What is a bee venom facial, the preferred beauty treatment of Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla?
“Bee venom” and “facial”—these words don’t fit in the same sentence, right? Wrong, as a matter of fact, they do! Tatler recently found this out when we went to review a bee venom facial at BMF Hong Kong.
This facial essentially involves applying a luxurious cream, into which the bee venom has been added, to the face. The bee venom tricks our skin into thinking it’s under attack by bees, which causes it to promote collagen production to “heal” the affected area.
As it turns out, it’s reportedly the go-to facial for members of British royalty such as Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla, who have been doing this facial (performed by facialist Deborah Mitchell) for years. But royal credentials aside, we had our trepidations. Were bees hurt in the process? Would the bee venom facial evoke a stinging sensation? We were assured that the answers to both the questions were “no”. Bees are apparently not hurt during the extraction process, and the facial usually doesn’t hurt, unless you happen to have very sensitive skin. With these reassurances, we went in to try out the bee venom facial.
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The steps of the bee venom facial
The facial started with the usual steps: double cleansing, exfoliation using the BeePolish exfoliator (which had bee venom and glycolic acid in it), and then, toner. After that, the therapist removed blackheads, applied serum on my face and let it sit on my face. The next step was a massage on my face and neck using the BMF Booster Oil. The therapist went the extra mile—without being asked—and massaged my shoulders and arms too, which spelt relief for my tired shoulders.
Then began the application of the Silver Bee Venom Mask, from Deborah Mitchell’s brand Heaven (yes, the same Mitchell who treats the Queen of England and the Princess of Wales). I expected it to sting or itch a little, despite earlier reassurances—but thankfully it didn’t. The therapist wiped off the mask after a few minutes and applied a second mask, this time, the Black Bee Venom Mask by the same brand, which is said to contain a rarer form of bee venom which is supposed to be more potent. This she applied to the areas of my face which are prone to fine lines and let it be absorbed for best effects.
She then wiped it off with a warm cotton towel and applied BMF’s moisturiser cream, again taking the time to gently massage not just my face and neck but also the nape of my neck and my shoulders. I think I might have drifted off for a bit at that point.
The takeaway from the bee venom facial
Bee venom facial sounds exotic, but is quite relaxing in reality (Photo: generated by AI)
When it comes to the pursuit of beauty, nothing is too outlandish—think leech treatment, snail crawl or placenta facial. Compared to that, the bee venom facial sounds more dangerous and sensational than it really is. If you are not told it’s a bee venom facial, it would feel like any other regular facial.
And that’s why, for me, it works—the comfort and relaxation one expects when one goes for a facial are there in full measure. And the best part? My face did feel more supple and hydrated, which made me feel, a tiny bit, like queen bee.
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