The $400 Facial With The Wildest Name In Beauty

When it comes to skincare, celebrities have a long history of trying just about anything to keep their faces looking flawless. From high-tech lasers to ingredients that sound more like dares than dermatological breakthroughs, there's no shortage of eyebrow-raising trends.

But now and then, one treatment stands out from the rest - not because it works better, but because it sounds so absurd you assume it must be a joke. Enter: the so-called penis facial.

Yes, that’s the real name. And no, it’s not just a cheeky marketing stunt - it’s based on a serum derived from the foreskins of newborn Korean babies. If your jaw just dropped, you're not alone.

This unusual beauty ritual first entered the public spotlight thanks to Cate Blanchett, who mentioned it during an interview with Vogue Australia in 2018. She had been introduced to the treatment by fellow actress Sandra Bullock during a visit to a New York facialist named Georgia Louise.

“Sandy and I saw this facialist in New York, Georgia Louise, and she gives what we call the ‘penis facial,’” Blanchett told Vogue. “I don’t know what it is, or whether it’s just because it smells a bit like sperm - there’s some enzyme in it, so Sandy refers to it as the ‘penis facial’.”

That offhand comment quickly turned into headlines. Reactions ranged from morbid curiosity to outright disgust, especially once people learned what the treatment involves.

The EGF facial uses lab-grown stem cells from foreskin to boost collagen and repair skin.

The technical term is Epidermal Growth Factor facial - EGF, for short. Georgia Louise, the facialist responsible for the now-infamous procedure, later clarified the science behind it in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

According to her, the foreskin used in the process is obtained from routine circumcisions, and stem cells are extracted and cultured in a lab. No, the facialist is not rubbing baby skin on celebrity cheeks.

The final product is a lab-grown serum that’s rich in proteins meant to help with collagen production, skin healing, and even reversing signs of sun damage.

In other words, it’s not as horrifying as it first sounds - but it’s still plenty weird. Louise also emphasized that everything she uses is FDA-approved, and the cells used in the product are cloned in a laboratory, not taken fresh from any baby.

But even with all the scientific reassurance in the world, the nickname stuck. It doesn't appear anywhere on the product label, of course.

Officially, it's all about EGF technology and skin regeneration. But on the internet and in celebrity interviews, it's always the “penis facial.”

"This process allows the active ingredients to be transported deep in the skin by creating a temporary micro-channel. "

For $415, you can try the odd skincare trends Hollywood loves.

For those tempted to give it a try - and willing to part with a few hundred dollars - Georgia Louise offers at-home EGF kits on her website for $415 (about £326). That’s the price tag if you want to glow like Blanchett and Bullock.

This isn't the first time Hollywood has embraced unconventional skincare. Kim Kardashian made headlines with her “vampire facial,” a procedure involving microneedling followed by the application of your blood plasma.

Victoria Beckham has reportedly used face cream made with nightingale droppings. And let’s not forget the bee venom masks that once promised to give users the same skin-tightening effect as a mild Botox injection.

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Even among all the strange beauty trends out there, the penis facial still grabs attention. Maybe it’s the shock factor. Maybe it’s the image that sticks in your mind. Or maybe it just shows how far people will go to try to stay looking young.

Whatever the reason, one thing is certain: celebrity beauty routines are as bizarre as they are costly. And just when you think you’ve heard it all, someone signs up for a $400 facial made from baby foreskins.