In today’s post, the Costhetics team is shining the spotlight on the placenta facial, a beauty treatment celebrities are turning to in the hope of turning back time. The extravagantly priced facial beauty product may sound like a fountain of youth, but there is actually very little evidence proving that the product does what it claims.
A History of Celebrity Beauty Misses
If you get your beauty advice from celebrities, prepared to be scammed! The red carpet set is famous for spending thousands of dollars on fabulous treatments that turn out to be snake oil. For example:
- Demi Moore – leech therapy to improve facial glow.
- David & Victoria Beckham – Geisha facials (made with bird droppings) to reduce wrinkles.
- Katie Holmes – snail facial to stimulate circulation.
The placenta facemask is just the latest in a long list of treatments that sound too good to be true, and are.
Placenta Face Mask Sought by Those 30+
A new survey carried out by the online web company MyVoucherCodes quizzed 2,173 British women aged 30 and over about their relationship with anti-ageing products. The women were asked which unusual treatments they would be willing to try out for free.
45% of women said a placenta facemask was the treatment they would most like to try.
The placenta is full of iron-rich blood cells, vitamins, minerals, fats, and antibodies. A placenta cream facemask uses stem cells from a sheep’s placenta to boost collagen and tighten skin.
“The sheep placentas are by-products of the meat and wool industry that would normally be thrown away. Instead, at lambing time, farmers all over New Zealand collect them, pocket the money and presumably laugh themselves silly over stupid, rich and vain women who want to smear sheep placenta over themselves in an effort to turn back time.” – Daily Mail
The fact that it comes from a natural source rather than a chemical laboratory makes it even more appealing. Proponents claim that the treatment delivers a glowing, wrinkle-free skin. A-listers like Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Madonna, and even Simon Cowell have all admitted to trying the treatment.
They can afford to. A treatment takes about 75 minutes and costs a staggering £185 (AUD $340).
Placenta Facial Treatments – The Verdict
The verdict is still out on this treatment. Does it work? Anecdotally, people rave about looking and feeling wonderful. They believe placental facials will keep them younger-looking longer and put off the need for more extensive treatments or surgery.
Scientists are less enthusiastic and say that there must be more testing before any conclusions can be drawn. A placenta facial may have some good moisturisers in it, they say, but the collagen part of the placenta is essentially worthless. Collagen molecules, which can help make skin look younger, are too big to work when applied topically. They need to be injected.
Additionally, researchers point out that the full placenta facial treatment combines the sheep-derived lotion with microdermabrasion, a mask, and red light therapy (to boost circulation and collagen production) all of which can improve skin without the use of placenta.