One of the great things about writing Healthy Hollywood is that I (me, Terri MacLeod) has the inside scoop on the latest/most trendy Hollywood treatments. And, some stars will go to extremes in the name of beauty!
Demi Moore detoxifies her blood with leeches and Gwyneth Paltrow is reportedly a fan of snake venom-based products.
Recently, Healthy Hollywood stumbled upon one of the most bizarre treatment of all – the bird poop facial.
That’s right bird poop!
Tom Cruise and Victoria Beckham are reportedly fans of this ancient Japanese beauty tradition.
Healthy Hollywood got curious! Created by Japanese skin care guru Shizuka Bernstein, she offers the bird poop facial (better known in Japan as the Geisha Facial) at her midtown salon.
“The Geisha facial uses the nightingale droppings and it exfoliates really well. I mix the poop with rice powder to enhance the skin’s radiance. Plus, the droppings have a natural enzyme that cleanses and brightens the skin’s complexion,” reveals Shizuka.
So, I pooh-poohed the naysayers and tried it out for myself. Yup! After a quick cleansing of my skin, Shizuka mixed up her unusual concoction and gently massaged it into my skin.
“It feels really clean and when you look into the mirror afterwards the skin will appear brighter,” adds Shizuka.
And, for those of you thinking, “Does it smell?” I can honestly say absolutely NOT! The nightingale droppings are used during the first part of the facial – the exfoliation. Shizuka took a dab of her homemade concoction and massaged it into my skin. Once I got it out my head that she was applying poop, I actually enjoyed the experience. Who doesn’t like a relaxing treatment? After the exfoliation, Shizuka massaged lavender oil into my skin and then finished off with a collagen green tea mask.
Just as promised, when I looked into the mirror, my skin had a rosy glow and even this morning it still looks clean and radiant.
Shizuka revealed she learned about the Geisha facial as a young girl from her mother. Over a hundred years ago, Geishas and Kabuki actors discovered nightingale bird droppings were the only thing that safely and efficiently removed their white makeup. Now, Shizuka has helped bring back the Geisha facial and has made it popular worldwide!
For more on the Geisha Facial, aka the Bird Poop treatment, check out www.shizukany.com.
— Terri MacLeod
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