That claim really doesn’t hold up once you look at the biology of skin and how wrinkles actually form.
Bay leaves can offer some minor benefits—mainly due to antioxidants and plant compounds. That might help with general skin health or slight inflammation, but it stays at the surface level. It doesn’t change muscle movement or rebuild deeper skin structure, which is where wrinkles come from.
Compare that to Botox:
- It directly relaxes the muscles that cause expression lines
- That’s why forehead lines and crow’s feet visibly smooth out
And collagen-based treatments:
- They target the dermis, improving elasticity and skin support
- Some methods even stimulate new collagen production over time
So it’s not just a matter of “strong vs weak”—they work in completely different ways. One is a mild topical plant remedy; the others are clinically tested interventions that act on the actual mechanisms behind wrinkles.
If bay leaves were truly “more effective,” dermatologists and cosmetic clinics would have adopted them widely instead of procedures backed by decades of research and controlled results.
That said, if you like natural routines, bay leaves could still be part of a broader skincare approach—but more in a supportive role (like soothing or antioxidant care), not as a replacement for proven wrinkle treatments.
If you’ve got a specific recipe or method in mind, I can go through it step by step and tell you what it might realistically do.