What is bee venom

Bee venom — also called apitoxin — is the clear liquid a honeybee releases when she stings. It is a natural mix of peptides, enzymes and amino acids, and it is the ingredient at the heart of every BeeVive product.

How it is collected

Today bee venom is collected without harming the bee. A collector at the hive entrance gives a mild electric pulse, and the bees sting a smooth glass plate. Because the plate is smooth, the bee's barbed stinger does not catch — she keeps her stinger and flies away unharmed. The venom dries on the glass and is collected. A session lasts only a short while.

What is inside it

The main active in bee venom is melittin — about half of the venom's dry weight. There is also phospholipase A2, about a tenth, and other natural components: peptides such as apamin, enzymes such as hyaluronidase, plus amino acids. All together, more than 30 components have been identified in bee venom.

Why it is used in skincare

When bee venom touches skin, the skin answers with a gentle tingle and more blood flow. That is the idea behind using it in skincare — it is marketed for firming and renewal, and often described as a natural alternative to more invasive treatments.

Bee venom at BeeVive

BeeVive uses bee venom in its serums, creams, sticks and soaps — for face and body. Every product on this site has the same simple job: to bring that ingredient to your skin in a gentle, everyday form.