This New Serum Is Said To Give Results As Good As Botox, So Our Beauty Director Put It To The Test

The beauty industry loves a buzzword. From hypochlorous acidto peptide make-up, there’s always some new ingredient or innovation that has beauty editors in a 'tiz. The phrase that’s been bandied around most often this year? Botox in a bottle. There have been a slew of products released of late that claim to mimic the muscle-relaxing effect of anti-wrinkle injections. A bold promise indeed. One product that falls into this camp (note that the brand itself hasn’t labelled itself as such, rather the internet has) is SkinCeuticals P-Tiox, £165.

SkinCeuticals is one of a handful of skincare brands that I really, really rate. Yes, the price point is high but in this case it’s worth it. And I don’t say that lightly. The SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Vitamin C has been a staple in my - and pretty much every beauty editor I know - skincare routine for years. Yes, it’s a luxury skincare brand but it’s the hardcore science that has dermatologists in a spin; its small(ish) edit of medical-grade formulae address a range of skincare concerns from acne and pigmentation to fine lines and wrinklesand, crucially, the results are noticeable.

But back to SkinCeuticals P-Tiox. What intrigued me most about the daily peptide serum was that it had not one but two impressive claims. Firstly, that it helps to improve the appearance of nine (yes, really) different types of facial lines (think crow’s feet to marionette) and, secondly, that it delivers a glass-like finish to skin. As someone who is on a constant quest to look as though I’ve dunked my face in a bowl of morning dew, I was intrigued.

What does the SkinCeuticals P-Tiox do?

P-Tiox is described as a wrinkle-modulating peptide serum. A what? Good question. Peptides work to pep and plump-up the skin by boosting all the things your skin needs to look, well, alive, such as collagen and elastin. And this stuff is packed with peptides.

‘P-Tiox is a combination of peptides and these peptides have been shown to work to reduce contraction lines and give a more glass like appearance on the skin,’ explains consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Craythorne, ‘the two peptides work together in synergy and it’s this combination that makes it work well together.’

Craythorne describes P-Tiox as the ultimate cosmeceutical product. ‘It’s a well-researched double peptide serum with extra active ingredients working to improve skin texture and fine wrinkles.’

It’s these additional active ingredients that help to deliver a glowy complexion. PHA is thought to promote skin cell turnover, niacinamide helps to strengthen the skin’s barrier and laminaria extract is proven to add radiance to skin. Sign me up.

In a nutshell then: the peptides work to reduce the appearance of fine lines while the active ingredients reveal happier, healthier skin. A true double threat.

But that’s not all. Another USP of P-Tiox is that it’s thought to act as a great addition to injectables. ‘Some studies suggest that this serum will make Botox last longer,’ notes Dr Craythorn, ‘think of it as your integrated skincare routine and it can be used in combination with injectables and it will support the medical treatments that happen in clinic.’

How do you use SkinCeuticals P-Tiox?

The lightweight serum is designed to be used as part of your existing skincare routine. I’ve been using it twice a day, as per the instructions, and go for around 5-6 drops. My routine looks like this: cleanser, vitamin C(your choice but I like to have an antioxidant in there), P-Tiox, moisturiser, SPFin the day time.

SHOP: The SkinCeuticals P-Tiox Anti-Wrinkle Serum

My verdict:

As a general rule of thumb, my skin is fairly well behaved. By that, I mean I don’t suffer with acne, major dryness or rosacea. My main issues are dullness, pigmentation and the ever more prominent fine lines. I’m pretty sceptical when it comes to any product that claims to be able to deliver similar results to anti-wrinkle injections because, let’s face it, they do different things. However, as someone who hasn’t yet entered the aesthetics space, I take my skincare very seriously and am always looking for products to include in my routine that work hard and deliver noticeable results.

P-Tiox has a slightly-thicker-than-water (technical term I’m sure) texture and there’s a very faint chemical smell - it dissipates almost instantly -  when you first drop it into the palm of your hands. I like to add a few drops into my hands before applying all over my face where it absorbs insanely quickly. Sure, there is a teeny bit of tackiness at first but this quickly turns into an - almost - imperceptible sheen. Now, I can’t truly attest to the ‘reducing fine line’ claims but I have had a few ‘your skin looks good’ comments so perhaps it’s working on them. The thing I’m most impressed with is the veil of radiance that it delivers. The brand says glass-like, which to me conjures up images of that super-dewy glazed doughnut, Margiela look - not something I want for the office. This gives a glow that’s much more wearable. And while my wrinkles may not have noticeably reduced, my make-up routine has. Since I’ve been using P-Tiox, my skin definitely looks smoother, more even and yes, dare I say it, glowing. I’ve sacked off foundation and now use just a primer and a concealer. That’s what I call a result.

Final thoughts:

This serum may not be a direct substitute for anti-wrinkle injections but if you’re in the market for dewy, juicy skin then this is a seriously good skincare product.

Verity Clark is the acting health & beauty director at Grazia. Previously contributing beauty editor at the Sunday Times Style Verity has almost a decade of experience writing about the beauty industry. She has worked with some of the industry’s most respected titles including Red, Good Housekeeping and Elle, and her aim is to demystify, and democratise, the conversation around beauty.