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

YOU might experience a feeling of dread when you spot the first couple of lines etching themselves on your brow.

Before you panic-buy expensive products or weigh up the idea of getting Botox, you might want to figure out what your forehead lines are actually caused by – because they may not be age related.

According to dermatologist Dr Ivy Lee, the culprit behind your lines could be something as simple as dehydrated skin.

And there’s a simple way to tell the difference between the two, she said.

While wrinkles tend to be deeper because they’re caused by repetitive muscle movement, dehydration lines are are finer and have a “crepe paper-like texture when the affected skin is not well hydrated”, Dr Lee told Insider.

They also tend to be easier to get ride of than wrinkles, which often need injectables like Botox to be totally smoothed out.

Though drinking lots of water can be good for your health and skin, it won’t make those fine lines vanish right away.

According to the dermatologist, what matters is where your skin is moisturised – this’ll very much depend on what products you’re using.

What products should I use to smooth dehydration lines?

To moisturise your skin and smooth out fine lines, Dr Lee said you should be looking for products with moisturising ingredients.

There are three main categories of these:

• Humectants, which attract water into the skin (eg: hyaluronic acid and glycerin)
• Emollients, which repair the skin barrier and soften the skin (eg: squalene and plant-derived oils).
• Occlusives, which “trap moisture into the skin by creating a seal,” the expert said (eg: hydrated petroleum or mineral oil).

According to Dr Lee, you should ideally opt for products that contain all three moisturising ingredients.

Luckily for you – and your bank account – you don’t have to splash the cash to find such creams.

Two of Dr Lee’s favourite products include the CeraVe Moisturising Cream – a hydrating daily moisturiser – and CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, a nighttime moisturizer with ceramides that promote a healthy skin barrier.

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

If you’re looking for a different product containing ceramides, aesthetician Matt Randon recommended you go for the Inkey List Ceramide Serum in a TikTok discussing dehydration lines.

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

You can grab the serum for £15.99 on Cult Beauty, LOOKFANTASTIC and Sephora UK.

It’s not just moisturising products you should be going for to bid those fine lines bye-bye, according to Matt.

He advised also using a retinol product three times a week as well as a salycylic acid serum twice a week.

He recommended the Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 MAX Night Skin Cream, which you can currently nab at Boots for £22 – the fact that it’s in cream form “will also add a bit of hydration”, according to the aesthetician.

If you’re looking for a more affordable retinol in cream form, you could go for the NIP+FAB Retinol Fix Intense Over-Night Treatment Cream, which is going for £14.97 at Boots.

Or you can grab the The Ordinary’s retinol 1% in squalane for £7.90 at Boots.

As for salicylic acid products, Matt recommended the Paula’s Choice Daily Pore-Refining Treatment 2% BHA, but you can also go for the Ordinary’s Saliculic Acid 2% Solution – just £5.80 at Boots and SpaceNK.

According to Dr Lee, consistency is key when it comes to your skincare routine, whether you have finer dehydration lines or deeper creases.

If you’ve changed up your products and still noticing forehead lines, they might in fact be age related wrinkles, the dermatologist said.

 In that case, Dr Lee suggested “optimising your skincare regimen” by using a moisturising antioxidant sunscreen in the morning.