# Venom in Cosmetics



## EmmaLock (Nov 10, 2010)

Hi everyone. 

I'm researching snake venoms in cosmetics and havent been able to find much information online regarding which cosmetics and companies use it. None of the big brands I've looked at seem to use them and I wonder if anyone here could either direct me to a few informative sites or tell me a thing or two about the types of venom, pros/cons, horror stories and general facts and stats (if any exist that you know of). 

Also, for my research I'd like to hear views about venom in cosmetics, and especially from anyone who has or does use any snake venom cosmetics. 

(Guys, don't be shy to PM if you don't want to go public!): victory:


Thanks everyone!

PS: I'm posting this both here and in the DWA section


----------



## Razorscale (Feb 22, 2010)

I remeber seeing a few things on ebay before. Just done a quick search on google and got some links for you, hope they help.

lacura-wrinkle-stop-reviews

Babaria Snake Venom SYN-AKE Anti Wrinkle Cream 50ml


----------



## EmmaLock (Nov 10, 2010)

Thank you. I just had a read..

Interesting that it's SYN nake venom (synthetic). Perhaps its just a myth that is is real venom, but something manufactured to have the same muscle paralyzing properties.
Clever marketing...


----------



## mikeyb (May 8, 2011)

Emzylock said:


> Thank you. I just had a read..
> 
> Interesting that it's SYN nake venom (synthetic). Perhaps its just a myth that is is real venom, but something manufactured to have the same muscle paralyzing properties.
> Clever marketing...


venom is only a cocktail of proteins and chemicals any lab worth there salt using the right tools to issolate the individual components (chromotography sorry about spelling if its wrong ) being one and there volumes its nothing short of baking a cake from then on all weights and measures. obv all snake venom isnt identicle but gives u the general idea


----------



## southwest vipers (Jun 29, 2008)

mikeyb said:


> venom is only a cocktail of proteins and chemicals any lab worth there salt using the right tools to issolate the individual components (chromotography sorry about spelling if its wrong ) being one and there volumes its nothing short of baking a cake from then on all weights and measures. obv all snake venom isnt identicle but gives u the general idea


What? Like baking a cake? The OP is looking for information on the use of venom in cosmetics. This reply looks like a recipe for disaster.


----------



## mikeyb (May 8, 2011)

southwest vipers said:


> What? Like baking a cake? The OP is looking for information on the use of venom in cosmetics. This reply looks like a recipe for disaster.


wat i ment was once theyve identified the chemicals in venom they can re-create by knowing wat chemicals and wat quantities etc. and they will pick and choose which chemicals are usefull in the particular result they want i.e certain venoms compounds are now used as painkillers


----------



## southwest vipers (Jun 29, 2008)

Emzylock, I have a fairly extensive library on venomous snakes, albeit viperids, mostly. There is no literature that I know of that includes information on cosmetics, only medicines. You are probably aware that there is ongoing research into the value of venom components in the pharmaceutical industry and most of the results are fairly new to science. Therefore,I conclude that the cosmetic industry is not yet in a position to utilise many or any components to any real degree. 
Mickyb may be able to give a more concise explanation though.


----------



## mikeyb (May 8, 2011)

southwest vipers said:


> Emzylock, I have a fairly extensive library on venomous snakes, albeit viperids, mostly. There is no literature that I know of that includes information on cosmetics, only medicines. You are probably aware that there is ongoing research into the value of venom components in the pharmaceutical industry and most of the results are fairly new to science. Therefore,I conclude that the cosmetic industry is not yet in a position to utilise many or any components to any real degree.
> Mickyb may be able to give a more concise explanation though.


pretty much as above although the cosmetics industry will test chemical compounds on lil fluffy bunnies prior to there use in cosmetics to ensure we dont keel over from them or go blind then they get them signed off by the medical board as sort of fit for human use with evidence of there testing id be doubtfull they would have the balls frankly to use venom although botox is basically Clostridium botulinum bacteria toxins:whistling2:. basically if u put everything down to its chemical form if u used sulphur is safe and actually used for eczema now add hydrogen and oxygen atoms in the right way and u end up with h2so4 hydrochloric acid which will melt ur skin in seconds


----------



## Owzy (Jan 19, 2009)

Are the products that contain it expensive Emma?


----------



## Owzy (Jan 19, 2009)

Also sorry for the slightly off topic question everyone but isn't there a movie/tv show where a lady has snake venom lipstick or have I just made that up?


----------



## SuperSpeedyWheels (Jun 23, 2011)

Owzy said:


> Also sorry for the slightly off topic question everyone but isn't there a movie/tv show where a lady has snake venom lipstick or have I just made that up?


Is it not holes? Shes has snake venom nail varnish.... its just fiction though


----------



## DavidR (Mar 19, 2008)

The use of snake toxins in face creams is just a marketing ploy. There is one product that claims to use a synthetic analogue of waglerin-1 (a peptide produced by _Tropidoleamus_). The receptors that this toxin is active are found on neurons and muscle cells (not on the skins surface) so I think it is unlikely that the toxin would reach the target, if indeed there is any in the cream.

Your money is just as well spent on standard collagen containing face cream, don't bother paying for this pseudoscientific rubbish.

David.


----------



## antcherry88 (Mar 28, 2011)

mikeyb said:


> pretty much as above although the cosmetics industry will test chemical compounds on lil fluffy bunnies prior to there use in cosmetics to ensure we dont keel over from them or go blind then they get them signed off by the medical board as sort of fit for human use with evidence of there testing id be doubtfull they would have the balls frankly to use venom although botox is basically Clostridium botulinum bacteria toxins:whistling2:. basically if u put everything down to its chemical form if u used sulphur is safe and actually used for eczema now add hydrogen and oxygen atoms in the right way and u end up with h2so4 *hydrochloric acid* which will melt ur skin in seconds


H2SO4 is sulphuric acid. Hydrochloric is HCl :whistling2:


----------



## southwest vipers (Jun 29, 2008)

antcherry88 said:


> H2SO4 is sulphuric acid. Hydrochloric is HCl :whistling2:


Neither of which is used in baking a cake.


----------



## ArmyBoy (Dec 9, 2011)

southwest vipers said:


> Neither of which is used in baking a cake.


Maybe if you are baking a cake for someone you don't like :lol2:


----------



## EmmaLock (Nov 10, 2010)

southwest vipers said:


> Emzylock, I have a fairly extensive library on venomous snakes, albeit viperids, mostly. There is no literature that I know of that includes information on cosmetics, only medicines. You are probably aware that there is ongoing research into the value of venom components in the pharmaceutical industry and most of the results are fairly new to science. Therefore,I conclude that the cosmetic industry is not yet in a position to utilise many or any components to any real degree.
> Mickyb may be able to give a more concise explanation though.


I see. Thats very interesting because the more i researched the less i believe that actual snake venom is used in cosmetics. There was one stocked in Selfridges of which 50 a day were sold in a crazy but the company were reluctant to say if there was actual snake venom (as a cobra was depicted on the cover) was used and put me on hold until disconnect


----------



## EmmaLock (Nov 10, 2010)

Owzy said:


> Are the products that contain it expensive Emma?


The one I was researching was worth £50.00 for a small jar that was claimed to last about a month and would need re-application throughout the year. Go figure


----------



## EmmaLock (Nov 10, 2010)

Owzy said:


> Also sorry for the slightly off topic question everyone but isn't there a movie/tv show where a lady has snake venom lipstick or have I just made that up?


Not sure about the film or tv, but there was a lip-plumping gloss I came across that was said to contain venom. 
Previously they have used Camphor (which comes from trees in Asia) and also synthetically replicated it which has properties simillar to Turpentine  but i admit i havent managed to get a straight answer out of that company either as to whether they are actually using the venom from temple vipers as they advertised.


----------



## mikeyb (May 8, 2011)

antcherry88 said:


> H2SO4 is sulphuric acid. Hydrochloric is HCl :whistling2:


yup sorry my mistake was half asleep as i was typing but u get the idea lol


----------



## josephcounseling (Jul 15, 2012)

*estee lauder makeup*

i think when we talk about cosmetic we should not forget the brand estee lauder makeup they are very popular with estee lauder perfumes, estee lauder lipstick, estee lauder mascara, advanced night repair estee lauder as ecart.me operating all



http://ecart.me/manufacturer.php?id_manufacturer=3


----------



## LeeF (Jul 15, 2012)

My other half does cosmetics reviews and I was intrigued a few months back when a jar or the syn-ake stuff dropped through the post. Her impressions were pretty positive, in terms of skin appearing taught following application, while I found it far more interesting that they contained the active peptide chain from Waglerin (I think it was a competitive acetylcholine inhibitor). The question I would have is whether, although it's only a peptide chain not a whole protein, the body would respond to it by producing antibodies that would eventually render it useless.


----------



## terciopelo_dave (Jun 1, 2007)

I think researching the use of snake venom-like proteins in cosmetics is a non-starter to be fair. They don't actually contain snake venom, nor do the proteins they do contain perform any venom-like functions, particularly muscular paralysis. Proteins have been used in "age defying" skin creams for years, simply because they can be held in an emulsion and the chains remain elongated while in fluid form. Once applied to the skin the solution dries and the protein chains return to their tightly coiled tertiary structures, which has the effect of pulling on the skin and causing a tight feeling sensation, flattening out wrinkles. This could give the appearance of mild paralysis but is in fact entirely unrelated. This effect is very temporary and of no long term benefit. Any positive effect on wrinkles will simply be from application of an emolient that keeps skin cells hydrated. The same effect can be achieved at a fraction of the cost by using bog standard aqueous cream. This is true of all pseudoscientific claims made by manufacturers of such vanity based clap trap. Sadly the whole "contains snake venom" is nothing more than an advertising ruse. If the companies were being a little more honest the packaging would read "contains proteins loosely based on snake venom but performing none of the same functions", but I doubt they'll adopt that technique as it's unlikely to generate sales. 
Lastly, in the highly unlikely event that it was actually possible to cause paralysis by applying these creams to your skin, I seriously doubt they would be available over the counter as the companies would have no control over how much was used and where it was applied. It would only take someone rubbing it into their chest and subsequently suffocating through respiratory paralysis to cause some pretty significant fallout for the company involved, a risk I doubt anybody would be willing to take.


----------



## Biotech0113 (Dec 15, 2013)

*Re: venom in cosmetics*

Venin Royale (Rediscover Your Youthful Radiance | Venin Royale) incorporates king cobra venom

It's only available in limited quantities in the USA





Emzylock said:


> Hi everyone.
> 
> I'm researching snake venoms in cosmetics and havent been able to find much information online regarding which cosmetics and companies use it. None of the big brands I've looked at seem to use them and I wonder if anyone here could either direct me to a few informative sites or tell me a thing or two about the types of venom, pros/cons, horror stories and general facts and stats (if any exist that you know of).
> 
> ...


----------



## callumstanton (Nov 12, 2013)

This is a very interesting thread, may I ask why you wanted to know, is this something your researching at uni or was it just a general question?


----------



## PDR (Nov 27, 2008)

Hi Emma, I know we have some samples of products in our Lab that supposedly contain snake venom... not sure if the are cosmetics or ointments. I'll have a look for you.


----------



## eyelasher (Feb 22, 2010)

Hey Emma I make my own and am about to do a big press thing on the subject. Give me a shout! X Steve


----------



## EmmaLock (Nov 10, 2010)

Thank you all so much for your responses. My interest in snake venoms started with a visit to the Bangkok snake milking facility where they produce antivenin, and explained how the venom structures vary, within the same species, up and down the country which can make anti-venom useless to someone who has been bitten far away. Combined with my interest in Bill Haasts work, and the hype from cosmetic companies, I wondered about their legitimacy and serum structures. 
Some very thought out, detailed and insightful replies there. Eyelasher, I will certainly get in touch!
Thank you all, and I will continue to visit this thread for any more answers.


----------



## Richardmm (Jul 14, 2014)

*the best i think..*

BIO GROND – We are nature!


----------

