bay leaves as a homemade skin treatment have circulated widely online. Some versions involve boiling bay leaves in water and combining the resulting liquid with ingredients such as aloe vera, honey, oils, starch, or vitamin E.
The idea is appealing because the ingredients are inexpensive and easy to find.
However, the dramatic comparison with Botox is not supported by good clinical evidence.
Botulinum toxin treatments have been studied in randomized clinical trials and have been shown to reduce certain facial wrinkles, particularly lines between the eyebrows and around the eyes.
