From snail mucous to sheep placenta, skincare ingredients just keep getting more and more perplexing. The search for the fountain of youth never ceases, and each year we are blown away by the discovery of a new ingredient that makes us wonder, who in the world thought of using that on the skin in the first place?
Heaven Bee Venom Mask was first launched in 2010.
One of the most recent beauty crazes is bee venom, popularised by Kate Middleton. It has been said that the Duchess of Cambridge got this beauty secret from her stepmother-in-law, Camilla Parker-Bowles, who is reported to have discreetly begun using this organic alternative to Botox before her wedding in 2005. The face mask containing bee-sting venom that the Duchess of Cornwall used was pioneered by beauty therapist Deborah Mitchell, and is claimed to be a needle-free shortcut to youthful, wrinkle-free skin.
We've all heard that when a bee stings something, it dies. Rest assured that the ingredient does not claim the lives of thousands of bees. In collecting bee venom for skincare use, a special glass surface is placed outside the hive, and a weak electrical current is released through it to encourage the bees to sting the glass. The venom is then collected from the glass surface. Because the bees are stinging a surface they can't penetrate, unlike, say, human skin, their abdomens remain intact and they don't have to sacrifice their lives.
A skincare expert from the UK who has been in the industry for over 25 years and specialising in organic ingredients, Mitchell introduced the original Bee Venom cream, the very first product of its kind, in 2010, and the Bee Venom Mask received rapturous acclaim instantly.
Here's how this unseemingly skin-friendly ingredient works. Bee venom is used cosmetically to trick the skin into thinking it has been lightly stung with melittin - the principal active component of apitoxin (bee venom). In response to this toxin, the body supplies more blood to the "stung" area and stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. It is also said that the venom can help relax muscles.
Bee venom has in fact been medically used for decades, mostly as a shot for nerve pain, rheumatoid arthritis and muscle conditions. However, its use in cosmetics is still relatively new.
While further studies are needed before we can tout it as the new needle-free Botox, many celebrities, including by Victoria Beckham, Kylie Minogue and Michelle Pfeiffer, are said to have tried and loved this alternative.
Pannaphas Chokenana, managing director at Heaven by Deborah Mitchell in Thailand, explained that "beetox", or skin detox treatment using bee venom, is very popular in many countries, especially the US and the UK.
"Bee venom in skincare can help plump up and lift the skin, reducing sagginess and fine lines. Coupled with the right massaging technique, the skin will feel instantly firmer," Pannaphas said.
She added that from royalty to celebrities, many women in New Zealand, Australia, the US and the UK now swear by bee venom skincare. However, not all the products have been approved by Thailand's Food and Drug Administration, so consumers should be careful when purchasing it.
"I have seen a few brands selling bee venom products online, or through an informal store. It is important to get it from a reliable source because these stores are not official distributors, so if there is any problem, you wouldn't know who to complain to," Pannaphas said.
However, as with any ingredient, a patch test is recommended because bee by-products are known to cause allergies in some people.
