lower lip upward in the pout and your face still. Repeat this exercise about 10 times a day to see results.

For tighter eyelids: Raise your eyebrows and hold them for 5 seconds. Open your eyes as wide as you can and allow your mouth to frown. Repeat 5 times. STEP 2: Open your eyes as wide as you can. Hold, without raising the eyebrows, for 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times.

For tighter cheeks: Put three fingers on top of your right cheekbone. Press down slightly, then smile to raise your cheekbone as much as possible. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 5 times, then do the same on the left side.

8. Salon LED Treatment Alternative

lightstim

Natural Alternatives to Botox

Pricey LED skin treatments are available in most ‘Beauty Clinics’. Emitting strong light energy to energise cells and stimulate the body’s natural processes to build new proteins and regenerate cells, a treatment with a salon can run up to $150 per session, with up to 6 sessions recommended.

The treatments are popular with those with small wrinkles, making this one of the best natural alternatives to Botox. But LED machines can also help with redness or tired looking skin – and you know what? They really work. But now, you can save money by doing this at home, on your own time, with handheld machines like LightStim.

Clinical studies of LightStim red light therapy claim the visible reduction in the appearance of facial wrinkle severity improved in ALL participants after eight weeks of use, and say that in a follow-up three months after the clinical study ended, all participants maintained the improvement they achieved during the eight-week study period.

We decided to put this to the test with our Editor in Chief’s husband. He had just undergone a small surgery on his nose that left a small scar, and wanted improvement on that, as well as a bit of increasing age-related redness he started to notice on his cheeks.

He took Before and After photos in the same spot, wearing the same clothing, in the same place, to ensure no tricks of the light would alter the results.

After just 4 weeks of using the machine daily on his scar for 3 minutes, you can see the results below! There’s less redness, and a slight reduction in the scar.

Conclusion? LightStim works! And at $249, it’s way cheaper than a series of treatments at a salon.

Images above: Before and After images of LightStim use on scar

It’s such a luxury to have your roots done or hair dyed in a salon! You can rest assured that your hair colour will be even and glossy. Plus, you’re likely to get some pampering in the meantime: a head massage, hot drink and loads of magazines.

But whether you need a touch up to the roots or a whole new colour, it’s possible to dye your hair at home pretty easily. But beware of which dye you use! Many home-dyeing kits are full of harmful chemicals. Luckily, more and more companies are making organic or natural hair dyes with fewer chemicals than ever.

For a great list, click here. And if you’re planning to dye your hair darker, we have a great guide for that here.

But what if you want hair Botox, or another hair straightening treatment?

Unfortunately, those can be more toxic than dyes, even! In fact, research suggests hair straightening products may play a role in hormone-sensitive health problems. Exposure to such products has been associated with:

  • Lower sex steroid hormone levels
  • Elevated risk of uterine leiomyomata (fibroids)
  • Starting periods earlier
  • Higher breast and ovarian cancers

Luckily there are plenty of non toxic hair straighteners you can use at home.

Our favourite? Mayraki.

The Mayraki Hydrolyzed Keratin Instant Smoother System was formulated to be a safer natural alternative to salon-grade keratin treatments.

Free from formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals, the treatment is made exclusively from premium organic vegan ingredients. This unique formula is just as effective at combating frizz and unruliness as your typical toxic hair straighteners. But this one leaves your hair silky, soft and shiny – without the carcinogens!

10. Instead of Salon Microneedling

home microneedling

This facial treatment works on acne scars, fine lines and pigmentation by making tiny ‘micro-damage’ to the skin through fine needles on a roller. The purpose of treatment is to generate new collagen and skin tissue for smoother, firmer, more toned skin.

Minimally invasive, it usually requires little to no downtime, and it’s considered safe for just about anyone.

When you go to the salon for micro-needling, the needles are quite long (up to 5mm), and you’ll pay between $100-$700 per session. But you can also do this procedure at home – if you have the right tools.

It’s really, really important to buy a good quality micro-needling device. I confess I’ve bought one on eBay (for $27), and the needles were uneven and cheaply made. Some bent, some fell out, and I cut my skin!

GloPro makes a great device that was developed by an expert aesthetician. This tool gently stimulates collagen growth through its 1 mm long needles. The results you will see are NOT as dramatic as those you’ll get in the salon, and you will have to use the device more frequently for a longer time to see a difference in your skin.

But that being said, when used as directed, consumers experienced great results:

– 86% experienced more radiant, glowing skin
– 72% saw a decrease in visible lines
– 82% saw an increase in skin plumpness

It’s worth a shot, right?

To get your own GloPro, which will cost around $39, click here.

So there you have it! As you can see, there are plenty of natural alternatives to Botox and salon beauty treatments that you can easily try at home, for a fraction of the cost.

Have you tried any of these natural alternatives to Botox and other treatments? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments section below.

All images via the brands or Pexels

Sophia Hussain
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24 thoughts on “Natural Alternatives To Botox & Other Treatments”

  1. Nice list! My massage therapist uses the Ashley Black fascia blaster on me and it works every bit as described 🙂

    I highly recommend this to anyone looking to break up their squishy bits. It’s an inexpensive slim down.

  2. No doubt Botox is one of the popular and successful treatments. But if you are looking for the Botox alternatives then yes natural alternatives are frownies and frotox.

  3. Interesting article! Some feedback on the Drunk Elephant line which gets endorsements on various websites and magazines, but increasingly critical reviews from individual customers (on sites where those cannot be deleted). I have tried their products – and of course what does not work for me may be wonderful for someone else. Most of them aggravated my skin (vitamin C, the framboise, the baby facial, Lala retro cream, the other one in the green packaging, ALL the cleansers, the sun cream). Those which did not have an adverse effect, did not do anything at all (the light blue hydration gel, the eye creams). The expensive marula oil did not work as well as the one I get from Fushi which costs less. I am really not sure that this brand is all it is hyped up to be and just feel there should be some further scrutiny. It took me months to recover from my approximately 4 months trial during which I used all their products exclusively as recommended. Another red flag: the company commonly explains issues away with the argument that their products should be used exclusively. I find that suspicious. I try to refrain from overly negative reviews, but it costs so much time, effort, money and aggravation if skin products cause seriously adverse reactions. I wish I had been able to find a couple of pros and CONS for this brand before I spent all that money, so I hope I can help others to proceed with caution. In their defense – they sell a “littles kit” which allows potential customers to try pretty much all their products. My problem was that it all seemed fine initially and influenced by the marketing, the cool packaging / concept AND endless positive magazine endorsements, I purchased the larger sizes. Sometimes it takes months not weeks for a prodocut to properly show its efficacitiy or lack thereof.

  4. Wow. I have used the Somaluxe Rapid Line Filler twice now and I can already tell a difference in my skin texture. I can already tell a major improvement in my lines (coming from a botox professional here). and an improvement in my skin tone. I can’t wait to see if it helps with my discoloration and fine lines. Amazon definitely sells this cheaper than the drug store.

  5. Awesome issues here. I am very satisfied to peer your article.

    Thanks so much and I am looking ahead to touch you. Will you kindly drop me a
    e-mail?

  6. Another alternative which I have been using is a cream called Beenigma. You can get it online from New Zealand. It’s pretty good actually and although the results are only temporary, it works really well and is pain free and much cheaper to botox as well. 🙂 You can find more info in this video … https://youtu.be/bdziEVtbZi8

  7. Sorry, but Latisse works better than Wink. When I first tried Wink, it was great, but the next time, the packaging changed and so did the treatment, as I did not notice improvement. Latisse is awesome.

    1. Seriously, this Botox should be outlawed it is so toxic and dangerous. I have heard my share of horror stories. And I really believe the long term effects of injecting toxic substance repeatedly in your body can be devastating.

      I’m surprised they did not mention the three biggies . My chiropractor really wanted us to get a an inversion table . So, we did very inexpensive on sale 80. great for your backs alignment, reverses facial gravitation I do it daily noticed an eye lift . There is model on youtube he looks so young he swears by it . Two is mega doses of hyaluronic acid with vitamin C this puff the face out. And three is is having your own fat taken out and spun and reinjected. I was at we took a pleasure trip to a s mega rejuvenation health clinic two weeks and the doctor asked me my birth date twice to make sure that I was not 25 I’m 45 and he was stunned since he see women all day long, from all over the world . He called in his assistant and they just looked at me …like I was guinea pig…and they looked with magnifying glass he goes your skin is amazing not one wrinkle. Then he goes are you a vegetarian? I said yes for 25 years I take a protein powder and cold pressed Flax Seed oil and do yoga.. inversion table fo my back .Then they took pictures of my skin, and face. Then they proceeded to ask me a million questions, I guess I never really thought about it except when my husband would say how come your not aging like me? So, there is more to it .. genetics, lifestyle diet, stress, and environment.

      1. Adrienne McLaughlin

        did you get the fat spun and reinjected?
        and when you wrote Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid…internally or topically?

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