I firmly believe that prevention is a lot easier than trying to reverse the signs of aging. I’ve been getting fine lines on my forehead since my early 20s, so I decided to use Korean skincare products with syn-ake now that I’m closer to 30. I used to think 30 was old. Sigh.
What is syn-ake?
Syn-ake is a surface-active antiaging component developed by a Swedish company Pentapharm Ltd, marketed as an alternative to invasive anti-aging procedures. It’s a synthetic equivalent to snake venom, which mimics the effects of a Walgerin 1 peptide from Temple Viper venom. Syn-ake can be used separately as a serum or added to creams and other skincare products.
How does syn-ake work?
Syn-ake reduces the amount of muscular movements in the face and reduces cellular mobility, which helps the skin smooth out. The concept behind it is the paralysis caused by snake venom. The synthetic equivalent of the venom temporarily relaxes the muscles in the face, preventing the formation of new wrinkles and improving the condition of the existing ones.
Lines and wrinkles around the mouth, eyes, and on the forehead form as a result of repeated movements of the underlying muscles. With time, the skin loses elasticity and can no longer return to its initial smooth appearance. Syn-ake combats that and can be applied to the forehead, neck, and areas around the eyes and lips. The effect is cumulative and will eventually wear off, so syn-ake should be used regularly to maintain the results.
Syn-ake is present in various Korean beauty products. Unlike some other anti-aging treatments such as retinol and acids, syn-ake does not make the skin more sensitive to the light, so it can be used in the summer. This serum was my first experience, and then I ended up adding a cream as well.
It’s Skin Power 10 Formula is a line of serums (products with a high concentration of active ingredients) for various skin needs. This particular one is Syn-Ake for anti-aging and wrinkle treatment/prevention. The serum is available on eBay and Amazon.
The serum comes in a glass bottle with a convenient dropper. It's a milky liquid with no detectable scent that absorbs quickly. The bottle is very generous in size, especially if used as a spot treatment, and will last for months and months.
Cleanse and use a toner
Apply to problem areas as a spot treatment
Follow with the rest of your routine
Can be used morning and night
I apply this serum to just the forehead, and then use a different serum (currently, this one) on the rest of the face. You can also layer another serum on top of this Syn-Ake one, for example, for extra hydration. At first, I used this every day at least once a day. Now, it’s about every other day to maintain the results.
My impressions:
This is a good way to try syn-ake - the serum format means the active ingredients are concentrated, so it should be easier to judge the effectiveness of the peptide on your skin. The bottle is a generous size and quite affordable.
For me, the serum works really well. I used to have a couple of fairly deep wrinkles on my forehead (some people have laugh lines, and I have “what is wrong with you?” lines from raising my eyebrows so much). After this serum and the Mizon cream, I only have one forehead line left. It used to be so deep that I could easily find it with my fingers while cleansing; now I can no longer do that. I don’t even think it’s noticeable in pictures. Of course, it might be partially due to all of the hydrating products I’m using that plump up the skin, but the effect wasn’t nearly as dramatic before I added syn-ake. Be patient - the results are not instant and takes a couple of weeks to be noticeable. The serum is available on eBay and Amazon.
My most important goal wasn’t to erase the couple of lines that I had - wrinkles are a natural part of aging, and, as my grandma says, aging is the only way to live long. The most important goal is to prevent further lines from forming for as long as I can, and I think this product is successful at that.And when biology eventually wins over, I will try to accept it with grace and be a cool old hippie lady with long hair and colorful skirts.
Let's connect - follow me on Instagram, join my Facebook group and subscribe to get blog updates (bottom of the Home page).
It’s Skin Power 10 Formula Syn-Ake Ingredients: Purified Water, Alcohol Denat, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Opuntia Tuna Fruit Extract, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Lactobacillus ferment, Adansonia Digitata Oil, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Malt Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Porphyra Yezoensis Extract, Trehalose, Adenosine, Panthenol, PEG-11 Methyl Ether Dimethicone, Neopentyl glycol diheptanoate, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Triethanol amine, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/ Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Caramel, Perfume