The Wrinkle Filler Serums Experts Say Instantly Improve the Look of Fine Lines

Growth factors are a popular skin care ingredient for their plumping, skin-boosting benefits. PCA Skin’s iteration focuses on firming and improving skin elasticity by hydrating parched skin.

Key ingredients: Growth factors, undaria extract, jojoba oil, macadamia seed oil

ELLE Editor review: “I use this nightly as the recharge my skin needs after a long day of lathering, swiping, and smoothing on reparative formulas. The rich cream melts into my skin like butter, and as a result, I wake up with a softer, plumper visage. It comes with a tiny spatula, so I always apply the correct dosage.”—Nerisha Penrose

Looking for an instant lift? This serum can be used around the eyes or on the entire face. The formula uses a tightening ingredient derived from clay that helps smooth lines instantly. Plus, the effects last 10 hours or so, which makes it the perfect prep step before important events.

Key ingredients: Collagen, peptides, silicate

Customer review: “I have dark lines under my eyes. A beauty consultant showed me that if I gently lift the corner of my eyes, the darkness disappears. I [tried] to find a product that has the ability to tighten and lift the eye to successfully make the lines disappear. This product does it consistently. Some other products that I have tried left a white residue that sits on the eye (not pretty). This may seem expensive; however, considering surgery ($5,000) or other invasive options or injections, this is a very reasonable price to pay.”

This serum is jam-packed with peptides and hydrating ingredients that treat signs of aging in the long and short term. The goal is to strengthen and plump the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines (in just fifteen minutes, no less).

Key ingredients: Collagen peptides, amino acids, hyaluronic acid

Expert review: “I remember dropping a little bit of this serum on my hand for the first time and watching in real time as it absorbed into my skin, adding a subtle glow and making it look firmer and smoother. When I actually began using it, the peptide-packed formula helped me look fresh-faced, even on days when I didn’t necessarily feel my best.”—Carol Lee, beauty writer

If you hate when smile lines ruin the airbrushed, filter-like makeup finish you’re trying to achieve, add this lightweight moisturizer to your lineup. Supercharged with a peptide complex and Lawless’s own elasticity-enhancing Maxi-Youth formula, this moisturizer smooths lines and hydrates the skin to offer a plumped, youthful glow.

Key ingredients: Maxi-Youth, octapeptide-3, hexapeptide-8

Customer review: “Wow! The packaging is soo adorable, I love that the cream is pink!! Soo cute !! I have combo skin and this worked amazing. It’s very hydrating and lightweight. I like how it’s a two-in-one, so cool and saves me time !! It leaves my skin looking very glowy and plump. Not greasy at all, by the way!! It works great under my makeup too, literally looks so freaking smooth like airbrush, I love it!!”

Growth factor serums are all the rage right now because everyone is eager to preserve one thing: collagen. “Starting as early as age 25, the skin loses its stem cell and growth factor supply, which initiates signals that make collagen, improve nutrient delivery, and repair old damage,” says Dr. Ben Johnson, MD, founder of Osmosis Beauty. As collagen weakens, we’re forced to turn to serums, like the StemFactor Growth Factor Serum, to replenish what’s been lost. Perfect for sensitive skin types, this gentle formula is packed with over 600 growth factors to fortify the skin and help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Key ingredients: Growth factors, peptides, vitamins

Customer review: “This is my second bottle of stem factor. It immediately fills out my face, adding moisture and a beautiful hydrated glow. Highly recommend and it’s worth the $$.”

Many skin care ingredients sit on top of the barrier, which can prevent you from seeing noticeable results. That’s why this serum was formulated with ingredients specifically designed to deeply penetrate the skin, plump fine lines, and repair damage.

Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptide proteins, niacinamide

Expert review: “While I’m concerned about fine lines on my forehead, I’m staving off Botox for as long as possible (and hopefully forever). As a result, I’ve been hyper-focused on products that can fill in my wrinkles. People rave about Dr. Dennis Gross, and many say he is the dermatologist to see in NYC. His products are known for their efficacy, which is why I was okay with dropping $75 on a product. It deeply penetrates your skin, minimizing wrinkles immediately with long-lasting changes you’ll see over time.” —Danielle James, beauty expert

If you’re serious about reducing signs of aging over time, the best ingredient to help with that journey is retinol. While it provides great results over time, it also instantly plumps the skin and reduces fine lines quickly.

Key ingredients: Retinol, hyaluronic acid

Customer review: “I started using RoC products two years ago, and they do work, but it takes time to see dramatic results. I have used this serum for two years, and it has reduced my forehead, lip, and neck lines and the deep wrinkles between my eyebrows quite a lot. It took close to a year of daily use to see a decrease. I’m 51 and don’t go out in the sun, so this has helped as well. My skin was sensitive to it within the first two weeks, but that diminished over time. I highly recommend these products.”

This product is royalty-approved. Kate Middleton is reportedly a fan of this wrinkle filler, which employs spilanthol to relax muscles that cause those pesky wrinkles and fine lines within an hour. The addition of hyaluronic acid helps to plump and hydrate the skin as well.

Key ingredients: Spilanthol, hyaluronic acid

Customer review: “I was overdue for an injectable touch-up before shelter-in-place. As the weeks slipped by, and my forehead began looking more and more haggard and lined, my go-to “no-needles” cream wasn’t giving me any results, and I remembered an advert about Biotulin. I’m glad I remembered. This is working. Truly and honestly after a week of use, I woke up and looked in the mirror and didn’t see a riverbed of furrows. I can still see some faint lines around my temples in the right light, but that’s a massive step ahead of where I was last week.”

This product went viral on TikTok for being “Botox in a bottle,” thanks to its keen ability to reduce fine lines after just a few uses. The key ingredients plump, hydrate, and repair the skin.

Key ingredients: Argireline peptide complex

Customer review: “Until this year, my 60-year old husband’s skin care routine consisted of Ivory soap. I am now using his virgin skin for experimentation. He has very prominent frown lines between his eyebrows, so I started him on The Ordinary Argireline in this area three months ago. We noticed improvements last weekend and [took] photos just now in the same location, same device, and same expression, and (to us) they appear 50 percent more relaxed.”

Another viral TikTok product, this “temporary tightener” gained traction after users showed how quickly it erased wrinkles and tightened the skin. While the results aren’t permanent, the infused vitamins help nourish the skin barrier for great results over time.

Key ingredients: Vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B5

Customer review: “If you are looking for a skin tightener, this is for you. It’s a game-changer! I thought it was just me, but people were asking what I did to my skin. I kept it a secret for some time, then I turned my sister on to this, then my adult daughters. They went crazy for this! They all purchased this and absolutely love it.”

Dr. Karan Lal is a double-board certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained cosmetic dermatologist, based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Bryan Barron is the director of skin care research at Paula’s Choice.

Dr. Dennis Gross is board-certified dermatologist, dermatologic surgeon, and brand founder.

When we think of “fillers,” we often think of injectables administered in a medical office. However, wrinkle fillers are actually topical skin care products that target signs of aging. “Wrinkle-filling serums are products composed of peptides, hyaluronic acid, collagen, and even retinol. The purpose of these serums is not to replace a filler, but to stimulate collagen, hydrate the skin, and soften the appearance of fine lines in the area where the product is applied,” says Dr. Lal.

These products can work both in the long term, minimizing fine lines, and immediately. “Wrinkle-filling serums are typically specialized skin care products that often make an immediate difference in the appearance of wrinkles. These products may be applied over or under other skin care staples like moisturizers, serums, and eye creams,” adds Barron.

Fine lines and wrinkles are completely normal signs of getting older. Still, knowing what causes them can help reduce their appearance if that’s what you choose. “Wrinkles occur from repetitive facial movements and muscles that are active in the skin for facial expression. For example, smiling causes the formation of crow’s feet over time; over a long period, it can cause the formation of lines. Lines often occur from repetitive movements and loss of collagen, leading to etching in skin lines,” says Dr. Lal.

Our skin is made up of building blocks that naturally fade as we age. “Fine lines and wrinkles are caused by the breakdown of essential proteins, collagen and elastin, in the skin. Collagen and elastin are our skin’s building blocks and help keep it smooth and resilient. However, as we age, these fibers start to naturally break down and degrade, which causes the skin to lose its strength and elasticity and triggers the formation of fine lines and wrinkles,” says Dr. Gross.

Wrinkles can also be exacerbated by skin damage, such as prolonged sun exposure. Barron explains, “The leading cause of wrinkles and fine lines is cumulative UV light exposure, both from intentional tanning–indoors or outside–and from the day-to-day small exposures we get over the years. This is why a broad-spectrum sunscreen is the best anti-wrinkle product. Without it, skin stays vulnerable, and no amount of wrinkle-filling serum will help much. Secondary causes of fine lines and wrinkles include blue light exposure–including from our smartphones, laptops, and tablets–airborne pollutants, and muscle movement that comes from facial expressions such as smiling, frowning, and squinting.”

While no cream can instantly rewind the clock, topical products can significantly reduce signs of aging. Some wrinkle fillers work at getting instant yet short-lived results, while others work to reduce fine lines over time. However, depending on the ingredients, both types of products can work in both the long and short term. “Topical products do have the ability to soften and hydrate the skin, which can give the skin a plump appearance, therefore softening the presence of wrinkles and fine lines,” says Dr. Lal.

The effectiveness of these types of products can come down to the ingredients and how they are formulated. “It’s always important to look for a product with clinically proven active ingredients and advanced delivery systems. The delivery system is critical for a product to be efficacious and deliver real results. One of the skin’s incredible benefits is to protect us from outside pathogens, which is why we need a product designed to penetrate the intercellular matrix and stimulate cell receptors deep within the skin layers,” says Dr. Gross.

Barron adds, “The effect [of some wrinkle fillers] is temporary, but ongoing use coupled with daily sunscreen use can absolutely reduce the look of wrinkles and keep skin from reverting to its previous ‘aged’ appearance. Even better if you include other products in your routine whose formulas also work in their own distinct ways to soften lines. Examples include leave-on exfoliants containing alpha, beta, or polyhydroxy acids, antioxidant-packed serums, retinoid products, and peptide-spiked treatments. Each works via different pathways to help repair and rebuild skin’s supportive elements so its surface regains a youthful smoothness, bounce, and resilience that forestalls further wrinkling.”

When you’re assessing a wrinkle filler product, ingredients are key. “My favorite serums for wrinkles are those that contain peptides and hyaluronic acid. Both hydrate and nourish the skin, providing a plump, dewy look,” explains Dr. Lal.

The ingredient list may look slightly different if you’re looking for instant results. “The instant smoothing and blurring effect of silicone elastomers is helpful, so ingredients such as dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer or polysilicone-11 are worth seeking. We also like line-smoothing signal peptides such as tridecapeptide-1 and sh-polypeptide-121 since these target instant and long-term line-smoothing. Various forms and molecular weights of classic hyaluronic acid can also help with their smoothing and plumping action. Another good one similar to hyaluronic acid–or its salt form, sodium hyaluronate–is polyglutamic acid,” adds Barron.

Because wrinkle fillers are formulated with different ingredients, the time it takes to see results can vary. “This will vary by formula and the concentration of key actives. For some wrinkle fillers, you'll see results immediately or within 15 minutes of use; for others, the effect may take an hour or two to become visible. Results should last for a few hours, and you should see maintenance of fine lines and more apparent wrinkles with ongoing use, preferably twice daily, morning and evening,” says Barron.

If you are using a skin care product, patience is key. “Wrinkle-filling serums take approximately 12 weeks to start showing signs of improvement. Consistency is very important, especially when softening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles,” adds Dr. Lal.

If you are considering a wrinkle filler as an alternative to in-office anti-aging treatments like Botox, there are some important factors to consider. “There is no replacement for Botox or filler. Some people say these are the next best thing. Topical products are often used to maintain and prolong the results of injectables like Botox and filler,” says Dr. Lal.

Barron adds, “Topical wrinkle fillers do not penetrate as far as Botox and usually act on different channels of the muscle contraction process that either complement or enhance what Botox or Dysport can do. Generally, a topical wrinkle filler can be a good pairing with dermatologic injections since their use helps prolong results, letting you go longer between treatments. This saves time and money.”

However, it is also important to remember that despite their efficacy, injectables have their drawbacks. “While injectable procedures are amazing for quick and dramatic results, they are costly and pose potential risks such as bruising, swelling, and infection. In my practice, I have seen the hesitancy for needles firsthand because of those factors, so I wanted to create a serum for my patients who were looking to support their skin health with topical ingredients that stimulate the skin’s production of collagen. The topical option is a much more affordable way to treat fine lines and wrinkles, and can be done from the comfort of your own home,” explains Dr. Gross.

As a leading publisher of fashion, lifestyle, and beauty content, ELLE.com is committed to highlighting the best products in various categories by personally testing the latest and most innovative products, interviewing countless experts, and vetting customer-loved items.

For this piece, Tatjana Freund spoke with experts and industry leaders about anti-aging wrinkle fillers. Freund also tested a few top-rated products, and she and Nerisha Penrose pored over reviews for dozens of others, evaluating each on their features and customer feedback.