One afternoon I was talking with a dear friend of mine about skincare. I had shared that I decided to give up using botox and adopt a natural approach to addressing fine lines and wrinkles. She looked at me and said, “You must try Frownies then!”
At first, I thought she was suggesting a type of brownie, which I’d like to try too 😉 but she then explained what Frownies are, and I was in shock! How have I never heard of facial patches?! I came home and researched facial patches, and “Frownies” kept popping up. Frownies was created in 1889 and has been in your local pharmacy for many, many years.
Facial patches have been a Hollywood secret for years with celebrities who choose to lead a Botox-free lifestyle. After my research, I decided to give them a try. They make patches for areas of the face that suffer from fine lines and wrinkles, as well as the neck. Major selling point–they are vegan and cruelty-free!
What are Frownies facial patches?
Frownies facial patches are vegan, cruelty free and painless. They are small, shaped patches that made of a stiff, paper-like material. When placed on top of fine lines and wrinkles, they restrain the muscles from constant frowning, squinting, and other repetitive facial movements that contribute to the wrinkles. Think of it as the same effect of botox but on the outside of your face. Rather than injecting the muscle to temporarily paralyze it, you are placing a patch on top of the muscle to constrict the movement from the outside in.
Why I Love Facial Patches
Here’s the deal. Quitting Botox was a good choice. A 2016 study published in PLoS One found that Botox leads to loss in tissue density and bone volume, among other alarming side effects. I feel really good having the natural movement in my face back. I have adopted other natural methods for combating wrinkles, such as rosehip seed oil, vitamin E oil, and plant stem cells, but I wanted more. After the Botox wore off, I noticed one major problem, I am constantly frowning my left eyebrow. I am talking nonstop! This lead to the inevitable eyebrow headache. I even frown throughout the night and wake up with a nice little wrinkle above my eyebrow. I needed this to stop. So I anxiously opened my first box of Frownies Facial Patches and put them to work!
But…Do They Work?
YES. These little bad boys work in a few great ways. First off, my troublesome eyebrow ache was gone. I can’t tell you how relieved I was to wake up without a headache and even attempt a frown resulting in no movement. So I continued using the patches nightly, focusing on above and in between the eyebrows. After you wet and place the patches on your face, they begin to harden. Once fully dry, it creates a hard structure on top of your skin which minimizes repetitive muscular movement in your face, thus smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. For best results, Frownies suggest you use overnight which is what I prefer to do. I will admit, they look a little funny and my husband definitely looked twice as I walked by flanked in patches, but it is well worth the double takes.
Hollywood’s Best Kept Secret
Many women in Hollywood have vowed to steer clear of botox and take a natural approach to skincare. In addition to a plant-based skin care regimen, many Hollywood stars use facial patches. Rashida Jones, Raquel Welch (who raves about Frownies in her autobiography), and Rene Russo are all devoted facial patches fans, and you can tell how great they work by looking at their beautiful glowing skin! Frownies have even earned the seal of approval from NPR and The New York Times, which have noted the revival of this vintage beauty product. Even though these masks have different effects than the Frownies facial patch, it is refreshing to see strong women in film embrace their skin and treat it with natural products!
Wherever you fall along the spectrum of anti-aging regimens, just remember to listen to your body and take care of yourself–this is the only body we have. Health is wealth!
Have you tried wrinkle patches?
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This article was first published on November 17, 2017 and most recently updated on September 25, 2019.
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Photo: Frownies, Rashida Jones via Instagram
