WHEN IT comes to the latest skincare, there’s plenty of wacky and bizarre ones to try.
From Kourtney Kardashian‘s favourite beef fat moisturiser to fish sperm injected in the skin – loved by the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Sophie Habboo, the imaginative uses of animal product are really taking the spotlight.
Just a few years ago, most skincare products would have the word ‘vegan’ stamped over it as everybody became obsessed will all-natural plant-based products.
But in the last couple of years, we’ve seen a resurgence of using animal-based ingredients to slather our skin with.
It all started with Korean skincare being introduced to the West – the first major product being Snail Mucin slathered to the face to make it baby smooth and glow.
Since then, animal-based skincare products have become more and more popular, promising cell-rejuvenation and moisturised skin, but do they really work?
I’m always on the hunt to try the latest skincare trends and I’m not afraid of getting stuck into the muck to see what the fuss is about, so I tried and tested four animal-based skincare products and treatments to see if they’re worth the hype.
Bee Venom has been dubbed a ‘natural Botox‘ to instantly reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
The botulinum (the neurotoxin used in Botox) can be found in the beehive and tricks skin into thinking it’s been stung, sending collagen and elastin to the area to repair itself.
I used Queen Camilla‘s favourite facialist Deborah Mitchell’s skincare range Heaven to test it for myself.
The Silver Bee Venom Mask costs £93 and promises to combat wrinkles, acne and rosacea.
At 29, I’m not quite the demographic for fighting wrinkles, but my skin tends to be dehydrated and acne-prone so still worth a go.
Application
I first washed my face clear before applying a thick layer of the cream all over my face and neck, it felt more like a moisturiser than a mask and soaked into the skin with no problems.
I then set a timer for ten minutes (although you can leave it on overnight for express results) and waited for it to work it’s magic.
Around half way through – I began to feel my face begin to tingle almost like a bee sting, it wasn’t painful, but a sign the cream was getting to work.
It’s important to note that while collagen-based skincare products may offer benefits, their effectiveness can hugely vary.
Some experts suggest that topical application of collagen may have limited effectiveness compared to other skincare ingredients that stimulate collagen production within the skin.
Results
After wiping the mask off, I noticed that my skin instantly felt so much softer than before and my acne seemed to have reduced in redness.
I couldn’t say my fine lines disappeared, but it’s definitely a fun product to try and will make a difference before a big night out.
My ears instantly stood to attention when I was scrolling social media and heard Sophie Habboo discussing getting fish sperm injected under her eyes for a brighter, wrinkle-free under eye area.
While I don’t have a lot of wrinkles, my under eyes have always been dark due to genetics (thanks dad) and I do have a few fine lines underneath.
I headed to for the procedure at Drs Tatiana + Rishi clinic where it goes for £550 a session, they use trout sperm injected under the eye to rejuvinate the cells.
According to Dr Rishi, the semen, taken from trout is purified and the DNA particles left help boost the production of collagen to decrease the signs of wrinkles, inflammation and red veins.
Application
I lay on the chair as Dr Rishi applied numbing cream directly under my eyes and let it sit for ten minutes.
Once it was done, the cream was removed and 1ml of the fishy liquid was injected under each eye using around 20 small injections.
The pain wasn’t terrible, but I was terrified when I got up to look in the mirror and saw just how bad the swelling was.
After consulting many friend’s we agreed that the swelling aged me by at least 20 years and I was happy to see it went down within 24hours.
Results
I don’t think the results pick up so well in the pictures, however, I have noticed a reduction in fine lines under my eyes, not so much my dark circles which could take a few more sessions to achieve.
Kourtney Kardashian’s wellness website recently raved about Beef Tallow as a miracle hydrator for skin, so of course, I had to get my hands on some.
Kim, who founded Kushi Beauty, told Poosh: “Tallow has been a staple in skincare routines for centuries, dating back to ancient civilizations,” adding it was the “primary ingredient in balms and ointments to soothe and protect the skin in harsh climates.”
Obviously, this isn’t a product for vegans or vegetarians to try, but luckily for you, I don’t fall into either of those categories.
Application
I tried Fat Cow’s 100% organic beef tallow products, using their face cream which has added almond and orange oil, as well as their balm.
I have to say, spending my evening rubbing myself in cow’s fat wasn’t what I’d ever expect to see myself doing, but here we are.
I first tried the balm on my lips, giving the pot a sniff, I detected no steak smell so felt positive trying it.
It’s less thick than a normal balm like Vaseline, and was quick turning into an oily consistency when applied.
Naturally, I puckered up to give it a taste, and was happily surprised to find out it tasted like vegetable oil rather than cow fat.
The face cream however, was a completely different story.
I opened the pot and give it a big whiff expecting it to smell of orange and almonds.
Instead, it smelt like beef drippings with an added citrus touch that instantly made me gag.
Not wanting to quit, I scooped it out the jar to realise it had a butter texture with small specks of crystallised fat – delicious.
I began to apply it to my face, but the smell was so strong I physically couldn’t carry on.
Results
I can’t say how the moisturiser performed as I washed it off immediately – the smell was just too much, but I did enjoy the lip balm which really did moisturise the lips instantly.
Both products turn oily when rubbed in so I can imagine the moisturiser is good for very dry skin – not so much my oily face.
Snail Mucin has been around for years and has had it’s moment on social media with every TikTok shop (or so it seems) selling the CosRx Snail Mucin serum.
It promises to hydrate and protect the skin barrier – and yes, it’s made with the grim sludge you find in the garden.
Application
This can be used morning and night as a serum before your moisturiser.
You can either dab it straight onto the face – while others like to rub it in their hands to make it go sticky first and then tap it in.
I used the second to get the full effect, and while a little sticky it felt like a typical gel serum.
Results
For full transparency, I have used snail mucin for a while in my skincare routine.
Although I do like it, I don’t think it works any better than any other serum I’ve tried but adds a nice base before going in with moisturiser.
Some of these products were good fun to try out (not including the beef tallow moisturiser) and have a novelty factor about them.
I’ve struck up lots of conversations while out regarding the trout semen treatment, so it’s been helpful to break the ice meeting new people.
However, in my opinion they don’t do anything that animal-free products don’t do either.
