It’s not uncommon for social media to be abuzz with weird trends. The use of menstrual blood as a face mask has gone viral recently. Despite how gross it sounds, a slew of TikTok users smeared period blood all over their faces for its alleged skin benefits. A user claims that period blood contains “ all the nutrients and stem cells that a baby would have needed, as well as what your skin and body require.” There have been other claims that this ‘DIY skin remedy” helped them achieve clear, glowing skin. But, is it worth trying, and most importantly is it safe?
So, what is a period blood face mask?
The period blood face mask is exactly what it sounds like: Some people on TikTok claim that they smear period blood over their skin to get clear, glowing skin. Despite this, it is unclear how to store the blood, how soon after collecting the blood you should apply it, and how long you should allow the blood to remain in the skin. Almost all DIY mask videos show people applying blood directly from a menstrual cup and leaving it on for a few minutes before washing off the remnants.
Does this actually work and what do the experts say about it?
According to Dr. Park who previously shared her own video to debunk the trend on Tik Tok, menstrual blood is a mixture of shed epithelial cells from the uterine lining, white blood cells, and red blood cells. Using period blood as a face mask has no proven benefits" she added.
“Using menstrual blood for facials is the most recent skincare trend. People believe that period blood nourishes their skin, clears acne, and benefits the skin in a lot of ways. But this is not true and has no scientific evidence,” a dermatologist, Dr. Geetika Mittal Gupta, said on Instagram.
She further explained that menstrual blood can cause infections as it is contaminated with dead skin cells and a dead inner lining known as endomysium. She also asks not to confuse period blood facial with Platelet-rich plasma(PRP) which is a clinical treatment enriched with growth factors that not only rejuvenate the skin but also heal wounds.
So, should you go for it or not?
To avoid skin problems, it’s important to see and listen carefully to content and trends that you read or see online. “As always, consult your dermatologist before making any skincare change.”
Since there is no scientific evidence available, so it's not recommended to do such a thing.
