Instagram users have expressed revoltion at images of a woman lathering her own menstrual blood on her face – and claiming it to be the key to her youthful skin.
Sarah Sol, 32, who is based in both Egypt and Indonesia, has been using her own period blood as a beauty product for several years.
Ms Sol, who calls herself a ‘menstrual cycle and womb healing educator,’ claims that the blood is ‘pure and fresh’ and regularly shares videos of herself wearing menstrual face masks and pouring blood into the soil.
‘You want the ancient feminine secret to glowing young skin? Well now you have it,’ Ms Sol wrote to her 11,000 Instagram followers. ‘It comes out from down there..right between your legs.’
Social media users have declared her controversial skincare method as ‘disgusting,’ while doctors warn that it could lead to STIs and toxic shock syndrome.
Sarah Sol, 32, claims that using her menstrual blood as a face mask is the key to her ‘glowing’ skin
‘You want the ancient feminine secret to glowing young skin? Well now you have it,’ Ms Sol wrote to her 11,000 Instagram followers. ‘It comes out from down there..right between your legs’
‘It’s just my 100 percent pure and fresh period blood, straight out of my yoni. I don’t add anything else,’ she told What’s The Jam.
‘This is an ancient feminine secret to glowing and radiant young skin!’
‘Menstrual blood is rich in stem cells. It’s good for skin quality, it helps clear acne, improves skin elasticity which helps with wrinkles and blemishes.
Ms Sol said that she was inspired by her Egyptian heritage, as her ancestors ‘considered menstrual blood to be very sacred and powerful for its healing properties, and they used it as a medicinal remedy for many ailments.’
“Also, it is important to understand that scientific research has been very poor and quite lacking when it comes to the female body.”
She claims that after using it consistently for a year, her skin has never been better, as her acne, scars, and hydration have healed.
‘My skin is glowing 24/7 now and it feels so soft!’ she said. ‘It’s really the best skincare “product” I’ve found so far with lasting effects, and… it’s free.’
Ms Sol has posted several videos of herself wearing her own menstrual blood and pouring it into the soil
Social media users have slammed Ms Sol’s controversial skincare method as ‘disgusting,’ while doctors warn that it could lead to infections
However, health experts have warned that there’s little evidence supporting any benefits of a menstrual facial.
Dr Deborah Lee, a sexual and reproductive health specialist in the UK, told Cosmopolitan that while menstrual blood does contain ‘everything your body needs to stay alive’ like stem cells, vitamins, minerals, and hormones, this is ‘old’ blood.
This means that by the time you menstruate, all of those beneficial cells are dead and effectively useless.
‘None of the constituents of old menstrual blood would fulfill any of these skincare roles,’ she said.
Not only would this blood be useless, but putting it on your face could come with the risks.
Skincare expert Elizabeth Rimmer of London Professional Aesthetics previously told MailOnline that people should not jump on the trend due to an increased chance of inflammation.
‘My advice – stay away from it and focus more on proven skin treatments and breaking the taboos and secrecies of menstruation,’ she said.
Dr Lee noted that because period blood stays stagnant in the vagina for so long, such as in a tampon or menstrual cup, and is so close to the rectum, it is ‘likely to be highly contaminated with bacteria.’
This includes staphylococcus aureus, which is commonly found on the skin’s surface and can lead to toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
Left untreated, TSS can lead to shock, kidney failure, and death, as the infection causes the body to gradually shut down.
Blood can also spread STDs, such as hepatitis and HIV.
Instagram users have reacted strongly to the video.
A user named said: ‘You forgot to mention, you also have BACTERIA in menstrual blood.’
‘You must be kidding me, no way on heck I will put that on my face,’ commented another user.
One person said: ‘Can people stop doing disgusting s*** and calling it normal or that it has advantages.’
Someone else said: ‘That’s wrong and disgusting too.’
Source: Mail Online
