The latest trend to hit TikTok boasts flaxseed gel as a slimy addition to beauty routines, but medical experts are advising against it, saying it has no scientific basis.
Hundreds of TikTok users have claimed on the video-sharing platform that homemade flaxseed gel is “basically nature’s Botox.”
Courtney Snell was among those who posted a video using the homemade flaxseed gel, applying it as a mask to her face.
“I made some flaxseed gel and we’re going to try it,” Snell says in the video, which she tagged #NaturesBotox, adding that she used to get Botox injections and recently turned to the trend after seeing others try it at home. beverage.
He adds, “I saw this one girl [who tried this]and it literally looked [she had] Botox.”
Snell documented the results of the flaxseed gel mask on a video surveillancesaying that her forehead lines seemed to have diminished.
“It’s such a difference,” she says in the video, adding that she “struggles” to move her forehead expressively.
Doctor debunks the linseed gel trend on social media
A glass jar of linen and water is seen in this undated stock photo.
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Experts are less enthusiastic about the trend.
“I will tell you with certainty that flaxseed applied topically to someone’s skin is not, I repeat, not Botox,” said Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News’ chief medical correspondent, who also has a master’s degree in nutrition. “It doesn’t work the same way as Botox, it doesn’t have the same properties as Botox.”
Cosmetic Botox is a neuromodulator that causes temporary muscle paralysis to smooth wrinkles or reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, according to American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.
Botox is made from botulism toxin and can also be used to treat a number of health conditions including chronic migraine, spastic disorders, cervical dystonia and detrusor hyperactivity. StatPearlsan electronic library published by the National Library of Medicine.
Watching people tighten the fat clear look on their faces in various TikTok videos, Ashton said she noticed in one video a “very beautiful, very young woman who, as far as I know, has no credentials in nutrition or medicine or dermatology, talking a lot about science”.
“Very little of what he said about the usefulness of flaxseed applied topically to the face is scientifically accurate,” Ashton said. “Sorry to burst that bubble.”
He continued, “Believe me when I say that if flaxseeds applied to someone’s face could work like Botox, I’d be taking it along with everyone else.”
The gel commonly seen on TikTok appears to be made from dried flaxseed soaked in boiling hot water and refrigerated for up to 24 hours to set.
“If you apply [this gel] on your face, there’s a chance you’ll have some contact irritation, dermatitis, and even a potential allergic reaction,” Ashton said. “The biggest risk here — and this is true with almost every medical trend on TikTok — is someone passing this off as accredited, reliable medical advice and information. Is not.”
“Your skin is the largest organ in the body,” she continued. “This means that anything you put on your skin can and will be absorbed into your bloodstream. So choose wisely.”
Ashton recommends instead using natural oils like olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil “as a head-to-toe moisturizer,” which she said would be preferable to products with chemicals on the label.
“The danger of making this kitchen mask at home, if you want to, is that you won’t get that effect,” she added, referring to those who claim their gel has the same effect as cosmetic Botox.
Best uses for flaxseeds
As for the science behind linseed oil and flaxseed, Ashton said “when taken orally, they’re great.”
Flax seeds are seen in an undated stock photo.
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“Colloquially, I think flaxseed qualifies as a superfood,” he said. “They’re loaded with omegas, they’re loaded with fiber, they’re loaded with minerals.”
While adding a scoop to a breakfast routine like smoothies or oatmeal might seem like the perfect nutritional boost, Ashton said “one tablespoon is not all the fiber the average young woman needs in a day.” .
“[Women under the age of 50] they need about 25 grams of fiber a day,” he said.
Finally, Ashton noted, “As always, my medical advice is to get your medical information from trusted, certified sources — generally not TikTok, not social media, and proceed with caution if you do.”
