Human-based ingredients are “major blind spot” in frownline treatments, says Revance

A survey has found that US consumers pay little to no attention to the ingredients in injectable frown-line treatments, such as Botox, while paying more attention than ever to the ingredients in cosmetics and nutritional supplements.  

The survey, titled The Ingredient Gap, was carried out on behalf of biotech company Revance. It stresses that despite Botox being one of the most popular aesthetic procedures in the US, 53% say they believe all neurotoxin treatments on the market have formulations that are “more or less the same.”  

“In fact, most respondents did not recognize that human or animal-based ingredients are common in many [injectable] treatment formulations,” says the company.

Human albumin, or blood plasma, is commonly used as a stabilizer for the neurotoxin. The researchers refer to this as a “major blind spot” for frown line treatments. On the flip side, interest and knowledge of skin care and nutritional ingredients have rapidly increased. 

Cosmetics vs injectables

The survey included 2,000 participants aged 35 to 50. Almost all respondents (91%) reported being more ingredient-aware now than in the past regarding personal care products and nutritional supplements.

When choosing treatments, 36% said they chose the most obvious option, and 32% doesn’t know other options exist.The main reasons for participants researching cosmetic products differed. Sixty-one percent did so to ensure the product works as claimed, 41% reported managing allergies, and 36% to understand product differences. 

When choosing frown line treatments, 36% said they went for “the most obvious option,” while 32% reported not knowing that there are other options. 

Revance says that encouragingly, 61% reported that they would swap treatment if better ingredients existed, signaling the need for awareness and education. 

Additionally, 31% of respondents reported having taken help from AI to make smarter cosmetic ingredient decisions. 

Estonian-based Haut.AI recently launched an AI-powered skin care consultant that helps consumers find “the best” products and ingredient combinations for them. For brands, the tool allows them to capture first-party consumer insights that help close product and strategy gaps.

Peptide-based alternatives

Revance claims its peptide formulation-based frown line treatment, Daxxify, is the only one on the market that does not rely on human or animal components to stabilize the active ingredient. 

“Consumers have become increasingly ingredient-savvy when it comes to what they put on and in their bodies, and it’s time that same curiosity extends to aesthetic treatments,” says Jeff Bedard, founder and CEO of Revance. 

“Too often, frown line treatments get treated as if they are all the same, when in reality, there are meaningful differences in how they are formulated. Most people already recognize peptides in skin care and wellness, but few realize there’s a neurotoxin formulated with a peptide,” he explains.

“With Daxxify, we have introduced the first and only frown line treatment with a peptide formulation giving patients a differentiated option that does not rely on human or animal-based ingredients and raising the bar for transparency across our industry.”