Bizarre Beauty
COSMETIC PRODUCTS WITH WEIRD INGREDIENTS
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TALMEI ELAZAR, ISRAEL - SEPTEMBER 11: Meirav Stardinner receives a snake massage from Ada Barak at Barak's snake spa on September 11, 2008 in Talmei Elazar, Israel. Barack's income comes mostly from exhibiting her plants which eat everything from insects to small mammals. She discovered snakes' therapeutic value after letting people hold them after her act "Some people said that holding the snakes made them feel better, relaxed," she says. "One old lady said it was soothing, like a cold compress." Now she uses a combination of big snakes for deep massage and little ones for light massage, though all are non-venemous. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Meirav Stardinner
From snake venom and snail secretion to caviar and gold, many unusual ingredients in cosmetics promise to lift, firm, hydrate, illuminate, even paralyze.
3Lab "M" Cream, which uses stems cells from a rare Swiss apple that are scientifically extracted and put into the products. This item is sold at Alexander's in La Jolla. 3Lab.com
Sonya Dakar's UltraLuxe products, which use synthetic snake venom and is said to be the alternative to the indictable botox. This is used at the spa at the Pacific Athletic Club in Carmel Valley sonyadakar.com
Skinscience Products, which use a synthetic molecule (spermine) found in all living organisms but first discovered in sperm. This product is made in Norway, and makers tell us it is not sold anywhere in San Diego yet. skinscience-spermine.com
Natureopathica's Green Tea Wasabi Mask uses wasabi. naturopathica.com
