10 Weirdest Ingredients Used in Beauty Products and Cosmetics

I grew up seeing the use of cucumber, papaya, almond, honey, aloe vera, olive oil and eggs among many other ingredients for skin and hair care. But today I came to know of some shocking and gross ingredients used in cosmetics. This list sums up 10 such ingredients.

10. Tequila Body Scrub

Tequila Body Scrub
Mexico’s Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita offers a unique Punta Mita massage, which uses indigenous sage oil and tequila. Also known as the margarita body scrub, it is made from tequila, salt, oil and fresh lime juice. It is considered an excellent purifier, conditioner and natural astringent.

9. Mother Milk Soap

Mother Milk Soap
There are many people who use mother’s breast milk to produce soaps on a local or small scale. According to them a soap made from mother’s milk is excellent for skin.

8. Dead Algae in Cleansers and Face Masks

Lavera Faces Organic Mint Exfoliant Facial Mask Having Algae

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Diatomaceous earth or commonly known as dead algae is the fossilized remains of single-celled algae called diatoms. This slimy and disgusting algae  is used as exfoliating body scrub and skin cleaner. It is used in facials and for acne treatment too. Lavera Faces Organic Mint Exfoliant Facial Mask having algae is available commercially for $ 5.0

7. Nightingale Dropping in Facial

Nightingale Dropping Facial
One of the most expensive facials in the world is based on nightingale’s droppings. Initially this treatment was used by Kabuki actors and geishas in Japan for lightening of skin. It is also considered an excellent cleanser to remove thick white make up. Now this weirdest facial treatment is available world wide. Salons in London offer it for £135. Guanine is a naturally occurring enzyme in nightingale droppings. Like other animal waste, nightingale droppings have high nitrogen content which can scrap off the dead skin. It is also effective in killing the bacteria. It heals the skin and bleaches it at the same time. Today the droppings are sterilized unlike the old days when they were applied as is but still they are nothing but bird’s poop.

6. Snail Secretions in Moisturizers and Creams for Acne and Stretch Marks

Knu Anti-Aging Tri-Complex

Snail Secretion
Carefully collected snail’s goo is an important and secret ingredient in many famous moisturizers. It is also used to remove scars, stretch marks and and to reduce acne. It is used in anti aging creams. Michael Todd Cosmetics KNU Anti-Aging Tri Complex moisturizer is rich in snail secretion. It is available for $130. According to the Michael Todd website: Scientists have concluded that this same substance can aid many human skin disorders because of its regenerative properties. Snail secretion facial is available in many salons for $ 175.

5. Cochineal Beetles used in Cosmetics

Beetle used in Dyes and Cosmetics

Cochineal Beetles
The crimson red color in many dyes and cosmetics comes from Cochineal Beetles. The beetles are soaked in hot water, dried and then crushed to give the deep red color. The color is then used in many cosmetics including hair dyes and whats more scary and gross, in lipsticks from many manufactures.

4. Whale’s Vomit in Perfumes

Perfume with Whale Vomit

Whale Vomit
Many expensive perfumes like Oceans by Nautica include whale vomit also known as ambergris. The ocean like fragrance in the perfume comes from nothing else but carefully collected natural whale’s vomit. Huge chunks of whale’s vomit float in the ocean for years and absorb the scent of the sea. It is usually found on beaches in South America or Australia. Today many companies have replaced the natural puke with artificially produced fragrance. But imagine spraying whale’s puke on your body. It’s the same as a whale puking on you. Gross.

3. Placenta in Creams

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The placenta is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall of the mother. It has a passage which provides nutrient to the baby, allows gas exchange via the mother’s blood supply and eliminates waste. Placenta comes out with the baby at the time of birth. It is rich in hormones and proteins and is used by various manufacturers in creams to stimulate tissue growth and reduces wrinkles.

2. Baby’s Foreskin in Anti Aging Creams

SkinMedica Foreskin-Based Anti-Aging Cream

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Many companies including Skinmedica and Vavelta use Baby’s foreskin removed after circumcision in their anti aging and anti wrinkle creams. According to Skinmedica, their products have used one single foreskin, and that it hasn’t acquired any new foreskin in over 20 years as 1 piece of foreskin is capable of producing 4 acres of fresh and new skin. The cells on the inside of the foreskin are rich in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF), which create collagen. This makes foreskin an ideal ingredient for an anti-wrinkle cream or injectable serum. Vavelta declares it’s injections based on baby’s foreskin as an ideal replacement of botox. This sounds gross and unethical.

1. Sperm used in Facial

Sperm for Sperm Facial
Spermine is a powerful anti-oxidant in human sperm. It is considered great in diminishing and reducing wrinkles. It also makes the skin smooth. New York magazine featured an article on this controversially bizarre and weird beauty treatment. According to the article, Townhouse Spa offers spermine treatment in which the cream is applied over skin and then ultrasound and infrared light is used to help the product penetrate the lipid barrier. The treatment costs $250 for 10 minutes. A Norwegian company called Bioforskning sells sperm based products in the market. To me, nothing could be more disgusting and morally low than using sperms in beauty products.