Insta-Tox is an anti-aging facial cream sold by a company called Serious Skincare. The brand claims that their product is so effective that it’s a “natural alternative to Botox” and that it causes you to “look 10 years younger.”
But does Insta-Tox contain ingredients that are proven to reduce wrinkles? Does it have any unhealthy ingredients? And is Insta-Tox better or worse than popular anti-aging brands like LifeCell?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Insta-Tox to give our take on whether or not the cream is likely to have an anti-aging effect, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also compare Insta-Tox to other popular anti-aging skincare products to pick our winners (and losers) from a formulation standpoint.
Key takeaways:
- Contains active ingredients with proven anti-aging effects
- Contains one inactive ingredient we consider unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend Insta-Tox
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Insta-Tox are shown below:
Some of the ingredients in this formulation are clinically shown to have anti-aging effects.
Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid, which was described in a 2018 medical review to have a “remarkable anti-wrinkle effect.”
Because of its lower molecular weight, sodium hyaluronate can penetrate deeper into skin than hyaluronic acid.
Retinyl palmitate is a vitamin A derivative that was clinically shown to reduce the visible effects of aging, as we documented in our review of Introstem, another anti-aging cosmetic product containing this ingredient.
Magnesium aspartate is a magnesium salt, and this class of compounds is described in a medical review published in the Scientifica journal to enhance skin hydration.
There is one ingredient in this formulation that we recommend avoiding.
Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative shown in clinical research to be toxic to human cells in vitro.
Overall, we consider Insta-Tox likely to have an anti-aging effect, but we don't currently recommend this cream due to the inclusion of phenoxyethanol.
Insta-Tox vs. Popular Anti-Aging Creams
Here's how Insta-Tox compares to other popular anti-aging creams in terms of potential effectiveness and healthiness, in our opinion:
OneSkin OS-01 Face
Contains a seed oil which is clinically shown to promote collagen synthesis, which has downstream anti-aging effects.
We consider these two formulations to be equally effective, and both contain phenoxyethanol (which is a health negative).
Winner: Tie
Alastin Skincare Skin Complex Cream
This brand utilizes research-backed active ingredients for skin moisturization, but we couldn't identify any directly anti-aging ingredients in our Alastin Skincare reviews article.
Both products contain phenoxyethanol (which we consider unhealthy), but we give Insta-Tox the advantage from a potential efficacy standpoint.
Winner: Insta-Tox
LifeCell All-In-One Anti-Aging Cream
Contains a synthetic preservative which increases the toxic effect of phenoxyethanol.
From a health perspective, Insta-Tox is the winner.
Winner: Insta-Tox
Clean Anti-Aging Pick
MindBodyGreen Best Skin+ is our top anti-aging skin supplement.
It contains orange extract which is clinically shown to increase skin moisturization, skin elasticity and skin radiance.
This supplement also contains astaxanthin which is clinically shown to cause "wrinkle formation reduction."
This supplement is free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Insta-Tox Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Contains research-backed ingredients
- Should have hydrating effect
- Should have anti-aging effect
- Healthier than some competitors
- Relatively affordable
Cons:
- Contains phenoxyethanol
- Doesn't appear to be clinically tested
- Brand website charges for shipping
