A Safe and Natural Alternative to Botox? We?ll See?

Elevens. Not cute.

Elevens.? Frown lines.? Expression lines. There is no cute or pleasant way to describe the lines many people get from raising or furrowing their eyebrows, making Maude Faces, sleeping on their faces the wrong way, etc.

Forehead lines and the frown lines we get between the brows are primarily caused by overuse of those muscles over time, but can absolutely be brought on prematurely or made worse by factors such as UV radiation and pollution, smoking, poor diet, dehydration, etc.? For years, people have relied on anti-aging skin care products that promise to firm the skin and smooth out lines.? But after spending large amounts of money for often disappointing results, many people are turning to more invasive methods that often yield the desired effects, whether they can afford it or not.

Of course I am talking about Botox and the large group of collagen/hyaluronic acid dermal fillers out there.? At first these treatments were only affordable to celebrities and the wealthy, but now because of the high demand, prices have come down and these treatments are being offered in the offices of nearly every dermatologist, plastic surgeon, medi-spa, laser center, etc.? Medical doctors can now even specialize in these treatments and nothing else, and call themselves ?cosmetic doctors?.? These doctors have posh offices and sometimes even offer ?Botox parties? in hotel rooms or clients? homes.? And finally, because of group discount sites like Living Social and Groupon, these services are sometimes as inexpensive as getting a facial.

Why I don’t like injectables

I see two big problems with the new accessibility and affordability of injectables.? Number one, we don’t know how safe these products are in the long run?Botox is derived from clostridium botulinum, after all?the bacteria that causes botulism.? And number two, each of these injectables are different from each other and require extensive training and practice to administer them correctly.? Just because a doctor gives great Botox, doesn’t mean he or she can give good Restylane?and just because the doctor gives good Restylane doesn’t mean he or she can give good Juvederm?you get the picture.? In the wrong hands, these injectables can cause serious damage and physical deformities that the client is stuck with for a long time.? For those reasons among others, I have decided that injectables are not for me.

My own little line?

But I have this stubborn little line across my forehead?I noticed it about this time last year.? When I was in school for aesthetics, I discovered that glycolic acid peels and microdermabrasion temporarily seemed to erase the line?but it came back a week or two later.? I did what many people do?I got way too many of these treatments done because they were easily accessible, virtually pain free, and much safer than injectables.? I even used home care products that contained pretty high concentrations of glycolic and salicyclic acids (because at the time I thought the higher the better). Well I quickly realized that although these treatments gave a nice temporary fix for that stubborn line, it actually had grown longer and slightly deeper after the effects wore off.? Plus they left me with broken capillaries which I have to cover with makeup when I go out.

I stopped getting the treatments, because I suspected I had actually caused more damage than good; and later I learned about how daily and aggressive exfoliation in fact does permanently thin the dermis, which speeds up the aging process.? So I stopped using the products too.? Now I use very gentle, yet effective products; and while the line is still there, it has not gotten any worse.? But it. is. still. there.? And I don’t want it.? I’m a bit vain, I admit it!? I want it gone!? So what’s a girl to do?

A possible solution?

Fortunately I was reading a blog post written by Kristen Ma, Ayurvedic Practitioner/Holistic Aesthetician/Spa Owner/blogger and book author extraordinaire.? I love her blog, Holistic Vanity?she has a great writing style, is very knowledgeable, and is very readable.? She wrote about her frustration towards her ?eleven? lines between her brows, and how she was going to try sleeping with Frownies to help make them go away.? She promised to post updates about her progress.? I was intrigued, and of course had to get my hands on these Frownies.

I had heard about Frownies before, but had never tried them and didn’t know too much about them.? They are these stiff paper perforated stickers?you can tear them on the dotted line to use them as a square/diamond or a triangle (for the forehead and brow lines), and other shapes for under the eyes and the corners of the mouth.? They have dried all-natural glue on the back, which you wet and apply to the stubborn line (after cleansing, massaging, and gently stretching out the line).? I was very surprised to learn that Frownies have been around since 1889! Of course they were called ?Wrinkle Eradicators? back then?I think Frownies is much catchier. The Frownie dries pretty fast, and will stay in place.? Once it is on, it needs at least 3 hours to work; so I recommend just sleeping with it.

This is why it’s best to use Frownies at night…

The whole theory behind Frownies is similar to that of Botox?restrain and relax the muscle so it doesn’t make the expressions that cause lines.? However, instead of injecting a neurotoxic bacterium into the muscle to paralyze it, the Frownies simply holds it in place and prevents movement or expression when the muscle is already relaxed during sleep.? Quite logical, really.

I have been using the Frownies for about a week now, and I decided I will post updates here just as Kristen is doing on Holistic Vanity.? It will be interesting to see how these things work on different skin types.

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Here are my thoughts on Frownies 1 week in?

The instructions recommend using them on dry, clean, matte skin; which means I can’t apply my acne serum or night cream.? And sure enough I broke out a bit?so I now apply my acne serum (which absorbs/dries quickly when massaged into the skin) and then put the Frownie on once it is dry.? To further prevent breakouts, I don’t use water to moisten the glue?I use Hylunia?s Colloidal Silver in Lavender Floral Water toner (naturally antibacterial and soothing) to moisten it. These two steps seem to have helped, and the Frownie sticks on just fine.

The instructions recommend re-wetting the Frownies to make them easier to remove them. Well, Even though I saturate it with water, I still find the removal uncomfortable.? Kind of like a brow or upper lip wax.? And it leaves a nice red diamond on my forehead. The redness goes away after I apply more of the toner and my daily serums/zinc oxide sunblock.? However, something that comes off like wax or a band-aid removes epidermal cells which causes inflammation.? Not good?that would be the same effect as a chemical peel.? So I am going to try removing it with warm jojoba oil instead. Jojoba oil removes even the most stubborn eyeliners and mascaras, so my theory is that it will break the glue bonds so the Frownie doesn’t take my skin?s barrier layer off when I remove it.

I do have to admit that the line definitely looks better for most of the day, but it goes back to normal by the end of the day. However, it has only been a week, and there are over 100 Frownies in the pack.? The instructions say to use them every day until you get the results you want, and then use them a few times a week to maintain, so we?ll see what happens in the coming weeks.

I can’t say I’d try or recommend the ones for under the eyes though, because I think the skin there is too delicate for the harsh removal of the Frownie?unless the warm jojoba works and gets rid of the the band-aid effect.

So that’s my 1 week Frownie Experiment update?I’ll update again in about a week.

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Anyone want to join the Experiment?

What about you, readers?? Have any of you tried Frownies or anything similar?? Anyone want to join the Frownie Experiment with Kristen and I?? We’d love to have you join us and hear your thoughts and follow your progress through the comments, Facebook, Twitter, or email.