Bee venom in some wrinkle creams may be dangerous

AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE/NNS) -  

An ingredient in wrinkle cream has some doctors worried that users won't follow the directions and end up with problems much worse than a wrinkle.

Most people do what they can to not be stung by bees. But a beauty trend has some people using that venom in creams and cleansers to help stop wrinkles.

Doctor Elizabeth Geddes-Bruce from Westlake Dermatology thinks some patients may be using products containing bee venom, but not reading the warnings or realizing the potential dangers.

The creams will list bee venom as an ingredient and experts say higher concentrations could cause stronger reactions, especially if your skin isn't perfectly smooth.

"If you have a serious reaction, it can be the kind where your throat closes and you have trouble breathing. It can be life threatening," explained Dr. Geddes-Bruce. "You might have little micro-breaks or tears or an acne bump that causes a break in the skin and then you are potentially getting exposed to it and it getting into the bloodstream."

Dermatologists recommend doing a patch test before you slather a product containing bee venom all over your face.