Venom

What Is Venom? 

Venom is a poisonous liquid certain animals secrete to paralyze (and in some cases kill) their prey. In skincare, bee, snail and snake venoms are popular – and they’re not as gross as they sound! While bee venom is the new, natural it-ingredient (yes, it’s made by real bees and no, it doesn’t hurt them) snail venom is created synthetically to mimic the effects of the cone snail’s poison – which instantly paralyzes muscles. The near-mythical snake venom is also lab-created.

But what has all this got to do with skincare, you ask? Well, when venoms are applied topically, they fool the skin into thinking it has been stung or bit and the results are pretty damn impressive. Intrigued?

What Does Venom Do?

First and foremost, venoms (whether Bee, Snake or Snail) temporarily relax your facial muscles, instantly reducing the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and even those pesky crow’s feet. They’re kind of like a natural, pain-free version of botox (we’re sold!).

Bee venom has other anti-aging benefits too. When applied topically, your skin thinks it has been stung and goes into repair mode, directing blood towards the affected area and generating new collagen and elastin – which, we all know, is the magic key to plump, taut, hydrated skin.

It’s no wonder bee venom has generated so much buzz (pun, intended). It’s also the Queen Bee when it comes to treating acne – thanks to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it penetrates deep into the skin and fights those painful cystic pimples beneath the surface. And if it isn’t already on your shopping list, it also takes the sting out of eczema (ok, we’ll stop it now).

Who Should Use Venom? 

Anyone looking to super-charge their anti-aging routine would benefit from adding Venoms – especially if you’re a needle-phobe and can’t stand the idea of Botox. But when it comes to bee venom, it’s a no-go for anyone allergic to bee stings. Seriously, don’t do it.

How To Use Venom In Your Routine

Thanks to venom’s growing popularity (shout out to Gwyneth), today you can find venoms in so many different products – from face masks and oils to moisturizers and body creams. Ideally, we would whip out our venom-laced products twice daily and apply them to clean skin, to really get a real bang for our buck. But, if you have to choose, apply them at night so they can get to work without being distracted by makeup, pollutants, and damaging UV rays.

Our Fave Venom Skincare Products:

Source: Rodial

Rodial Bee Venom Micro-sting Patches Individual Sachet, $6: In the quest for wrinkle-free skin, these instant-fix patches deliver a one-two punch of Hyaluronic Acid and Bee Venom – a gorgeously potent combination.

Source: Dr. Nakhla

Dr. Nakhla Eight Day Eye Renewal Cream, $225: This super-luxe eye cream might be a splurge, but should be with it, given it erases puffiness, dark circles and those delicate fine lines around your eyes.

Source: NIP+FAB

Nip + Fab, Bee Sting Body Souffle, $13: Why limit these do-good ingredients to your face? For a bodilicious pick-me-up, this Venom and Shea Butter infusion promises to make skin look firmer and plumper!

For more amazing skincare ingredients, check out our Huda Beauty Glossary.