You don't have to face the knife or needle in the quest for a more youthful look. Rebecca Barnes looks at the best non-invasive alternatives

Cosmetic procedures are gaining popularity and more and more people are choosing to go under the knife but what if you don't have the budget, or simply don't want to take the drastic measures of subjecting your face or body to a surgeon's scalpel?

The good news is there are alternatives that might just make a difference to your skin, and won't give your bank manager palpitations, although they obviously won't yield the dramatic effects of surgical procedures.

An interesting ingredient to look out for is peptides. These modern anti-agers trick older skin into producing collagen and hyaluronic acid, another key factor in providing moisture to the skin, in order to repair itself like younger skin.

So whether your concern is sagging skin, thinning lips, dropping eyes or a turkey neck, read on to discover the latest, greatest products to hit the anti-ageing market.

For your eyes

The delicate eye area is one of the first places to reveal the ageing process, and every time we blink or frown, muscle contractions crease the skin, causing wrinkles over time. Garnier Ultralift Eye Cream (£8.99), contains ginger, a powerful anti-wrinkler. It's the UK's best-selling eye cream, and at under £10, it won't break the bank either.

Avon Anew Clinical Eye Lift (£15 for 2x10ml), contains two products in one pot to target specific problems. The Upper Eye Gel boosts elastin and collagen, preventing drooping skin on the eyelids by giving a vertical lifting effect, while the Under Eye Cream helps accelerate cellular metabolism under the eye, visibly reducing puffiness and lines.

An ideal quick fix and powerful enough to work on deeper lines and wrinkles, Estee Lauder Perfectionist Power Correcting Patches (£38 for three), is a targeted treatment that includes a potent bio-peptide to reduce the look of lines and wrinkles faster than topical creams, creating a smoother, lifted effect.

For your skin

Who needs Botox when there's Bio-Medic Siax Hepta Muscle Relaxant (£45 from www.beautyisskindeep.com or 02380 676733), a gentle muscle relaxant that leads to a reduction in expression lines and wrinkles. It contains active hepta-peptides which, acting directly on the epidermis and the dermis of the skin, decreases muscular contractions.

To firm and redefine features and lift your bone structure, try Transformulas Face Control (£39.95 from www.transformulas.com or 0800 161 3166). Containing an award-winning tetra-peptide, Eyeseryl, 75 per cent of testers showed rapid improvement the day after the first application.

Roc Complete Lift - Immediate Lift Serum (£24.95), immediately and visibly lifts skin with the help of THPE, an ingredient which is reportedly four times more effective than DMAE. Raffermin, a plant extract, also acts to firm the skin with long-term effects. For more information visit www.rocskincare.co.uk

Grab some 'me time' and treat yourself to Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial, (from £70). This breakthrough anti-ageing facial has been proven to stimulate biological cell renewal and resurface skin by up to 75 per cent after just one treatment.

For your lips

Forget fillers and unattractive trout pouts, Mene and Moy Balm (£90 from www.beautyisskindeep.com or 02380 676733), is not a temporary plumper that tricks the lips into swelling, but a product that delivers lasting results. It contains retinoic acid that removes dead skin cells, stimulates fibroblasts and increases collagen production, which in turn increases oxygen to the lips.

For a cheaper fix, try Too Faced Lip Injection Mask (£19 from www.hqhair.com), which contains plumping red pepper resin, along with algae and aloe, glycolic humectants and vitamins A and E which reduce the appearance of vertical lip lines.

For targeted action

Botulinium toxin, or Botox, is the quick-fix treatment du jour when it comes to spot-treating areas of the face. However, Mary Cohr Intra-Derm Lift Express Wrinkle Eraser (£35 for 7ml), has a roller-ball application and plumps furrow lines from within for an immediately visible lifting effect, and can also work on deep lines on the neck.

Sanctuary Line Smoothing Serum (£9.95 for 15ml), is packed with filling spheres to plump out wrinkles and smooth skin around the eyes, lips and forehead. A collagen-boosting peptide helps promote firmer skin, while organic rosehip seed oil protects against ageing.

For the body

NV Perricone Firming Body Mist (£120, available from Selfridges; 08708 377 377) might not be that cheap, but it's a darn sight more affordable than a nip and tuck. Perricone products contain DMAE, the magic ingredient for firmness and tone, plus neuropeptides, and this mist should be spritzed liberally onto areas of concern.