TikTok is famous for coming up with some of the strangest beauty hacks – from using a hairdryer to curl your lashes to using a cotton bud for lipstick application. Well, TikTok’s latest viral beauty hack has been dubbed “Botox in a bottle”, and it’s raked in over 12.6 million views. Here’s why.

@sarahpalmyraReply to @e.michele7 #botox #beforeandafter #skincarehack #antiaging #tutorials #theordinary♬ Spongebob – Dante9k


The hack involves mixing two different serums from the affordable and popular skincare brand The Ordinary. If you’ve ever considered getting Botox but have been scared off by the price or prospect of having a needle in your face, then this one’s for you.

How the serums work

Credit: Lazada (left), Socialite Beauty (right)

By mixing Argireline Solution 10% and Matrixyl 10% + HA High Strength Peptide Formulation together and applying it daily, it is supposed to achieve a similar effect of getting Botox done. Hence, it has been given the nickname “topical Botox”.

This trick was created by beauty TikToker Sarah Palmyra, who claims that the mixture of serums had smoothed out the creases between her eyebrows after just one month of applying it daily.

She goes on in her TikTok video to explain why her skin looks drastically smoother. She says, “Acetyl hexapeptide-3 (the ingredient in the Argireline serum) is a type of peptide that targets the neuromuscular connections to relax the muscles in your face. This is the first peptide of its kind to actually target dynamic wrinkles and prevent them from happening.”

Related read: Where to buy The Ordinary in Malaysia and how to check if it’s original?

But is this hack too good to be true?

@dermarkologist##stitch with @dermarkologist my verdict on TO argireline for the prevention of sweat ##theordinary ##hyperhidrosis ##dermarkologist ##topicalbotox♬ Blue Blood – Heinz Kiessling & Various Artists


TikTok dermatologist, Dr Mark Storm quickly jumped on the trend to verify the science behind the serums. “Argireline inhabits the same protein that Botox does, (SNAP 25), which allows Botox to weaken muscles and dissolve wrinkles,” he said.

In addition to this, matrixyl helps produce collagen which keeps the skin looking smooth and supple. However, Dr Storm also stated that, unlike Botox that permanently seeps into one’s facial muscles, the serum may not penetrate the skin deeply enough to see long-lasting effects.

While the youthful effects from this skincare hack may just be temporary bliss, there’s no harm in giving it a try to see how your skin could bounce back. Therefore, by carrying out this hack, you would be relaxing your facial muscles while also improving your skin.

The Ordinary’s Argireline Solution 10% retails for RM89 at Ordinary Skincare, while the Matrixyl 10% + HA High Strength Peptide Formulation retails for RM115 at Ordinary Skincare.