We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
When hearing of the “Sheep Placenta Facial” that stars like Victoria Beckham and Simon Cowell have tried, my jaw dropped. While shuddering in disgust, I decided to research the bizarre facial that A-listers swear by for keeping their skin wrinkle-free and glowing.Here I am using a 3 step beauty regime each morning, and calling the process tedious while others are willingly getting their faces slathered in sheep placenta, all for the sake of beauty. Yuck!
The trend started in Los Angeles, at the Rodeo Drive Clinic of dermatologist Dr Harold Lancer.
The facial supposedly costs over $284 for 75 minutes, and combines the same sheep derived lotions and potions used by Dr Lancer with microdermabrasion which exfoliates the skin and blasts away dead skin cells, a mask, red light therapy (used to boost circulation and collegian production). It also includes a fair amount of yuck factor if you ask me.
Clair Coleman was brave enough to undergo the facial, and told the daily mail that the “gruesomeness conjured up by her overactive imagination” was far worse than reality. Apparently after the face has been cleansed with stem cell concentrate (a blend of sheep placenta and hyaluronic acid) it’s then sandblasted, treated with a moisturizing mask, and then two metal paddles are used to shine red light onto the face. Although it sounds absurdly painful, Ms Coleman insisted that the entire process was “utterly painless”.
So if you’re anything like me, you’re probably wondering why of all things, a placenta? According to Stem Cell Beauty Innovations (the company behind the products) research has shown that the placenta and umbilical cord of mammals contains stem cells, which have the ability to repair every type of cell in the body.
They say that their products contain a trademarked ingredient (so don’t think of steeling the idea, or a sheep’s placenta!) O-placenta “the most nutrient-rich and potent form of ovine placenta extract”. They also claim that when applied to the skin, it can “de-age” it as it revitalizes skin cells, boosting them into producing increased levels of protein, collagen, and elastin, in the same way that youthful skin acts.
So my next question is where on earth are all of these placentas coming from? And why? Well after thorough research, I learnt that Agri-Lab is the worlds largest processer, that process over 20 tones of raw sheep placenta each and every year, transforming it into powder for dietary supplements or serum used in beauty products. They are also “by products” of the meat and wool industry, and now instead of farmers throwing the placentas away, they collect them all over New Zealand and pocket the money by selling them to overly vain and risqué women who want to smear sheep placenta all over their faces!
My next “facial” will be a homemade cucumber mask, free of animals, cost (minus a few kitchen items) and controversy.
