By Chiara Atik
Bee-stung lips have always been considered attractive — but now, bee-stung faces are taking over.
The latest beauty treatment craze in Britain is a face mask designed to smooth lines and wrinkles, using bee venom as a main ingredient. The mask is part of Deborah Mitchell's popular U.K. line Heaven, and costs 55 pounds (around $90 U.S.)
Using bee venom on your face may seem kooky, but the product has some very regal fans, including Prince Charles' wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. In fact, investors are so sure of the mask’s popularity that Heaven just secured a 100-million pound deal to send British-trained aestheticians to China, where they will offer the treatments to an even bigger market.
As more and more woman look for products that keep them looking younger, non-surgical alternatives to procedures such as Botox are becoming increasingly popular. But can a mask made with bee venom really prove effective?
Dr. Bobby Buka, New York dermatologist to the stars, seems to think so. "I’m cautiously enthusiastic about early trials involving bee venom for facial rejuvenation and anti-aging," he told TODAY.com. "Bee venom products like this face mask are rich in melittin, a protein that induces anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.
"Even our own immune systems seem to be stimulated by this bio-active peptide," Buka added. “Further studies are on the way, but I’ll be following this particular trend very closely."
Sounds hopeful! But if and when the bee venom mask comes to the U.S., will it be popular enough to rival Botox?
"Not a chance," Buka said.
Bad news for Heaven. But good news for bees.