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Last Updated on January 15, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

4 weird skincare ingredients

Things I wouldn’t do for beauty:

  • Botox (if it involves a needle, I’m running in the opposite direction as fast as my legs are carrying me)
  • Tea detox (it doesn’t work anyway)
  • Slathering nightingale poop all over my face (yes, that’s a thing)

Look, I’m all for experimenting and trying new stuff that could keep your skin young and flawless (if they’re science-approved). But, some trends are just taking it too far. I get it that brands want to keep it interesting, but bird poo? REALLY? That’s not even the weirdest thing that’s lurking in your skincare products right now. You can find all sorts of gross stuff in there these days. Here are the top 4 (according to yours truly) weird ingredients in skincare right now, what they do, and whether you should add them to your skincare routine. Let’s find out:

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Weird Skincare Ingredient #1: Placenta

Yep, the organ that connects a woman (or a mammal) to her baby. Its job is to feed the fetus and allow the wee thing to dispose of waste (yes, babies make waste even in the belly). The good news is, you’re not slathering human placenta all over your skin. The type used in cosmetics is derived from cows (it’s purified, by the way). But, why? Placenta contains vitamins, minerals and proteins that have moisturizing and antioxidant properties. They hydrate skin and make it more elastic. The dark side (apart from the gross factor)? Placenta is full of hormones that could potentially cause problems (think premature breast growth in toddlers and risk of developing certain types of cancer).

Verdict: Plenty of skincare ingredients have moisturising and antioxidant properties that can hydrate and fight premature wrinkles. You don’t need to slather placenta all over your face. It doesn’t work better than Vitamin C, know what I mean?

Weird Skincare Ingredient #2: Snail Slime

I blame the Koreans for this. The Brazilians may have discovered its super moisturizing properties, but it’s the Koreans who made it famous. Snail slime contains allantoin, a soothing substance that regenerates snail shells when they get damaged. It works for humans, too. If you have any wounds on your skin, snail slime will help them heal faster. It’s very moisturizing, too. It can make even the driest, flakiest of skin soft and healthy in a few days. The Koreans swear it does everything from fighting wrinkles to treating acne to fixing any skin condition under the sun. For now, science has only proven its moisturising claims. Just saying…

Verdict: I’ve tried products with snail slime before and they’re super moisturising! They made my skin so so soft. But, I’m not comfortable with the way snail slime is extracted. The snails are constantly stressed to produce more slime than they’d naturally would. I’d rather stick to natural oils. Just as moisturising and no animal cruelty, you know…

Related: What’s snail slime doing in your skincare products?

Weird Skincare Ingredient #3: Nightingale Poop

Legend has it it was geishas who noticed how good nightingale’s poo is at clearing up their complexions (don’t ask me why they even tried it in the first place. Ewww). Now, a spa in New York offers an offers a Geisha facial that is supposed to soften and brighten your skin. For $180, you can have bird’s poo slathered all over your face. In case you’re wondering, yes, it works. Nightingale’s poo contains guanine, one of the four bases found in DNA. Guanine is iridescent, so it brightens your skin very well. Plus, the poo also contains urea, a humectant that draws moisture from the environment into your skin, helping to keep it hydrated for hours.

Verdict: There are plenty of non-yucky ingredients that do the same thing. No need to put poo on your skin to make it glow, ladies! Honestly, sometimes I feel people go and look for this weird sh*t to add to your skincare products because it makes for a good story and they can charge more *sighs*

Related: Why Geisha Facials Are A Waste Of Money

Weird Skincare Ingredient #4: Sperm

This is not an urban legend. Sperm makes your skin younger. Yes, I was surprised to dig into the science and discover this is really true. The magic ingredient is spermine, an antioxidant found in sperm that’s been shown to trigger autophagy, your skin’s cellular cleanup process that clears out damaged components and slows aging. A few brave (or desperate) spas have offered sperm facials over the years, though most used synthetic spermine derived from the compound rather than the real deal (Phew!).

Before you start eyeing your partner with newfound appreciation, know that you don’t need actual sperm to get the benefits. Spermine is naturally present in your own skin cells and abundant in foods like wheat germ, mushrooms, and aged cheese. Skincare products now contain synthetic or plant-derived versions of the compound. Phew again!

Verdict: Another ingredient that makes for a fun marketing story, but again there are many other antioxidants on the market. Why pick this one?

The Bottom Line

Look, just because something works doesn’t mean you need to put it on your face. Yeah, the science is real. These ingredients do what they claim. But here’s the thing: there are a million other ingredients out there that work just as well without making you question your life choices. You don’t need to smear snail slime or sperm or bird shit on your skin to look good. You really don’t.

The skincare industry loves this stuff because it’s shocking, it gets clicks, it makes for great marketing. But you know what else boosts collagen? Retinol. Vitamin C. Peptides. Boring, normal stuff that doesn’t require you to explain yourself at dinner parties. So if you’re into the weird factor, cool. Go for it. But if you’re sitting there thinking “do I really need to do this?,” the answer is no. You absolutely do not. There are plenty of effective, non-bizarre alternatives that’ll give you the same results without the existential crisis.