If someone tells you to wash your face with soap and water, you will probably not think it weird and will do it without question. However, if someone tells you to wash your face with bird poop, will you do it? Believe it or not, there are quite a few beauty products out there that have unusual ingredients in them, and many of these products claim they could give users beautiful, glowing, and healthy skin. Indeed, these unique ingredients come with properties that may actually help skin look and feel better.
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You may cringe at the idea of slathering bird droppings on your face, but you will be happy to know that you won’t actually be applying fresh bird poop on your skin. What you will be using is a product that has been sanitized with UV rays, dehydrated, and rendered into powder form. Known in Japan as uguiso no fun, this product comes from nightingale droppings and has been around since the ancient times. It works because of the enzymes it contains, which help moisturize, exfoliate, and clarify the skin. It’s actually become popular in high-end spas in the west in recent years.
Bird excrement enzyme is not the only unusual ingredient that has found its way into new beauty products today. There are a lot of other weird substances that will probably make you raise an eyebrow when you hear about them. Here are some of them:
Snail slime – These days, snail slime no longer seems like a cringe-worthy beauty product ingredient since it has become really popular in recent years. The substances that come from snail mucus, namely glyolic acid and elastin, help reduce fine lines on the face and aids in collagen regeneration. Korean beauty brands were actually the first to popularize this skincare ingredient, with numerous brands now offering snail-based creams, face masks, and lotions to their many customers.
Horse oil – While it has been in existence in Asian beauty products for quite some time, horse oil is still a rather unusual ingredient to find in beauty products in the west. The ingredient that is extracted from horse fat is oleic acid, which helps prevent premature aging and protects skin from the damage that free radicals bring about. If you’re not too keen about the idea of using products derived from equine sources, you’ll be glad to know that oleic acid can be derived from plant sources as well.
Eggs – If you were to ask a few elderly people about the use of eggs on the face to give a person glowing and tight skin, you would probably find that this not that unusual after all. Eggs have actually been used in the past to help moisturize and tighten skin, and this is because of the keratin and collagen found in the whites of eggs. These days, products that have eggs in them are usually masks and gels that you apply on your skin, leave to dry, and remove after a few minutes.
Bee Venom – If you are allergic to bee stings, it might be a good idea to ask a doctor first before using products with this ingredient in them. Bee venom is usually added to serums and masks, which are used by those who want to reduce the fine lines around their face or to simply tighten their skin. The toxin that is found in bee venom encourages elastin and collagen production, hence the reduction of wrinkles and the resulting taut skin. You can probably think of it as a cheaper alternative to botox.
Placenta – Asif bee venom and snail slime were not weird enough, some cosmetic companies have come up with products that has placenta in them. This ingredient, which comes from animal sources, has components that are said to help with the reduction of skin pigmentation and wrinkles, as well as the production of collagen and elastin. Often used in face creams, this ingredient is also reputed to help rejuvenate and refresh tired skin cells on any part of your body.
Charcoal – Another ingredient that was once thought to be unusual but is now totally accepted by many people is charcoal. In fact, its popularity probably has its roots from the pharmaceutical industry, as activated charcoal has been used for years in emergency settings to treat alcohol and drug poisoning by drawing out toxins from the body. These days, you will find a lot of face masks, face washes, and creams that come with this ingredient in them, and the reason is because it removes skin impurities, fights excessive oil, and unclogs pores.
Certainly products with these ingredients in them are not for everybody. It is important to look closely into the benefits claimed by the companies that make them so that you can decide whether they are for you or if you’d rather stick to products with tried and tested ingredients instead.