When you moisturize your skin, straighten your hair or slap on some shampoo and conditioner you’re probably using a product that has a long list of ingredients that you’ve never heard of. Using the wrong skincare and hair care products can be an unmitigated disaster, with skin reactions, hair loss and even cancer causing ingredients in many products; you need to be aware of exactly what you are putting on your body.
Beauty science is forever evolving and ingredients sourced from the strangest places can yield great results for your skin and hair. Keep reading to discover the weirdest and most bizarre beneficial ingredients found in beauty products today.
Lava
Once the red hot magma has cooled down and crushed it’s used as an exfoliating cleanser. Great for scraping off dead skin cells and leaving skin looking rejuvenated.
Snail Slime
The trail left behind by these slimy characters is a powerful moisturiser. Snails use this mucus to reproduce their shell and skin and it works on human skin too.
Charcoal
In hot demand at the moment, this substance can absorb a huge amount of impurities and is a wonder treatment for acne, scalp conditions, excess sweating and more.
Human Umbilical Cord
Not for the squeamish, the umbilical cord transfers nutrients and oxygen to babies during pregnancy and once its finished its job can be used to make a serum that is a powerful anti-inflammatory, collagen booster and skin repairer.
Sheep Placenta
Gross but surprisingly common ingredient in beauty products, rich in proteins and nutrients that can lead to calm and wrinkle free complexions by helping your skin regulate oil production.
Onion Juice
Due to its collagen boosting high sulphur content this pungent vegetable is great at fighting hair loss and a powerful treatment for dandruff and fungal scalp infections.
Beer
Another hair care elixir. The malt and hops in beer are rich in protein and a great strengthener of hair cuticles. Too much and the alcohol content can dry your hair out but shampoos and conditioners made from fresh craft beer can work wonders.
Bird Excrement
Yep, bird poo… as bizarre as it sounds the excrement contains urea and guanine that are great beauty boosters. Urea is a by-product of urine and is a great skin moisturizer, while guanine is an amino acid that gives hair a shimmering shine. The Japanese have been using it for centuries… apparently.
Caviar
This pricey appetizer is packed with skin rejuvenating proteins and nutrients, hydrating and tightening skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Bee Venom
We humans are a clever bunch. Beauty scientists have discovered that small amounts of apitoxin, bee’s venom, tricks the area of skin where it’s applied into believing it’s been stung, resulting in increased blood flow that strengthens body tissue and kick starts collagen production and skin rejuvenation.
