Hollywood’s Newest Beauty Trend? Salmon Sperm Facials
by Anna Tingley · VarietyIf you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.
Move over, red light therapy. The new skincare trend taking over the red carpet is salmon sperm.
Yes, you read that correctly: celebrities, from Kim Kardashian to Jennifer Aniston, achieve their glowing, picture-perfect and (seemingly) pore-less skin by rubbing aquatic ejaculate on their face. And although it isn’t FDA approved, at least yet, it is endorsed by some of the most well-respected dermatologists in the 90210 who over the past year have seen the trend explode among their A-list clientele.
According to its passionate adherents, it is a miracle reverser of all things sad, bad and sag(gy): de-wrinkling, de-aging and de-puffing tired skin back to its electric youth.
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Kardashian, who famously said she “would eat poop” if it meant looking younger, recently tried out the anti-aging treatment on an episode of “The Kardashians” which revamped the discourse.
Leading us to the question of the hour: how exactly does a salmon sperm facial work? According to Dr. Gabriel Chiu, the founder of Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery, the salmon sperm facial involves the injection of Rejuran (a long-chain polynucleotide DNA of salmon milt) in microdroplets under the skin of the face and neck. One of the other main ingredients is hyaluronic acid (HA).
“This combination may sound familiar if you’ve ever looked into a vampire facial when it was popular,” Chiu tells me over email, adding that its claimed benefits are therefore similar — improved elasticity, reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, increased skin hydration and improved healing capabilities of the skin from damage like acne scars and UV exposure. It also shrinks pores and promotes collagen production.
Still, there are many board-certified doctors who are reticent about the treatment, including Dr. Chiu himself, who says he wouldn’t feel comfortable offering it to his clientele until the FDA at least deems it safe.
In the meantime, Dr. Chiu was kind enough to offer at-home alternatives that can deliver similar results , from exfoliating masks to Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid serums. Read on to see some of the best products for achieving glowing skin — sans salmon sperm.
Exfoliating Masks
SPLURGE
Peter Thomas Roth
BUDGET
Fenty Skin Cookies n Clean Detox Face Mask
Chemical Peels
SPLURGE
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel
BUDGET
The Ordinary AHA 30% BHA 2% Peeling Solution
Microneedling Rollers
SPLURGE
Joanna Czech CIT Microneedling Roll
BUDGET
Julep Slowpoke Microneedling Facial Roller
$14.99 $29 48% off
Buy Now
Dermaplaning
SPLURGE
Dermaflash Luxe+
BUDGET
Billie Dermaplane Starter Kit
$9.74 $12.99
Buy Now On Amazon
Retinoids
SPLURGE
FACTORFIVE Night Retinol Cream
BUDGET
Retinol in 1% Squalane
Vitamin C Serum
SPLURGE
Sunday Riley C.E.O Glow Vitamin C +Turmeric Face Oil
BUDGET
The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%
Hyaluronic Acid
SPLURGE
Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum
BUDGET