Social media is filled with recommendations of new, buzzy skin care ingredients that will transform your skin and produce results similar to what you’d get in a dermatologist’s office. And Volufiline is the latest one that we’ve seen all over our feeds.
According to some posts, the ingredient is the secret to getting the plumping and smoothing effect that fillers provide, but without the needles. On Google Trends, the term has been searched over 350,000 times in the last month, too.
But does it really work? We asked experts.
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What is Volufiline?
Volufiline is a patented skin care ingredient, explains dermatologist Dr. Sandra Oska. It’s a plant extract that’s thought to get its main benefits from sarsasapogenin, its main active compound.
The ingredient is marketed as a way to increase lipid storage within the fat cells beneath the skin, creating “a subtle surface-level plumping effect,” Hajrie Sulejmani, a registered nurse and founder of The Aesthetics Loft, says.
However, she shares that “the limitation is depth, topicals don’t reliably reach the deeper structures where true volume lives. So clinically, it reads more as soft, superficial enhancement rather than structural change.”
If you’re interested in giving it a try, we’re sharing some of the top products that include the ingredient and everything else you should know, below.
The best Volufiline skin care products, according to experts
Sulejmani says that this “peptide-supported serum” is designed to offer subtle surface plumping, though she shares that most of the visible improvement you may see here is driven by hydration and skin smoothing.
Oska adds that for anyone interested in trying the ingredient, this formula would be her suggested pick. “This price point is more affordable, which makes it a more reasonable step to add in consistently.”
This formula, which contains the ingredient, is “a hydration-forward serum where plumping is largely a result of moisture retention rather than true volume change,” Sulejmani says.
Along with Volufiline, it includes snail mucin, which dermatologists previously told us can help with fine lines and hydration.
Sulejmani calls this “a more refined, antioxidant-rich formula focused on skin quality and elasticity,” but she adds that it has “only a mild volumizing effect.”
The rich moisturizer features a unique applicator lid, which you twist to release a small amount of cream and then apply using the included spatula.
What does Volufiline do?
Because of its potential plumping effect, when using a product with Volufiline, some patients may notice “volume enhancement, smoother texture, improved elasticity and softening of fine lines,” says aesthetic nurse practitioner Tama Tran. “Common treatment areas include under-eyes, lips, nasolabial folds, cheeks and even body areas, such as the breasts or buttocks.”
How long does Volufiline take to work?
“Early changes may appear in about four to eight weeks, but consistent use is required to maintain results,” says Tran.
Can Volufiline replace fillers?
If you’re looking for a way to get the look that fillers give you from home, we have some bad news: It’s pretty impossible to do, even with a potentially plumping ingredient like Volufiline.
Oska says that Volufiline is often framed as being “filler in a bottle” on social media, but “the comparison does not hold up.” She says, “fillers deliver immediate, structural volume that produces a sustained effect.”
Volufiline takes time to work, and doesn’t even always produce results, especially not drastic ones. Sulejmani says she often gets asked if it works, and she says the answer is: “Sometimes, but subtly. I always reframe expectations — this is surface-level enhancement, not correction.”
How we chose
All of the above products were selected by the experts we interviewed for this article. We ensure that all product recommendations come from experts who are neither affiliated with nor paid by the brands mentioned.
Meet our experts
At Shop TODAY, our reporters interview a range of qualified sources and experts to capture a wide scope of perspectives on a given topic. We also make sure that all expert guidance and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Sandra Oska, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Dermatology Institute & Skin Cancer Center. She specializes in general adult and pediatric dermatology, surgical dermatology and cosmetic procedures.
- Hajrie Sulejmani, CEN, APRN, FNP-BC, is the founder of The Aesthetics Loft in Connecticut and New York.
- Tama Tran, MSN, NP-C, is the founder of Lily Med Spa in Dallas, Texas.
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