All the freakiest things reality TV stars have done in truly desperate bids to stop ageing
Using cat litter to exfoliate is wild
Reality TV stars never do anything by halves, drama, fashion, relationships, and by the looks of things, even their beauty routines. When it comes to fighting off fine lines, they don’t just pop on a sheet mask like the rest of us, they dive headfirst into the weird and wonderful world of anti-ageing. Think snail slime, placenta, and even a little DIY cat litter action. From cringe-worthy cosmetic experiments to treatments that sound more like horror-movie props than spa days, these celebs will try anything to keep the cameras catching their best side. Let’s take a look at the freakiest beauty tricks they’ve sworn by…
Snail slime skincare
Slathering snail mucin on your face might sound like something from a jungle trial on I’m a Celebrity, but it’s a real skincare trend embraced by a lot of people.
Call Her Daddy‘s Alex Cooper swears by snail slime products to keep her skin glowing, per Byrdie. Rich in hyaluronic acid and peptides, the goo is said to plump and repair skin, giving it a bouncy, camera-ready finish, even if the thought of garden creatures crawling across your face isn’t the most glamorous visual.
Hemorrhoid cream
While it’s designed for an entirely different body part, haemorrhoid cream has apparently become a quick-fix hack for Hollywood and reality stars alike. Sandra Bullock once admitted to dabbing it under her eyes before red carpets, and Kim Kardashian has also tried the trick to reduce her lines.
Her makeup artist dabs some on her before big events, per Business Insider. The cream tightens skin temporarily, creating the illusion of a smoother, more youthful under-eye, though it’s probably not what the product designers had in mind.
Fish eggs
Yes, I put fish eggs on my face and it was amazing!!! https://t.co/iLxgMnzdDv
— Khloé (@khloekardashian) May 9, 2017
Caviar facials sound more suited to a five-star dinner than a spa, but they’ve appeared in the beauty routines of several celebrities. Packed with proteins and omega-3 fatty acids, the fish eggs are meant to firm skin and reduce inflammation.
Khloé Kardashian went on record about rubbing roe on her face, and the treatment has been popular among the Hollywood elite, proof that even luxury can veer into the bizarre.
Placenta facials
The idea of putting placenta on your face is shocking enough, but plenty of stars have done it. Real Housewives personalities have toyed with placenta-based products, and Eva Longoria and Katie Holmes have both been linked to creams made from sheep placenta.
Even Simon Cowell, the sharp-tongued reality judge himself, reportedly had a sheep-placenta facial, per The Mirror. Supporters claim it stimulates cell growth and leaves skin firmer, though the ethics of the practice remain just as controversial as the price tag.
Bee stings
The bee-sting facial, also called apitherapy, takes ‘beauty is pain’ to a whole new level. The treatment involves bees delivering venom to the skin, which supposedly plumps and tightens the face.
While no reality TV star has confirmed using it on camera, it’s floated through the celebrity beauty world as a Botox alternative. Kourtney Kardashian‘s wellness frenemy Gwyneth Paltrow once said she opted for it, per The New York Times. Still, the idea of sitting still while a swarm of bees stings your face sounds more like a punishment than pampering.
Cat litter exfoliation
Leave it to Jersey Shore‘s Snooki to make cat litter a beauty hack. She admitted to using the grainy substance as a DIY exfoliant, swapping expensive scrubs for something scooped straight from a pet aisle. The litter (unused, thankfully) apparently acts like a microdermabrasion product, sloughing off dead skin…
Leech therapy
Demi Moore was one of the first celebrities to openly gush about leech therapy, but it later found its way into reality TV, too. Real Housewives of Orange County star Heather Dubrow and her husband, Dr. Terry Dubrow, even tried it out on camera, drawing inspiration from Demi’s claims that leeches detox the body and boost circulation. Watching bloodsuckers dangle from someone’s face is hardly chic, but it makes for great TV, and apparently a great complexion. To be fair, if we’re to follow any of these, Dr Dubrow’s advice is probably where it’s at.
Vampire facials
Few beauty moments are as iconic as Kim Kardashian lying on a clinic bed during Keeping Up with the Kardashians, her face smeared with her own blood after a vampire facial. The treatment uses platelet-rich plasma spun from the patient’s blood, then microneedled into the skin to stimulate collagen. Kim later admitted she regretted the painful procedure, but the imagery cemented itself as one of the most infamous beauty scenes in reality TV history.
Bird poop facials
Known as the Geisha facial, this treatment uses powdered nightingale droppings said to brighten skin and improve texture. Tom Cruise reportedly tried it, though no reality TV star has put their name to the practice publicly. Still, the very idea of bird waste as skincare is so absurd that it feels tailor-made for reality TV shock value.
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