# Viper Venom and Synthetic Peptides: Emerging Active Ingredients in Anti-Ageing Cosmeceuticals
## 4 Results and Discussion
### Active Ingredient  
In the cosmetic industry, snake venom, more precisely viper venom, is used due to the high number of neurotoxins compared to other snake families, and for its Botulinum toxin-like effect. It blocks the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, causing partial muscle paralysis, thus preventing the appearance of wrinkles and their fading [74].  
Figure 3: Mass-Market and Premium-Market product category of selected cosme.  
Snake venom has many benefits in the medical/pharmaceutical field as well as in the cosmetic industry. However, the main drawback is the very high cost per gram of venom (hundreds to thousands of euros). The high price is due to the small amount of venom secreted by each snake and the decrease in the number of snakes in recent years in the fauna because of adverse climatic conditions. The number of certified biobanks has also decreased.  
Thus, with the advanced technologies of recent years and increased interest in innovative active ingredients, biomimetic peptides have emerged.  
SYN(r)-AKE (Tripeptide-3) is a bioactive peptide designed as a powerful anti-wrinkle agent, mimicking Waglerin-1, which is naturally found in the venom of _Tropidolaemus wagleri_ and acting synergistically with the skin's natural processes to minimize the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. By promoting facial relaxation, it helps reduce wrinkles while preserving natural facial expressions [75; 76].  
The correct identification of the ingredients of each product was performed using information from the product packaging according to the INCI list. INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) names are used in the European Union, China, Japan, the United States and other countries for listing ingredients on cosmetic product labels. These denominations are similar in all countries, with a few exceptions [77].  
Based on an analysis of globally commercially available products that claim to contain snake venom or Tripeptide-3 according to their trade names, we evaluated the product effect on the ingredient lists, as specified by the INCI denomination. Our findings revealed that references to snake venom appear under various keywords--such as \"snake venom\", \"snake\", \"viper venom\", \"viper\", \"cobra venom\", \"venom\" and \"Temple viper\"--in over 63% of cases, corresponding to 155 commercially available cosmetic products (Figure 4).  
SYN(r)-AKE was found in only 19% of the analyzed products, with a reduced percentage (1-3%) containing claims of other venom-like peptides. However, a detailed review of the INCI ingredients lists on the product packaging, revealed that the synthetic peptide SYN(r)-AKE (INCI: Glycerin, Aqua, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate) was present in 81% of the products (199 products), compared to only 13% featuring snake or v  
Figure 4: Cosmetics identified by keywords according to their trade names.  
In the case of three analyzed products, the absence of snake venom and snake-like peptides was observed. Additionally, for ten products claiming one of the keywords searched according to the trade name, it was not possible to identify the list of ingredients.  
Considering the discrepancy between the large number of products claiming snake venom according to their trade name (155 cosmetics) and the small number containing it according to the INCI list, we performed another statistical analysis (Figure 6). Of the 155 cosmetics that claim snake or viper venom according to their trade name, only 30 (20%) of them incorporate venom. Most of the commercially available products incorporate the synthetic peptide, SYN(\({}^{\tiny\textregistered}\)-AKE (72%).  
Figure 5: Active ingredients according to the INCI list of commercially available cosmetics.  
Figure 6: Active ingredients in commercial cosmetics claiming snake venom (n = 155).