The needle is not a new instrument when it comes to beauty treatments and techniques, but it’s one that’s rarely loved. Celebrity endorsements - mostly from the likes of the Kardashian clan - have boosted popularity of the likes of fillers, botox, and injectables, with The Sydney Morning Herald reporting that in 2014 an estimated $600 million was spent on non-invasive cosmetic procedures including botox, fillers and skin rejuvenation treatments.
But recently there has been a rise in treatments that offer similar results to the needle. Kardashian herself claimed to turn away from needle procedures last year, opting for natural botox gel alternative Biotulin, with Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton are rumoured to be fans. BD explores the needle-free phenomenon below:
Face
Botox and fillers have long held prominence as anti-wrinkle crusaders in the cosmetics industry when it comes to the face, but there are a bevy of alternatives that don’t require an injection. is based around the premise of delivering pure vitamins in their most potent form to the skin’s layers. The dermo-cosmetic products are housed in a biodegradable shell in three different variations (retinol, ascorbic acid and tocopherol). Each targets a different skin concern but can be used in tandem for personalised treatment of ageing signs such as wrinkles and dehydration. Skinsilk-A® is another brand that has embraced the benefits of potent retinol. The single-use products create concentrated, stabilised retinol - long-considered one of the Holy Grail ingredients when it comes to treating skin concerns, particularly regarding sun damage, wrinkles and acne. The retinol stimulates the skin’s renewal process, and when applied directly to the complexion delivers a hit of transformative nourishment.
Eyes
Crow’s feet and fine lines are the leading signs of ageing in the eye are. While injectables and fillers offer an instant semi-permanent difference, there’s a myriad of new eye creams on the market that address the same concerns in a pain-free manner. Aloe vera and cucumber are renowned natural ingredients when it comes to combatting dark and puffy eyes, and are often paired with active ingredients in anti-ageing eye formulas. Dr. LeWinn's Line Smoothing Complex S8 Eye Recovery Complex tackles fine lines and wrinkles with an ingredients list that incorporates aloe vera gel to soothe and calm the skin. The solution is kicked up a notch with actives Acetyl Hexapeptide-3, Co-Enzyme Q10 for firmness and Sodium Hyaluronate for hydration. is another brand that has jumped aboard the aloe vera bandwagon with its Balance Stop Puffy Eyes, a gel containing aloe that revitalises and refreshes puffy and dehydrated eyes. But the brand also utilises a rising interest in venom-like ingredients which seek to replicate the results of botox in terms of muscle relaxation. The Balance Active Formula Snake Venom Eye Cream moisturises dark circles and bags with syn-ake, a topical anti-ageing treatment that is a synthetic version of snake venom and that contains the peptide Waglerin 1 which has been found to have a positive effect on relaxing facial lines.
Lips
Plump lips have been a bonafide beauty trend of 2015 thanks to Kylie Jenner admitting she uses Juvéderm, with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons since reporting a 10 per cent rise in filler requests in females aged 20 to 29. Lip tattooing has also grown in popularity, but as a semi-permanent option it may not be as appealing as a pain-free, temporary alternative: plumping lip glosses and balms that rely on hyaluronic acid to do the heavy lifting - minus the injections. Brands such as ’s lip injection, which utilises micronised hyaluronic acid spheres (the very same ingredient used in injectable lip volumisers) expand in the lips up to 1000 times their dehydrated size. In turn, this puts pressure on the surface, stimulating plumping of the lips within minutes. As another alternative to filler, the mesoestetic Stem Cell Nanofiller Lip Contour uses plant stem cells to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin in the lips.
Décolletage
The décolletage is often a forgotten area of the body in anti-ageing regimens but it’s also one of the most noticeable when it comes to wrinkles. Boosting the skin’s collagen is key to maintaining firmness of the décolletage, which can be done via products like ’s Neck + Décolletage Repair. A neck-specific variation of a sheet mask, the 20-minute treatment contains marine collagen and CoQ10 to tighten and plump the skin, and aloe vera and vitamin E to nourish. Also focusing on the collagen levels in the décolletage is the Cells-Life Revitalising Hydrating Serum - formulated with a chain of five amino acids. The product works to increase collagen and elastin production in the skin, speeding up its healing process and ability to regenerate. The supercharged serum can be used to target fine lines anywhere on the body - from around the eyes to the chest.
