Smooth out lines and wrinkles with this snake-inspired skincare

There’s not a lot I wouldn’t do in the name of beauty… I’ve tried snail slime and growth factors derived from foreskin in an effort to reverse visible signs of time (but I do draw the line at placenta). I also get botulinum toxin (i.e. Botox) injected into my face regularly, so obviously products formulated with synthetic ingredients designed to mimic the muscle-relaxing effects of snake venom barely made me blink an eye—especially when they landed on my desk at about the same time my aforementioned Botox began to wear off.

Called Simply Venom, these day and night creams were created by two anesthesiologists who obviously know a thing or two about muscle relaxants. Fascinated by the power of the Temple Viper snake’s venom, the duo set out to create a synthetic way to mimic the effects of this venom merely by applying it to the skin. And wouldn’t you know, they did it—and then combined their muscle-relaxing peptide with other advanced ingredients that boost collagen production, hydrate the skin, restore elasticity and enhance the penetration of these innovative actives. The result: A 58% reduction in wrinkles and 76% increase in collagen after 28 days (according to one clinical study).

No, your face won’t be frozen from using these creams—but you will notice improvement in fine lines and wrinkles. Offering both instant and long-term results thanks to wrinkle-plumping hydration and cumulative effects that begin to show after the first few weeks, I started using Simply Venom at the perfect time. The furrows on my forehead are definitely taking longer to become more pronounced, so much so that I haven’t scheduled my next Botox appointment yet.

For those of you who are concerned about safety, both of these formulations are free of parabens, synthetic fragrances, dyes and gluten—and I repeat: There is no actual snake venom! And for those of you who are thinking this sounds more like “snake oil,” try Simply Venom and you’ll stand corrected.