I love Botox. What I don’t love: the interim period between appointments, when fine lines begin reclaiming their space on my forehead. Sadly, skincare products alone can’t replicate a neurotoxin’s skin-smoothing magic; that said, certain anti-aging ingredients, like peptides, can promote softer-looking facial lines. The Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster — which contains not one, but six different forms of the anti-aging powerhouse ingredient — has impressed shoppers, who say it’s even extended the time between their injectable appointments.

The Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster is a powerful anti-aging serum formulated to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles and impart visibly firmer, smoother skin in four weeks. Instant gratification more your thing? You can also expect plumper-looking skin and softer fine lines within 15 minutes post-application, per the brand — and shoppers, who corroborate these claims. 

Hyaluronic acid has a hand in delivering those almost-instant results. The ingredient, a water-loving molecule prized for its skin-plumping prowess, hydrates on contact, which, in turn, smooths the appearance of fine lines (which appear more prominent when skin is dehydrated). As dermatologist Dr. Lian Mack, MD, previously explained, hyaluronic acid “can help to reduce wrinkles and fine lines by creating a barrier that retains water in the skin.” 

To deliver longer-lasting visible improvement, the formula relies chiefly on peptides — proteins that have been lauded for their skin-firming properties. As dermatologist Dr. Mack previously told InStyle, peptides are “amino acids that act as building blocks for the skin,” or “smaller parts of the structural proteins of the skin.” These structural proteins are found naturally in our skin, and support youthful firmness. As we age, our peptide supply depletes, hence skin sagging and laxity. Luckily, peptide-spiked skincare can reverse some loss — in turn, restoring a firmer, more youthful look. Moreover, peptides can “improve tissue repair and cell turnover and help prevent and treat the overall signs of aging,” celebrity esthetician Sarah Akram previously told InStyle. In short, peptides are among the most powerful anti-aging ingredients. 

Shoppers say the Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster delivers on its line-lessening, skin-firming claims. One 59-year-old reviewer says fine lines around their eyes “don't seem to be as prominent” after using the serum for a few weeks. According to another shopper, who is over 45, the serum makes “crow’s feet and lip wrinkles disappear,” while another, who is over 60, says their lines are smoother within “minutes.” Finally, says one reviewer, who uses Botox and Dysport “regularly,” says the serum has “extended the amount of time between injections,” thanks to how it “visibly” reduces fine lines. 

For a skin booster that delivers both instantaneous and long term results, shop the Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster. Per shoppers, the $58 bottle is “worth every penny,” and I’m totally sold.