Royal Nectar Bee Venom Eye Cream

Our Rating: 4 stars

Reviewed by TIA Community Member on May 13, 2015

0 Comments

by Suzanne

The  Royal Nectar Bee Venom Eye Cream ($35 in the shop) comes from New Zealand and is distributed by Nelson Honey, a family-owned company. Established in 1973, Nelson Honey began with honey production and grew to manufacture a range of natural health and cosmetic products that contain powerful ingredients such as bee venom, Manuka honey and Propolis. According to The Daily Mail, trials with women between the ages of 50-59 showed the bee venom cream to have “improved the texture of their skin, reduced lines and wrinkles and left them appearing visibly more youthful”. Packed full of antioxidants and 18 active substances, the venom stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. Collagen strengthens body tissues while the protein helps keep skin taut and retain its volume.

Beehind the Venom

The bee venom is collected with a pane of glass placed next to a hive, with a weak electrical current running through it. The current encourages the insects to sting the surface. Since the bee's lance remains in its body, it does not die. Tiny quantities of valuable venom are then collected.

Manuka honey is produced in New Zealand when bees pollinate the native Manuka bush. It is high in antibacterial methylglyoxal (MG). Although MG is found in most honey varieties in small quantities, Manuka honey contains up to 100 times more MG than normal honey. In lab tests, MG killed these bacteria and viruses (source).

But Manuka honey is also a potent anti-inflammatory, which keeps skin clear, youthful and hydrated. Its amino acids help exfoliate dead skin cells, keeping pores clear and balancing the skin’s pH. MG promotes collagen growth in skin cells by increasing collagen cross-linking. By building collagen, the amino acids protect it as well, which means healthy, firm, youthful-looking skin. Manuka honey naturally draws moisture into the skin, enhancing elasticity, cell regeneration and healing.

Nelson Honey is one of the few honey companies in New Zealand who control the entire process from beehive to jar. The company sources its raw honey products from over 4,000 beehives located in the remote, undisturbed forests of South Island in New Zealand. By tracing its honey from beehive to end product, the company ensures the highest level of food standards.

My Results

Royal Nectar Bee Venom Eye Cream has a very light texture, which easily absorbs into the delicate eye area. It has a light and delicate fragrance. The main result is an obvious and immediate tightening of the skin, more so than feeling overly emollient. Although the skin under my eyes was never overly wrinkled, it remained smooth and wrinkle-free. It did not have any effect on dark circles, although those may be internal. My upper eyelids, which are saggy, did not seem to change. I applied the cream to my upper lip area but did not see any change; however, those wrinkles are years old and unfortunately the result of a dermatologist’s eager hand.

I used it religiously morning and evening on my over 40-year-old skin. Although I tried not to add anything to the cream to see only its results, I have dry skin. Being that the eye area has no moisture of its own, I did need to add some more moisture. I use a concealer and want my eye area to be moisturized so the concealer goes on smoothly. So I could not use this as an eye cream without some additional moisture, but that is my skin type.

I feel this is a high-quality, effective product. My only complaint was the company would not give me information regarding several ingredients, including where the perfume is derived from. The website also does not list each ingredient, which is worrisome for someone like me who prefers not to use perfumed products, especially around the eye area. However, I do like how it performed and would recommend it, especially if perfume is not a problem for you. You will, however, find the ingredients listed on the box.

Given my experience with the eye cream, although it is likely their other products also contain perfume, I am still curious about their performance and might just purchase them as well! My overall experience was a positive and beautifying one!