Placenta Pills: Jennifer Aniston's Beauty Secret? | HuffPost

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Jennifer Aniston's Beauty 'Secret' Is Pretty Weird

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Actress Jennifer Aniston attends the premiere for

Jennifer Aniston's radiant appearance is reportedly down to placenta products.

The 44-year-old actress sparked pregnancy rumours last week, turning heads with her stunning red carpet appearance. Aniston showed off enviably dewy skin and glossy hair, which is now said to be thanks to placenta-rich produce in the form of chips — made from potatoes and dried flakes of placenta - tablets, drinks and smoothies.

"Jennifer's dermatologist told her that a lot of his clients were taking placenta pills because it's the 'tissue of youth'. She gave it a go and found that her skin was more radiant, she had more energy and felt happier," a source told British magazine Grazia.

Some women, including "Mad Men" actress January Jones, eat their placenta after giving birth because of the health benefits. The organ connects a fetus to the mother's uterine wall and passes on nutrients via the blood supply.

Los Angeles dermatologist Annie Chiu has shared the health-boosting properties of placenta.

"Placenta is a super-potent ingredient and has a lot of growth factors and proteins that boost collagen production," she explained. "I carry out facials using sheep placenta, because their DNA has been found to have the closest structure to that of a human. There has been a huge boom in Hollywood since celebrities started using it and people saw the incredible effects. You need to use it every day for two months to see results."

Weird Beauty Treatments

Breast Milk Soap(01 of10)

Milk does do a body good. But the trend toward making your own soap -- to be used when you shower or simply wash your hands -- out of breast milk is, well, a bit extreme. The trend emerged as people started to worry that brand-name soaps were full of chemicals and detergents that would harm their skin (or worse, cause cancer). And since milk is supposed to nourish the epidermis, well, why not turn excess breast milk into something, ahem, usable? (credit:Shutterstock)

Solid Gold Facial(02 of10)

Why not add a little bling to your beauty routine? Now you can -- if you live in Florida and have enough cash to dish out for the, wait for it, 24 carat gold facial. Yep! Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach offers spa patrons the opportunity to have their entire body painted in gold. The thought is karats can help stave off cellulite and prevent aging. (credit:Getty Images)

Snake Venom Cream(03 of10)

Just because Gwyneth Paltrow swears by this cream -- and its accompanying facial -- doesn't mean you should actually try applying snake venom cream to your face. Apparently, using a cream which has venom as an active ingredient helps plump up the skin (much in the same way botox does). (credit:Getty Images)

Bull Semen Hair Mask(04 of10)

According to Metro.co.uk, a hairdresser, Hari's, in Knightsbridge, London, "has combined... organically produced [bull] semen with the root of protein-rich plant katera," to make an intense hair conditioning treatment. The procedure apparently takes 45 minutes and costs over $100. (credit:Shutterstock)

Fish Pedicures(05 of10)

This popular treatment has become a spa go-to for women around the world who want softer, smoother feet. Essentially, this treatment involves dipping your feet into a tank and letting hungry little fish -- Garra rufa fish -- gently eat away at the dead skin cells that make your skin feel rough. Some places and states have banned the practice for fears it may be unsanitary. (credit:Shutterstock)

Fire Cupping(06 of10)

Fire cupping is a natural treatment where a practitioner ignites a cotton ball soaked in alcohol and places it inside a cup. When the cup is placed against a patient's skin, a suction action begins to happen -- which is said to increase circulation. Once "activated," the glass bulbs can be moved to key "energy" points all over the body to boost the immune system and increase blood flow (which will help give skin a natural glow, making patients look younger). A big fan of the procedure is reportedly Gwyneth Paltrow.

Beer Bath(07 of10)

Who doesn't love a good soak in a tub? But one containing beer? Now that's interesting. All across Eastern Europe, people are "sudsing it up" in big tubs full of beer. The thinking is the hops and yeast are full of vitamins that will enrich skin with vitamins, exfoliate dead skin cells and help pores sweat out toxins. Here's how you can explore the beauty treatment trend yourself. (credit:Shutterstock)

Bird Poo Or Placenta Facials(08 of10)

We almost can't bring ourselves to write about these beauty trends, but they're too weird not to discuss. In L.A., placenta facials -- which use placentas from Russian maternity wards -- are used on clients to nourish skin and prevent aging. And many celebs, including Victoria Beckham, hail the "nightingale poo facial" as their biggest beauty saviour. According to the DailyMail: "The nightingale poo acts as an exfoliate that brings out the dirt and dust that builds up in the skin and leaves the customer feeling refreshed." (credit:Wikipedia)

Chocolate Body Wraps(09 of10)

A chocolate body wrap? Well sign us up. Sure, there's no scientific evidence to support the claims treating your body to some of the sweet stuff will soothe, smooth and detoxify your skin, but it involves sitting in chococlate for an hour. Sounds pretty tasty to us. Check out the spa devoted to all sorts of chocolatey good beauty treatments. (credit:Getty Images)

Urine Therapy(10 of10)

When we first heard that this weird beauty treatment may well be on the rise again, we had to do a bit of research. And here's what we found out: urine therapy was historically used by the Greeks and Romans to cure all that ailed them. It was also used to, ahem, whiten their teeth. Essentially, the procedure involves drinking your own urine in the hopes you'll look and feel younger. In modern times -- and on shows like 'My Strange Addiction' -- people have been known to drink urine for various reasons. Some scientists have even speculated urine has anti-carcinogenic properties -- which could stave off cancer and wrinkles. No real evidence has been found to support those claims. (credit:Shutterstock)

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