There’s a very popular saying that any traveler will know: when in Rome, do as the Romans do. We say that to remind ourselves that even if something we see in front of us might seem very odd to us, somewhere in the world it is probably normal practice, so we should just follow the lead. You will see, multimasking and 24k gold masks are nothing, in comparison with what we are about to tell you! Here we go, with a list of 3 unusual beauty treatments that we would like to try – or not.
We start with Ayurveda, or to be more precise, with a principle from Ayurvedic tradition: applying something very cold on your face, to revitalize your skin, giving it a previously unseen glow. You know how your face goes red after a walk in the cold? Cryotherapy basically tries to artificially recreate just that. All you need is an ice cube – or a specific product – and ten minutes of your time. After cleaning your face, wrap your face in soft muslin and slowly pass it on your face, focusing on the parts that need a little extra help, such as your under-eye area, and all those areas with bigger pores. If you want to try a DIY version, make your ice with camomile and green tea, two natural soothing agents that will pimp your own cryotherapy session.
This treatment has been in for a while, so much so that there are kits on sale, for you to do it at home. This treatment can be known as micro-needling or as derma-rolling, because of the tool you are going to use to carry it out. You will pass a small roll with micro-needles on your skin, with the idea of creating lots of micro-cuts – and no, it’s not about self-harming, though you do need some courage to try this kind of torture! Don’t forget that you will actually be doing this because you want to stimulate your skin from the inside, making it produce more collagen to take care of the micro-damaged areas, so it might be worth a try. Depending on the length of the needles, micro-needling can go more or less deep, effectively acting against scars and wrinkles. Avoid this treatment if you have sensitive skin, though, because it might make it worse for a few days… But for everyone else, it will give you skin to scream for! 😉
In Western countries, we say that stepping on poop is good luck. In Eastern traditions, it seems like it’s the same with birds pooping on you while flying – apparently, it might even mean that you are in for a windfall! Just to be sure, the Japanese have invented a treatment that involves using bird excrement on your face. Crazy? Maybe, but it’s a very ancient tradition, named Uguisu no fun, and it is traditionally a part of every geisha’s preparation ritual. Nightingales are bred in special conditions, their excrement gets disinfected, dried and transformed into powder that then gets sold to beauty salons. All you need to do, once you have your powder, is to activate the mix with a little water, apply the mixture on your face for 10 minutes and then remove it with a wet cloth. If you need a good reason to try it, might it help to know that Victoria Beckham is actually a fan of this kind of facial? That might work as a guarantee.