In the quest for younger-looking skin, it seems like some people will do just about anythingâ€"and we mean anything. The billion dollar skin care industries are privy to the desperation of consumers and respond accordingly. Bird poop! Placenta! Blood! But should we really be slathering these things on our faces? Below, some of the weirdest anti-aging trends we've stumbled across:
Snail Slime
Back in 2013, a spa in Japan started an unusual anti-aging procedure: snail facials. The procedure involved live snails being placed on a patient's face, letting the snails do what they do best: slither around leaving trails of slime. The secreted slime mucus is full of antioxidants and copper peptides that reportedly repair damaged skin cells. For those who aren't crazy enough to put a live snail on their faces, cosmetics manufacturers have been adding slime mucus to their products, a few of which have been positively reviewed here at TIA. Maybe not so crazy?
Baby Foreskins
The use of cells from baby foreskins have been in the news recently thanks to Hydrafacial, a new cream that promises to prevent wrinkles, reverse sun damage, lighten dark spots and prevent acneâ€"all while using stem cells from an infant's foreskin. If this sounds familiar, it's probably because Oprah endorsed a foreskin-derived cream back in 2013 (and was attacked for it). Foreskins are supposedly full of growth factors that stimulate cell renewal. A writer over at The Cut gave the cream a favorable review, but we just can't get over the ick factor.
Silkworm Cocoons
A writer over at The Daily Mail insists on using silkworm cocoons to keep the ravages of age at bay. The cocoons, which are casings silkworms spin before becoming moths, are soaked in hot water before being rubbed all over the face. The water unleashes sericin, a substance rich in protein and amino acids, that coats the skin and locks in moisture. Apparently Japanese geishas have been doing it for centuries. The result? A reduction in wrinkles and a clearer complexion. Although it sounds strange, this trend is worth a gamble since it's all-natural and causes no bad side effects.
Face Shaving for Women
Most women, once we reach a certain age, start seeing sporadic hairs around our upper lip or chin, and so we wax them away accordingly. But would you shave your face if you didn't have to? Your entire face? Earlier this year, beauty blogs and websites erupted with the strange premise that women should shave their faces like men. By shaving, the blades exfoliate the skin, removing dead skin cells. Of course, you don't need us to tell you that this is rubbish.
Peat From Irish Bogs
Ã"gra Skincare founder Bill Kenny accidentally discovered the key to anti-aging when he discovered a perfectly preserved corpse in the bog by his home. He realized peat, a carbon-rich material found in bogs, had tremendous skin benefits, including intense preservation power. After realizing this, Kenny started bottling the bog soil and using it in anti-aging products, like Peat Face and Body Mask ($66). Other Irish skin care companies have jumped on the peat bandwagon as well, producing their own bog-derived miracle products. We love all-natural creams, but 9,000-year-old bog juice? We'll pass.
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