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Glowing, plump skin is a major New Year’s resolution, but it’s time to wave bye-bye to filler, botox and plastic surgery, and welcome 2026 with these skincare alternatives instead!
Because let’s be real, it be a big commitment to start getting injectables, Botox, or other nips and tucks. Plus, it’s pricey, and who likes needles anyway?
Whether you’ve already tried it and want to extend the time between appointments, or are just looking for an alternative all together, we found reviewer-loved serums and creams that shoppers are saying can really rival a visit to the professionals.
All of our top picks focus on lifting, tightening and firming skin, and are made with hero ingredients like peptides, hyaluronic acid, bakuchiol and niacinamide. Plus, they start at just $10. Yes, really!
That includes a neck cream which one reviewer says they’ve seen “great improvement” from, a serum that has left one customer “GLOWING,” and a moisturizer that a shopper says has “really helped transform” their skin.
Avoid going under the knife and shop these top firming skincare products, below.
LilyAna Naturals Bakuchiol Face Lift Cream
Enriched with bakuchiol, sea moss, hyaluronic acid and peptide complex, this is a deeply hydrating cream that can help restore elasticity for a more youthful appearance. Use it across your face, neck, and decolletage for optimal results.
Shoppers Say: “Never written a review before. But, this cream is fantastic. Ingredients are clean. Light and non-greasy. I apply it while my skin is slightly damp. After almost a month of use, the lines around my lips are much softer and my skin is more hydrated.I will continue to purchase. And, love the price.”
StriVectin TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream
This do-it-all neck cream promotes visibly smoother-looking skin while tightening, lifting and firming. Highlighted ingredients include alpha 3 peptides to lift and smooth, spilanthol to tighten elasticity, and bearberry leaf extract to brighten and even dull skin.
Shoppers Say: “Oh my God! I finally found a neck cream that does what it says it does! I’m on Week 3 but I saw a difference on Day 2, no lie, no joke. My neck is prematurely crepey and wrinkly and I have spent years being very embarrassed about my appearance.”
NEOSTRATA Triple Firming Neck Cream
Lines and creases on your neck? This cream, filled with peptide technology, sculpts and lifts delicate neck and decolletage skin, targeting discoloration, wrinkles and sagging.
Shoppers Say: “This works! I noticed my neck was looking crepey and have been using this at night for the past month and see a great improvement.”
The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10% Serum
Yes, you can really treat deep-set wrinkles for under $10! This serum is lightweight and water based, and targets the early signs of aging with just a few drops.
Shoppers Say: “Okay I was VERY skeptical of this product at first. I was looking for an alternative to Botox and a way to reduce wrinkles and came across this product and all I can say is WOW. I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about this product. It’s sensitive and you cannot beat the price! I typically use it at night on days I’m not using a retinol. My skin has been GLOWING since I started using it.”
Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Instant Firming Serum
Formulated with the brand’s alternative to retinol, this potent serum firms skin and reduces the look of wrinkles, smooths facial contours, without leaving skin dry.
Shoppers Say: “I’m in the ani-aging era of my life where I’m needing help with firmness, lifting, and hydration. I am really liking that this serum addresses my skin concerns and is still clean + planet aware product. I have been using the serum for a couple of weeks and I can see a slight lift and tightness around my mouth and jawline. I get excited when I can see improvement from a product.”
Marini SkinSolutions Transformation Cream
Transform, hydrate and rejuvenate your skin with this luxe cream. Active ingredients include anti-aging peptides, hyaluronic acid and Transforming Growth Factor beta 1 (TGF-b1) to improve firmness and elasticity, while helping your skin recover from environmental stressors, leaving you hydrated and visibly smoother.
Shoppers Say: “I’ve been using this moisturizer for about 3 years now and it’s really helped transform my skin. I’m 30 now and feel as fresh faced as ever. Love Jan Marini.”
Dr. Dennis Gross DermInfusions Fill + Repair Serum
Filler who? This serum is clinically proven to provide plumper, more youthful looking skin. Key ingredients (hyaluronic acid, peptides, niacinamide) penetrate easily into the skin thanks to the MicroCelle Delivery system that reduces the size of water molecules in the product.
Shoppers Say: “Short of a face lift and injections of fillers (neither of which I’m prepared to do), this has worked as well as one could expect. The skin on my entire face looks fresher, more youthful and less wrinkled. This product seems to have effectively plumped up some of those fine lines. Having said that, no one is going to mistake me for twenty-five. I do look better than I did, however!”
Kate Somerville KateCeuticals SuperCell Rejuvenation Peptide Serum
Peptides, a stem cell complex and squalane come together to rejuvenate, restore, and replenish skin with this concentrated serum. It has a unique roller applicator attached to the tube that keeps things fun.
Shoppers Say: “I have deep wrinkles forming at 56 and smokers lip lines. I was going to have a procedure to remove them but tried this an it’s powerful and showed amazing results over night to my lip lies and number 11’s and lower face lines. I am so impressed and I will not be having a procedure now!”
Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster Face Serum
This lightweight gel serum is made with a formula of pro-collagen peptides, amino acids and hyaluronic acid to promote visibly smoother and firmer skin. It absorbs quickly into skin, and gets to work supporting elastin and collagen levels.
Shoppers Say: “I’m 80 years old so I ordered this without much hope that it would work but it actually does! I was blessed with good skin to begin with but at my age I do have wrinkles under my cheekbones due to weight loss. I have tried so many other products that didn’t really do much but this actually does work.”
Dr. Brandt Needles No More Wrinkle Smoothing Cream
This lightweight cream reduces the appearance of expression lines and wrinkles without leaving you looking frozen. Standout ingredients include neuropeptides, magnesium and vitamin E to relax lines, strengthen skin barrier and protect from free radical damage.
Shoppers Say: “If you have lines around your lips – this is the product for you. Relaxes and plumps up those fine lines.”
How We Choose
The E! Insider Shop editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources, comb through customer reviews, and use our own personal experiences to make shopping easier for our readers.
As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think our readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to provide a service and inform readers who are on the hunt for the latest products to help make their life better. Items are sold by retailer, not E!. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time.
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