Advertisement
During the festive party season, popular beauty trends emerge, including the adoption of red velvet makeup and glitter eyeliner. However, it’s also the time when natural alternatives to Botox gain attention and go viral. This year, the spotlight is on ‘Flaxseed Botox,’ a trend that has amassed 30.1 million views on TikTok.
These videos typically begin by outlining the simple DIY recipe for ‘Flaxseed Botox’ (comprising water and flaxseeds), followed by before-and-after images showcasing barely noticeable wrinkles transforming into seemingly tightened skin.
Influencer Drea Hespen gained significant traction with her video endorsing flaxseed Botox, describing its texture as “goopy like the texture of egg whites.” Once dried, she claims, “you can immediately start being able to tell that it works,” even suggesting that “you almost can’t move your facial muscles.”
Another TikTok user, Jenna, shared her method of creating the viral mask by boiling two tablespoons of flaxseeds in two cups of water, simmering the mixture for 10 minutes, and then straining it through a cheesecloth to extract a thick, clear gel.
Jenna, with a video accumulating 1.9 million likes, claimed, “My forehead was not budging, it was stiff.” But does this so-called ‘Botox in a bowl’ genuinely serve as a natural substitute for expensive injectables?
Notably, influencers have previously experimented with raw food facials, like the ‘egg white facial’ trend earlier this year, purportedly targeting blackheads. While flaxseeds are recognized for their digestive health benefits in the wellness domain, medical professionals have swiftly dismissed the notion that they can erase lines akin to Botox.
Dr. Sophie Shotter, medical director and founder of Illuminate Skin Clinic, clarifies that Botox, a neurotoxin administered through injections, is supported by extensive clinical research. She emphasizes, “The effect of the flaxseed mask tightening on the face could give a very temporary tightness, but this is not akin in any way shape or form to Botox.”
Dr. Shotter further explains, “Botox is a purified toxin produced by a specific type of bacteria. It stops nerves from communicating with muscles, creating a relaxation of the muscle that lasts several months. Flaxseeds do not contain this crucial toxin.”
While flaxseeds offer skin benefits, such as Omega-3 fatty acids providing hydration, Dr. Shotter underscores that applying whole seeds externally won’t yield positive skin effects. She adds, “Flax seeds can be milled and eaten as a good dose of plant-based omega-3, but there is no evidence that this would be absorbed topically.”