Review: Skin Doctors Beetox, a bee venom treatment for fine lines
Cosmeceuticals are cosmetic products that claim medicinal or drug-like benefits. Skin Doctors Beetox Cream (P3,499) claims to “instantly help to activate you skin cells to reduce the appearance of: wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin and aging.” It was only at this point that I realized that Beetox was a play on ‘bee’ and ‘botox’!!! I had first thought it was to do with toxins and bee venom, haha.
While going through the product information, it was interesting to note that Skin Doctors makes a huge point to clarify that “no bees are harmed during the extraction of bee venom.” This confused me because I thought bee venom was extracted by having them sting (and leave part of their abdominal sac) thus effectively killing them. Apparently, there is new technology where bees are mildly electrocuted through a glass pane, stimulating their stingers without leaving them behind. Here is the process explained in brief by a different brand – Skin Doctors does not confirm their own collection methods. Some people consider this a humane method of collection, though those who advocate for cruelty-free beauty may still find issue with electrocution.
Bee venom addresses signs of aging, as it 'fools' the skin into thinking it has been lightly stung with a compound called melittin. This stimulates the production of the collagen and elastin in the skin. While bee venom itself does not have strong scientific backing, collagen and elastin production are well-linked to younger-looking skin!
The other major ingredient, Manuka honey, ensures that skin is properly nourished, renewed, and revitalized. I was actually more excited about this ingredient because my skin has always reacted really well to honey!
Agitating my forehead lines so you can spot where they are
Before and After
Because the promised results are instant, I’m doing the review with before and after pictures of my skin. I have fine lines on my forehead, which I’ve agitated by crinkling a few minutes before applying the cream.
The cream is supposed to be used on clean skin, right before moisturizer, so I assume that it does not need any sort of reaction time. It’s so important to note though, that patch testing or allergy testing IS SUPER IMPORTANT and should be done at least 24 hours before applying the cream all over your face. Some bee allergies are quite severe, so it's best not to risk it! Other cautions are not to use the cream on broken or irritated skin, and to avoid the eye area – pretty standard stuff.
The cream is liquidy yet sticky. It has a wonderful, sweet scent, likely from the honey. It does leave you feeling sticky, but the discomfort fades within ten minutes. Sadly, even after that time, I found that it didn’t really have any perceptible effect on my fine lines. As expected though, the honey felt really nice and nourishing. While my lines were still present, I found my skin super supple and soft every morning after using this cream.
That said, I feel strongly that YMMV (your mileage may vary) in terms of bee venom cosmetics. I don’t have many allergies, and I suppose my skin wasn’t triggered enough by the venom. Additionally, with how it’s designed to stimulate collagen and elastin production, I feel this product may be more effective with long-term use and only in preventing fine lines, rather than instantly erasing already existing ones.
Skin Doctors is available in SM Aura, Market Market, SM Makati, SM Mall of Asia, Robinsons Ermita, SM Davao, SM Mandurriao, SM Clark, Daimaru, SM Dasmarinas, SM Fairview, SM North EDSA, SM Bacolod, SM Cebu, SM Southmall, SM Sucat, SM Taytay, SM Urdaneta, and SM Telabastagan.
Ingredients: Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Isopropyl Myristate, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Menthyl Lactate, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Honey, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Royal Jelly Extract, Pseudoalteromonas Exopolysaccharides, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tripeptide-10 Citrulline, Bee Venom, Tripeptide-1, Phenyl Trimethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Lactic Acid, Sodium Salicylate, Citric Acid, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Triethanolamine, Potassium Sorbate, Fragrance.
