Your forehead lines might not be wrinkles – 3 cheap skincare ‘cures’ to make them disappear

You might feel a sense of dread when you spot the first few lines etched on your forehead.

Before you panic and buy expensive products or think about Botox, find out what’s actually causing your forehead lines — because they may not be age-related.

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According to dermatologist Dr. Ivy Lee, the cause of your wrinkles could be as simple as dehydrated skin.

And there’s an easy way to tell the difference between the two, she said.

While wrinkles tend to be deeper because they form from repetitive muscle movement, dehydration wrinkles are finer and have a “crepe-paper-like texture when the affected skin isn’t well-hydrated,” said Dr. lee insider.

They also tend to be easier to erase than wrinkles, which often require injections like Botox to completely smooth out.

While drinking plenty of water can be good for your health and skin, fine lines won’t go away immediately.

According to the dermatologist, it all comes down to where your skin gets its hydration — it depends a lot on what products you use.

What products should I use to smooth dehydration lines?

To keep your skin hydrated and smooth fine lines, according to Dr. Lee look for products with moisturizing ingredients.

There are three main categories of these:

• Humectants that draw water into the skin (such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin)
• Emollients that repair the skin barrier and soften the skin (e.g. squalene and vegetable oils).
• Occlusive agents that “trap moisture in the skin by forming a seal,” the expert said (e.g., hydrated petroleum or mineral oil).

according to dr Lee, ideally you should choose products that contain all three moisturizing ingredients.

Luckily for you – and your bank account – you don’t have to spend a lot of money to find such creams.

Among the favorite products of Dr. Lee’s include CeraVe Moisturizing Cream—a hydrating daily moisturizer—and CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, a nighttime moisturizer with ceramides that promote a healthy skin barrier.

You can get a 50ml version of the first version from LOOKFANTASTIC for £5 or a large 450ml can of it from Boots for £13.60.

If you’re looking for another product with ceramides, esthetician Matt Randon recommended the Inkey List Ceramide Serum in a TikTok that discussed dehydration lines.

“Ceramides will really help to further hydrate the skin and strengthen the skin barrier,” he said.

You can buy the serum for £15.99 from Cult Beauty, LOOKFANTASTIC and Sephora UK.

Matt says you shouldn’t just go for moisturizing products to put an end to those fine lines.

He also recommended using a retinol product three times a week and a salicylic acid serum twice a week.

He recommended the Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 MAX night skin cream, which you can currently buy from Boots for £22 – the fact that it’s in cream form “adds a bit of hydration too”, according to the beautician.

If you’re looking for a cheaper retinol in cream form, you can opt for the NIP+FAB Retinol Fix Intense Over-Night Treatment Cream, available from Boots for £14.97.

Or you can get The Ordinary’s Retinol 1% in Squalane for £7.90 from Boots.

As for salicylic acid products, Matt recommended Paula’s Choice Daily Pore-Refining Treatment 2% BHA, but you can also opt for Ordinary’s Salicylic Acid 2% solution – only £5.80 at Boots and SpaceNK.

according to dr Consistency is important to Lee’s skincare routine, whether you have finer lines of dehydration or deeper wrinkles.

If you’ve switched your products and are still noticing forehead wrinkles, they could actually be age-related wrinkles, the dermatologist said.

In this case, Dr. Lee suggests “optimizing your skincare routine” by using a hydrating, antioxidant sunscreen in the morning.