People Compare This £20 Serum to Filler—After Testing It, I Understand the Hype

If there is one skincare brand that has long mastered the art of proving effective skincare needn’t come with a triple-digit price tag, it's The Ordinary. Since its 2016 debut, the brand has rewritten the beauty rulebook with clinical formulas, minimalist packaging and ingredient-led products that are both covetable and attainable.

From viral toners, SPFs to cult-favourite retinols, each launch genuinely seems to spark a fresh wave of obsession online. As a beauty editor, I can say it's one of the very few brands heralded as an original disruptor.

So when the The Ordinary Volufiline 92% + Pal-Isoleucine 1% Plumping Serum landed on my desk, I was all ears. The serum promises to tackle fine lines while improving signs of lost elasticity, and it's also positioned as a subtler, non-invasive alternative to tweakments, like filler.

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Sure, I'm partial to a little bit of Botox, but I've never saddled up to filler. And whilst I'd never want to erase all my lines (they do, after all, add character and are a totally normal part of ageing), I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to hold onto my skin's scaffolding for as long as possible. So, could this new serum be the answer? Here's what happened when I gave it a go.

Shop The Ordinary Volufiline 92% + Pal-Isoleucine 1% Plumping Serum

How Does The Ordinary Volufiline 92% + Pal-Isoleucine 1% Plumping Serum Work?

On first impressions, the bottle is teeny tiny at just 15ml, and while the formula is full of ingredients that are barely pronounceable, it's actually a product that is more straightforward than it seems. The standout ingredient is volufiline, which is the patented trade name for a plant-derived complex that's known as sarsasapogenin. It makes up 92% of the formula whilst being dissolved in an oil base.

It’s an ingredient that brands are increasingly turning to, and the reason it has been gaining traction in the skincare industry is for its ability to help restore fullness to areas that can lose firmness over time, including the undereyes, cheeks, temples and smile lines.

The serum also boasts 1% pal-isoleucine, which is a combination of amino acids and lipids that improves absorption whilst also supporting the skin’s natural collagen and elastin production. Together, these ingredients are why this serum has quickly earned the nickname "filler in a bottle" among beauty TikTokers.

As for what the experts think? "The anhydrous (water-free) lipid-heavy texture makes formulation sense because volufiline is oil-soluble, and The Ordinary avoided unnecessary fragrance or filler ingredients," reveals award-winning aesthetic doctor, Sophie Shotter, who, on the whole, gives the serum the green light. "The ingredient list is short and focused, and the peptide-like amino acid derivative is associated with skin cushioning and firmness," she adds.

Here’s the rub, though, and it’s one of the biggest issues I currently have with beauty marketing jargon: there isn’t a single skincare product on God’s green earth that can replace the results of injectables.

Dr Shotter agrees: "Despite the 'filler in a bottle' marketing, it can’t behave like actual dermal filler. Injectable fillers physically add volume beneath the skin by placing hyaluronic acid deep into tissue, instantly lifting and restructuring facial contours."

Essentially, no topical serum can penetrate deeply enough to recreate that structural effect. "Any visible improvement from volufiline is likely coming from surface hydration, smoother texture, mild temporary swelling and possibly very small increases in superficial lipid storage, not true volumisation of facial fat pads," reveals Dr Shotter.

It’s also why, she tells me, the results are subtle, gradual and maintenance-dependent rather than dramatic or sculpting. "The science behind volufiline is also limited, with most studies being small and manufacturer-linked, so while the product may modestly improve skin appearance, it is nowhere close to replacing fillers in either mechanism or outcome."

After Using The Ordinary Volufiline 92% + Pal-Isoleucine 1% Plumping Serum

So, has it won me over? Well, yes, there is a lot to love about this product. I was worried the oily texture would break me out, but it's surprisingly non-greasy and sinks in quickly, so you can follow with your moisturiser or SPF. Did it help with lines? Yes, some of them. After ten days, I noticed a subtle difference in my crow’s feet. As for volumising my deep nasolabial folds that run from my nose down past my mouth, I didn't really see a huge difference, but I'll keep going with it.

Dr Shotter tells me, "For around £20, it’s more transparent and better formulated than many viral ‘volufiline’ products online, which often rely on vague concentration claims and weaker formulations."

She also wasn't surprised that I saw some results. "Realistically, the serum may give subtle improvements in skin plumpness, softness and surface fullness over several weeks, especially in areas where dehydration and fine lines create shadows, like under-eyes or smile lines."

And that's exactly what it's done for me. Ultimately, if you are looking to fade lines and don't want to touch retinol or fork out more than £20, I'd say it's definitely worth a punt.