TikTok has a new “it” skincare ingredient that’s taken over our feeds. (Hallelujah! Nature is healing!) It’s called Volufiline, and it’s revered as “filler in a bottle” for how it can plump up hollowed under-eyes, reduce fine lines, and even add volume to your lips, all without a needle. “It’s alleged to stimulate your fat cells to make more fat in areas of volume loss,” explains dermatologist Karan Lal, MD.
The last time a skincare trend took over my For You Page at the intensity I’m seeing Volufiline, it was skin cycling (the method of “cycling” your actives—retinol, AHAs, BHAs, etc.—with hydrating ingredients to reduce irritation and over-exfoliation). And to this day, I still follow that method for my brightest, clearest skin ever. So when every other scroll came with a review of The Ordinary’s Volufiline 92% + Pal-Isoleucine 1% Plumping Serum (one of the most viral on TikTok right now), I had to try it myself in hopes of a similar life-changing result.
So, does it actually work? Two dermatologists broke down the science (including the results you can actually expect), but keep reading for three reviews from Cosmo editors who tested The Ordinary’s formula for two months. (Spoiler: It won a Cosmo Holy Grail Beauty Award for 2026.)
What is Volufiline? How does it work?
Volufiline is a compound of two ingredients (hydrogenated polyisobutene and plant-derived anemarrhena root extract) that, when mixed together, are thought to have a plumping effect on skin. Anemarrhena root extract is rich in a substance called sarsasapogenin, “which stimulates the subcutaneous fat cells to store more lipids,” says dermatologist Jessica Weiser, MD.
The idea is that it regulates fat cell maturation, encouraging them to plump up even more, says Dr. Weiser. “Aesthetically, this leads to increased subdermal volume creating a fuller appearance to the overlying skin,” she explains.
Actually, the only published testing we have on the compound was done to measure its effects on breast enhancement, not facial use. Which is why derms recommend tempering your expectations a bit. “The scientific data is essentially non-existent currently with no randomized control trials or peer-reviewed studies,” says Dr. Weiser. “Estimated increases in volume range from 2 to 8 percent, which can be imperceptible or only mildly plumping,” she adds, and that wasn’t even tested on a face, which obviously is different skin from, of course, your chest.
Other ingredients that are known to plump include hyaluronic acid, which does so by hydrating the top layer of your skin, as well as peptides, which encourage collagen production. But Volufiline works differently. Through a process called “lipofilling,” the idea is that the ingredient can penetrate deep layers of your skin and help repair, rejuvenate, and recover fat cells. This targets volume from a fat perspective, not necessarily just working on the surface of your skin.
But keep in mind: This is a very big claim, Dr. Lal adds. There’s really limited data on Volufiline as it stands now, so we don’t actually have strong studies that it works. “In theory, a product that can increase the subcutaneous fat would be very desirable,” says Dr. Weiser, “but since Volufiline has not been shown to replace lost subcutaneous fat and results have been very modest, it would be a misperception to expect ‘topical filler’—like results.”
Basically, don’t expect to use this a few times and cancel all your future filler appointments. “I think it likely provides temporary fullness from hydrating the skin,” Dr. Lal adds. Emphasis on “temporary”—you’ll need to continue using Volufiline forevermore to continue seeing results, as the benefits are short-lived, says Dr. Weiser.
Is Volufiline safe?
All that said, “I don’t think it’s a bad ingredient, but be wary of high expectations,” Dr. Lal says. “I do like it for the under-eye area for people because it’s generally well tolerated.” But as with everything, you should do a patch test first to make sure it’s suitable for your skin. Dr. Weiser warns that it can be potentially irritating (as all plant-based botanical extracts can be). It’s also oil-soluble, which could possibly lead to breakouts if you’re acne-prone. (More on how I, the master of acne skincare routines, used it below.)
About The Ordinary’s Volufiline
Of every Volufiline product on the market, The Ordinary’s is easily the most recognizable, having gone viral with miracle-like results taking over our feeds for the last few months. It contains 92 percent Volufilline (one of the highest concentrations I’ve seen—many others are around 5 percent), as well as 1 percent palmitoyl isoleucine, an amino acid that can help with skin’s elasticity and smoothness.
The idea is that this product is targeted—both in its ingredients list, but also in the application. It comes in a 0.5-oz. bottle with a teeny hole that dispenses only a small drop of product. You just dab it onto your fingertips, then precisely tap onto your skin after moisturizer wherever you want more volume. This isn’t something you should use all over your face; it’s most commonly applied to the under-eyes, smile lines, lips, and cheekbones. But it could also help with fine lines on the forehead, crow’s feet, or around the mouth. The formula itself is oil-based, which makes it easy to control exactly where you place it. You can also use it morning or night (our editors tested in a few different ways).
Now onto our reviews…
Our Volufiline reviews
Beth Gillette, 29, beauty editor
As the year drones on and I get closer and closer to turning 30 in December, I’m just starting to really ramp up my “anti-aging” regimen. I don’t have very many static wrinkles, and my dynamic ones are moderated by a few injections of Daxxify. But I do have hereditary under-eye hollowing that annoys the living hell out of me. No matter how much sleep I get, how many eye patches I place on in the morning, or how much concealer I pack on, my under-eyes always look tired. Unfortunately, it’s genetics, and I mostly have just accepted that I won’t be able to change it without surgery or extremely painful under-eye PRP. Then, I started seeing Volufiline on my FYP.
When I first started, I was surprised by the oil consistency, but I appreciate it for getting a pinpointed application. I apply it only under my eyes (more on this below) at night as the last step of my routine. By morning, I love that it’s fully absorbed and doesn’t leave a residue that impacts my concealer. But I’ve also tested it in the morning, and it does absorb in a few hours then too. If I had drier skin, I wouldn’t mind using it in the morning, and actually, I’d maybe even prefer it for more slip and smoothness before dotting on concealer. But it’s a bit too heavy for my oily skin in the AM.
As you’ll see in the before and after below, I’ve done a few things in the three months I’ve been testing. I dyed my hair, got extensions, added some filler to my lips, and got Daxxify in my masseter and 11s for TMJ (just beauty editor things). But the improvement on my under-eyes is all Volufiline.
I wasn’t sure I noticed a difference a month in, but by month two, I absolutely can tell—in person and in images. My makeup goes on smoother, and I feel like I actually need less concealer in the mornings to hide my under-eye circles or bags. I look so much less tired. In the above “after,” I actually am sleep-deprived as hell, having just traveled to Amsterdam and Paris for work and barely have gotten over the jet lag. Amidst only five hours of sleep a night for the last week, I normally would look haggard and depleted. And sure, other areas of my face are a little puffy and dull. But my under-eyes? Good as new. You’d never guess I was up drinking pornstar martinis in the Champs-Élysées just a few hours before.
Now that I’ve achieved the results I was hoping for, I will start cutting down my Volufiline use to only once a week or so. I don’t want too much volume where my under-eyes look puffy (the opposite of the snatched effect I’m looking for). But to keep up what I’ve gotten so far, once a week or even biweekly should be enough.
A note for the acne-prone:
I actually received a facial with Sofie Pavitt (one of my favorite aestheticians who is known as the “acne whisperer” and has her own line of products, all geared toward acne-prone skin) to get her insights on the formula a few weeks after I started testing. She gave it her stamp of approval overall, but recommended only applying the formula to my driest skin areas and nowhere that I’m prone to breakouts. I skipped applying this around my mouth or anywhere near my jawline—two areas that I commonly break out. You’ll see a lot of people apply this all over their lips to help improve fullness. Sadly, I’ll stick with my RHA filler there for now to avoid the zits.
Lauren Balsamo, 34, beauty director
I’m in my mid-30s, and the eye area is where I’m noticing the most visible signs of aging—mostly hollowing and a loss of firmness. To put Volufiline to the test, I swapped out my regular eye cream and applied it twice daily, morning and night, for a month to see if I’d notice any plumping or filler-like effects. Since the formula has a noticeably oily texture, I wasn’t particularly interested in using it elsewhere on my face.
The results weren’t dramatic—which, to be fair, is often the case with filler-in-a-bottle type products—but I did notice that the skin around my eyes felt more elastic and resilient. What impressed me most was the immediate effect after application. The same oily texture I wouldn’t want all over my face created an instant smoothing and plumping effect around my eyes that I really liked. Surprisingly, it also layered well under concealer without causing any issues.
Many testers reported experiencing redness or stinging on application, but that wasn’t my experience at all. Compared to other anti-aging ingredients I’ve used around my eyes, particularly retinol and vitamin C, Volufiline was exceptionally easy to tolerate.
For the price, I think it’s worth trying. It’s simple to incorporate into a routine and delivers noticeable instant plumping benefits (as you can see in my before-and-after photos). Just keep your expectations realistic—this isn’t a miracle worker, but it does offer some nice improvements.
Julee Wilson, 44, beauty editor-at-large
I road-tested this serum for about two months. I focused mainly on my smile lines and the hollows under my eyes. I started slowly, only applying one to two times a week and I experienced a bit of inflammation at first. Thankfully, that calmed down by week three, and my skin adjusted pretty well after that.
The biggest difference I noticed was in the overall plumpness of my skin. These areas looked a little fuller, a little softer, and less sunken. My smile lines didn’t disappear, but they seemed slightly less pronounced, especially on the days when my skin was well hydrated.
That said, I didn’t see a dramatic transformation. There was enough of a change to convince me that the formula is, in fact, doing something, but not enough to make it a permanent staple in my routine. I’d consider reaching for it again if my smile lines start bothering me more, but right now they don’t.
Meet the experts
- Jessica Weiser, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Weiser Skin MD, with offices in Aspen, CO, and New York, NY.
- Karan Lal, MD, is a double board-certified adult, pediatric, and cosmetic dermatologist at Affiliated Dermatology in Scottsdale, AZ.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair, makeup, nail, and fragrance stories.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
