The very thing that makes Botox different is also the reason no wrinkle cream can compare with its results. Wrinkles do not start on the surface but beneath it. Creams, dermal abrasions and other topical treatments cannot hope to have much of an effect on things that are happening beneath the dermis.
Wrinkles start below the surface in the muscles. This is much farther than any surface treatment can penetrate. Yes, well moisturized skin has less visible wrinkles but that is only a pacifying move. As soon as the skin dries the wrinkles will reappear. The truth is there is not one cream on the market that works as good as or better than or just like Botox.
Creams reduce the size and depth of the creases but nothing like the results that you can get with Botox. Even the best wrinkle cream will take weeks to show any results at all while you see Botox results the same day and it gets better over the next couple of days. Creams have to be applied daily and some even have to be applied several times a day. This can mean using many tubes or jars of cream in months time.
One first inspection the cost of creams makes them seem like a much better bargain than Botox but that is just a façade. The truth is that over time you spend twice as much on creams than you do on the 4x a year treatment. A Botox treatment generally last between 3-6 months. While it cost anywhere from 300-1200 dollars a treatment thinks about it only takes 2-4 treatments each year.