The Skincare Treatment Kate Middleton Used For A Stunning Face At Her Wedding

Over a decade has passed since the 2011 royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William at Westminster Abbey. Yet, the world remains in awe of the grandness of the event, and the tale of modern-day Cinderella winning the heart of her Prince Charming still woos and fascinates romantics everywhere. And not without good reason: The royal wedding was meticulously designed, costing $34 million, and watched live by as many as a billion people worldwide. No details were left to chance.

Middleton knew she had to be dazzling on her special day, and her appearance had to top her most regal looks of all time. Her beautiful gown by Alexander McQueen, which came with a $434,000 price tag, made a lasting impression and is still considered one of the most stunning wedding dresses of recent years.

Interestingly, Middleton actually did her subtle romantic makeup herself after a few makeup lessons from Arabella Preston, a celebrity makeup artist based in London. But Middleton needn't have worried about looking lavishly radiant on the day because she had turned to a skincare treatment that ensured she'd be impeccably stunning and a true vision to behold as a bride. Her secret? Bee venom. Yes, you read that right!

Days before her wedding, Kate Middleton visited London-based beautician Deborah Mitchell, who had created her own line of beauty products made from bee venom — a potent anti-aging ingredient. As Mitchell told Hello, word spread about her bee venom facials, and a royal aide of Queen Camilla's was sent to try it out and report back on the results. Shortly thereafter, Mitchell was summoned to the palace to treat Camilla herself. 

According to Mitchell, Queen Camilla introduced the products to Middleton, and both are now sworn fans of the bee venom treatments. Mitchell not only treated Kate right before the wedding, but she was also invited to the royal nuptials. Bee venom became quite the buzz, and the surrounding hype is making it a highly sought-after treatment. To be fair, bee venom is only a small fraction of the strangest beauty treatments you can get today.

So, how is this venom collected? According to Living Nature, glass panes covered in electrical currents are placed in the hives. These electrical currents prompt the bees to sting the panels, leaving their venom behind, which dries almost immediately. The yellowish dust that is left is then procured and processed to be used in beauty creams and facial treatments. Unlike when bees sting humans and lose their stinger, this process leaves the bees (and their stingers) unharmed.

But how is this royal skin treatment so effective? The experts have weighed in. Dried bee venom contains 50% melittin — an ingredient that's been found to be quite magical, offering anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer effects, according to a 2018 study published in PubMed Central. According to a 2022 study published in Pharmaceutics, the ingredient can also lead to skin tissue regeneration. Skin care products with bee venom as an active ingredient can help to reduce wrinkles and fight acne, per Healthline, resulting in glowing, radiant skin.

But there is another way that bee venom products work, beyond their melittin compound, and this is by setting in motion our body's natural healing mechanism. Memphis-based dermatologist Dr. Purvishia Patel explains to Prevention that bee venom used in beauty care products (albeit mistakenly) convinces our bodies that we've really been stung by bees. "This causes the body to direct blood toward the area, stimulating the production of collagen, which strengthens tissue, and elastin, which helps the skin to remain taut and bounce back into shape," she says. 

If you are still not convinced, just think that Kate Middleton trusted this skin care treatment for a stunning face during her wedding. With at least a billion people watching her, we know she wasn't taking any chances — and Mitchell's bee venom facial certainly rose to the occasion. Kate Middleton was breathtakingly phenomenal. Just as we expected her to be.