'Magical' snake venom anti-wrinkle cream becomes instant hit!

London, Sept 10 : A face cream made with venom from an Asian snake is being touted as the latest miracle to ward off wrinkles.

Coming at 60 pounds a jar is an instant hit amid claims that it 'freezes' muscles in a way similar to Botox.

According to the makers of Planet Skincare daily moisturiser, the magical cream "stuns" the skin in a similar way to snakebite, helping to keep the face smooth.

Gwyneth Paltrow is said to be a devotee.

Described as giving "Botox-like results", the anti-ageing cream went on sale last week in Selfridges.

It is said to be selling at the rate of 50 pots per day, becoming one of the London department store's most popular skincare lines.

The cream incorporates a synthetic version of the poison from the Temple Viper, a distant cousin of the rattlesnake and indigenous to Malaysia.

Amino acids in the venom block nerve signals telling the muscles to contract, helping to stop wrinkles forming.

The active ingredient won the 2006 Swiss Technology Award.

"This could work for somebody who doesn't want injections. The effects are not going to be as dramatic as with Botox. It will also need to be reapplied as the body gets rid of it quickly," Telegraph quoted Dr Aamer Khan, medical director of the Harley Street Medical Skin Clinic in London, as saying.

ANI