If you can't face a needle dripping with Botox but still envy its effect on others, then you may be curious about a brand-new product doctors had been calling Faux-Tox until Botox maker Allergan raised objections. The cream, now dubbed Wrinkle Relax, is apparently a combination of six amino acids that conspire to stifle lines by inhibiting neurotransmitters that initiate muscle contractions (promises, promises!). It doesn't paralyze the frown, but even Botox vets are finding that it extends the life of their usual dose, and according to one Manhattan dermatologist, Howard Sobel, it decreases fine lines by up to 36 percent in four weeks. It's less painful on the wallet than Botox, too. A $75 bottle lasts about three months.

Related:

• Archive: “Beauty”
• Articles by Beth Landman
• Table of Contents: Dec 16, 2002 issue of New York | Subscribe!