The Woman Behind the Venom: Rachel Sommers-Ash

Skincare innovation doesn’t just happen by following the rules; it happens when someone dares to question them. For Intoxicated Cosmetics Founder and CEO Rachel Sommers-Ash, that moment came in 2013, when a routine trip to Sephora became the start of something revolutionary.

At the time, Rachel was navigating one of the hardest chapters of her life. Her father was terminally ill with cancer, and the emotional toll began to show on her skin. Sleepless nights, stress, and worry left her searching for a solution that could restore what she felt she had lost: radiant, resilience, and confidence. 

When she asked a store associate for the best anti-aging serum, the answer was simple: “Botox.”

That one word changed everything. 

The Spark That Started Intoxicated Cosmetics

In the months that followed, Rachel found herself diving deep into research, not just for her father’s health, but for her own curiosity. Her search led her to something unexpected: bee venom.

What began as a medical curiosity quickly became a skincare revolution. “I remember thinking, Why isn’t anyone using this in skincare?” Rachel recalls. “There was this massive gap between topical anti-aging production and injectables. Nothing on the market was truly bridging that divide.” 

That realization became the foundation for Intoxicated Cosmetics, a brand built on clinical innovation, bold science, and an unapologetic belief that skincare should deliver real, visible results. 

Lab-Created Venom, Real Results

At Intoxicated Cosmetics, performance and ethics go hand and hand. Every formula harnesses a lab-created variation of venom, molecularly identical to those found in nature, but 100% cruelty-free. 

“This may be controversial,” Rachel says, “but skincare doesn’t always have to be gentle to work. We use advanced, lab-developed venom peptides to trigger renewal, rebuild collagen, and deliver visible results, without ever harming the animals that inspired us.”

Those bioengineered venom peptides act as intelligent skin activators. They help to stimulate microcirculation, enhance cellular turnover, and restore elasticity, mimicking the effects of more invasive anti-aging treatments, but without downtime. 

Each formula is created to target fine lines, dullness, uneven texture, and loss of firmness. The result? A complexion that looks smoother, together, and visibly rejuvenated, no needles required. 

From Advertising to Aesthetics

Before she was formulating high-performance skincare, Rachel built a career in advertising in New York City. The fast-paced world of agencies sharpened her eye for storytelling and branding, but it also exposed her to the pressures of perfection that so many women experience.

“Advertising taught me how to create desire,” Rachel says. “But aesthetics taught me how to create results.” 

After moving back to Boston, she earned her esthetician license. She began working in a medical spa, where she learned firsthand what clients wanted: treatments that worked like clinical procedures but felt like luxury skincare. 

In the evenings, she poured herself into research: testing, reformulating, and fine-tuning her venom-based prototypes. Years of experimentation led to the launch of Intoxicated Cosmetics, the world’s first venom-inspired skincare brand designed to deliver clinical-grade results from home.

A Movement in Modern Skincare 

Intoxicated Cosmetics isn’t just a collection of serums and peels; it's about a movement redefining modern skincare. Rachel’s vision goes beyond clean labels or trend-driven formulas; it’s about performance, innovation, and ethics working together. 

The brand challenges the idea that skincare should always be gentle, minimal, or cautious. Instead, it emphasizes intelligent, results-driven solutions that are designed to transform the skin, protect its health, and elevate the daily ritual into something purposeful and effective. 

Every product from Clean Queen to the multi-acid Power Peel Pads, and from the venom-inspired serums to high-performance finishing treatments, is built with science-backed ingredients and innovative delivery systems. Lab-created peptides, growth factors, and time-released actives are blended with antioxidants, botanicals, and clinically validated ingredients to address stress, environmental damage, fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven texture. 

Intoxicated Cosmetics also prioritizes personalized skincare routines. By offering tiered peel pads and serums with different active concentrations, users can progressively upgrade their routines, building toward stronger, more transformative treatments without overloading the skin. The approach makes modern, high-performance skincare accessible without sacrificing efficacy or safety. 

It’s a brand for those who want more than promises. It’s for people who want visible results, without compromise, and for those who understand that taking care of your skin is a statement of self-respect, confidence, and empowerment. 

A Modern Approach for Real Results

Every product at Intoxicated Cosmetics is more than a formula; it's a strategic step in a results-driven routine. Rachel's vision ensures that from cleanser to serum to finishing treatment, each step is purposeful, science-backed, and transformational. 

This modern skincare with intention and impact: a movement where cruelty-free innovation meets clinical-grade performance, where lab-created venom peptides and smart delivery systems elevate daily rituals, and where visible results are standard, not the expectation. 

For those ready to embrace skincare that works as hard as you do, Intoxicated Cosmetics offers a pathway to renewed, resilient, and radiant skin, all from the comfort of home, with no compromise.