How To Get Rid of Frown Lines In 6 Ways

Your mother may not have been fully right about that one. However, she was a little right that repeated facial expressions can eventually form lines on your face—which may appear as laugh lines, crow’s feet, and the kind we’re focusing on today, frown lines.

Frown lines (also known as worry lines, glabellar lines, or 11 lines) are forehead wrinkles that typically appear between the brows or across the lower forehead [1]. While they’re natural signs of aging on face, there are ways you can help to reduce their appearance, even without surgical methods. These wrinkles can be prevented and treated au natural.

What Causes Frown Lines?

One day, you went to sleep wrinkle-free. The next day, it seems like you practically woke up with a permanent “11” between your eyebrows. What led to this new facial feature? What causes forehead wrinkles and frown lines to appear over time?

As their name suggests, frown lines are usually the result of repeated facial expressions, such as frowns [2]. When an emotion crosses your face, the face muscles beneath move your skin to create little temporary wrinkles in your cheeks, forehead, eyes, and mouth areas. The more your face takes on the same expression, the more likely these lines will become static wrinkles—a.k.a., permanent frown lines on the face [3].

While frown lines are a natural part of aging skin, certain habits can fast-track or encourage their development. To figure out the best treatment, start by determining what might be accelerating your frown lines:

• Age – Collagen and elastin are two vital skin proteins that support its elasticity, plumpness and structure. As you age, your skin naturally produces less collagen and elastin, leading to wrinkles like frown lines [4]. Even without using your face expressively, natural changes in your face can create deep wrinkles over time.
• Sun damage – According to a 2013 study, ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun cause up to 80% of visible facial aging [5]. UV rays can penetrate the dermis, or the middle layer of skin that holds your collagen and elastin [6]. This can damage these stores and “scramble” your skin’s DNA, leading to photoaging signs like discoloration, wrinkles, and loose skin texture. 
• Smoking – A cigarette doesn’t just harm your lungs—it also damages your skin. Tobacco users are more likely to have thinner and lower-density skin, which is more prone to wrinkling [7]. This is due to tobacco reducing collagen and elastin in the skin, as well as narrowing blood vessels in the skin [8][9].
• Stress – Consider stress the enemy of skin health (and all health, for that matter). Not only does stress increase inflammation, but it also can increase the hormone cortisol and raise your blood sugar [10]. All of these factors can lower elastin and collagen production, which can lead to increased wrinkles [11].
• Genetics – Sometimes, you’re just born with a propensity for certain skin changes. Research shows that genetic factors like sex and ethnicity can influence how fast your skin ages [12].

6 Ways to Treat Frown Lines Naturally

While you can find a treatment option that can aid in these fine lines and wrinkles, there are also ways you may be able to prevent frown lines. Frown lines may be caused by frowns (and other natural causes of skin aging), but trying to avoid ever making facial expressions again isn’t a long-term solution to prevent wrinkles.

Luckily, you can help prevent, treat, and soften the appearance of frown lines without turning towards cosmetic surgery or Botox treatment. And these methods aren’t just effective in between your eyes.If you’re wondering how to get rid of frown lines around the mouth naturally, the tips below may be just as effective in other areas of your face.

Let’s explore how to get rid of frown lines in six skin-rejuvenating ways.

#1 Retinoids

If you’ve dabbled in skincare at all, you’ve probably heard of retinoids. Retinoids are a skincare ingredient family of Vitamin A derivatives, ranging from over-the-counter ingredients (like retinol) to prescription-only treatments (like Retin-A). These ingredients can offer countless skin benefits, such as [13]:

• Brighter skin tone
• Smoother skin texture
• Increased collagen production
• Lighter dark spots
• Reduced fine lines and wrinkles
• Balanced sebum (skin oil) levels

How do retinoids work their magic? They rejuvenate skin by increasing skin cell turnover, or when dead skin cells shed to make way for newer cells [14]. If you’re looking for an anti-aging product, PROVEN’s advanced technology creates a personalized formula infusing ingredients like retinol and Vitamin C into a night cream so you can see significant changes in your frown lines. 

Keep in mind that retinoids can increase your skin’s sensitivity to UV rays, so don’t skip the SPF while using them [15].

#2 Moisturizer

Your skin is more than the expressive surface of your face. It’s also an organ, one that needs nutrients and moisture to thrive. When you’re hydrating your face with a daily moisturizer, you give your skin cells the water content they need to look strong and healthy—and less wrinkled.

Does moisturizing prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging? The short answer is that it can delay signs of aging skin. But moisturizing won’t actually reverse any long-term frown lines in the face, since wrinkles result from a loss of collagen and elastin. However, it can reduce the appearance of any wrinkles. Moisturizers trap water content in your skin, plumping out any existing fine lines or wrinkles in the tissue [16].

#3 Vitamin C

From immune system support to blood pressure regulation, Vitamin C plays a superhero-level role in your body. However, this nutrient can also save the day with your skin—especially for wrinkles and fine lines.

Vitamin C is an extra-powerful antioxidant, a molecule that fights harmful free radicals [17]. Free radicals, like UV rays or pollutants, can prematurely age your skin by creating oxidative stress. Vitamin C stops this process in its tracks, preventing (or even reversing) the formation of wrinkles [18]. Additionally, research shows that vitamin C offers incredible anti-aging skin benefits like:

• Boosted collagen production
• Reduced inflammation
• Even tone and coloration
• Smoother texture
• Less acne 
• Improved elasticity and firmness

Give your frown lines their own daily glass of orange juice with a product that contains at least 10% vitamin C. Research shows that this concentration is most effective for anti-aging results [19].

#4 Chemical Exfoliants

Remember that harsh exfoliating scrub you used as a teen? Chemical exfoliants work a little differently than those physical exfoliants. These exfoliants use acids that break the bond between skin cells to encourage shedding, working in a deeper yet gentler way than physical exfoliants [20]. This encourages new skin cell formation, leading to brighter, more even-textured  skin.

In particular, the chemical family of alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) is shown to reduce aging signs such as frown lines by increasing skin thickness by up to 25% [21]. Consider adding products with these AHAs to your routine:

• Glycolic acid – A very popular AHA, glycolic acid is the multitasker of skincare. By improving skin cell turnover, it can boost brightness, reduce dark spots, and attract water to the skin (also known as humectant properties) [22]. Even better? Glycolic acid also can promote the production of collagen, which can plump up frown lines back to smoothness [23]. 
• Lactic acid – Dairy-free skincare addicts, have no fear! This gentle acid found in fermented dairy products is safe for almost all skin types. In a three-month study, a 12% lactic acid solution created thicker, firmer, and smoother skin, reducing the overall appearance of wrinkles [24]. 
• Citric acid – Skip the lemon water in the morning. This acid found in citrus fruits is much more beneficial for your skin. Besides improving skin texture and brightness, citric acid also provides antioxidants [25]. As stated above, these molecules fight off oxidative stress in the body for a boost of anti-aging power.

  #5 SPF

  That pink sunburn might be a souvenir of happy days spent at the beach, but it’s also a warning sign of damage below deck. The sun’s UV rays, or ultraviolet rays, can wreak havoc deep down in your skin, accelerating skin aging signs and potentially causing cancer [26]. Luckily, this damage is entirely preventable—all thanks to sunscreen. 

  If you’re aiming to reduce the appearance of frown lines, be sure to bolster your routine with sunscreen to prevent those lines from deepening due to sun exposure. Sunscreens can physically or chemically block UV rays for a certain length of time based on their SPF, or sun protection factor [27]. In general, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends a minimum of SPF 30, which can block up to 97% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays [28].

  An easy way to stay safe? Including a daily moisturizer with SPF. That way, you can start your day with zero fear of UV rays deepening your frown lines. 

  #6 Face Massage

  Aside from adding a few minutes of relaxation to your daily routine, face massage could potentially reduce frown lines and other signs of aging skin.

  Moving the muscles in your face can contribute to frown lines, eventually forming grooves in your skin as collagen and elastin production slows. Facial massage can possibly lessen these  grooves and give you that “post-massage glow” by [29]:

  • Lowering stress, possibly reducing any facial tension or frowning 
  • Improving circulation, bringing more oxygen and blood cells to the skin
  • Boosting product absorption, which could increase any anti-wrinkling effects

  While facial massage itself doesn’t turn back time on aging, it could give your skin a temporary boost in appearance. More so, it’ll make your daily skincare routine feel like a trip to the spa.

Make Your Skin Smile With PROVEN

From fine lines to frown lines, wrinkles are a completely normal part of aging. No matter your age or lifestyle, you can always take control of your skin’s health—and that starts with a skincare routine fit for you.

At PROVEN Skincare, we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to skincare. Our products are uniquely formulated to suit your skin concerns, whether that’s acne, hyperpigmentation, or frown lines. With natural and safe ingredients, your skin will find its brightest smile. 

Start today by taking our quick skincare quiz to find your customized three-step routine.

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