Whenever celebrities reveal their anti-aging beauty secrets we all wait in anticipation and quickly follow in their footsteps, hoping to beat the clock successfully like so many of our favorite actresses and models. Even if the ingredients are questionable - maybe even gross - we still run to the nearest store to purchase such miracle products. The use of placenta in skincare is definitely not an exception.

When Jennifer Lopez revealed that she uses skincare products with placenta in it, most people raised their eyebrows. Of course that moment of doubt didn’t last long - before we knew it scores of skincare and anti-aging products on the market were infused with the benefits of placenta. But even though this ingredient continues to sell like hotcakes there are those who are critical of using the placenta in skincare. Some scientific studies have discovered possible negative side effects to using placenta on your skin but are these findings really something to be worried about?

The role of placenta as a skincare ingredient started back in the 1930s but didn’t start to really gain a following until recent years. The placenta itself is defined as the lining of a female womb, which is expelled from the body after giving birth. Both human and cow placentas are used in skincare products and are hailed for its ability to provide the complexion with loads of antioxidants, minerals and amino acids. This results in improving tissue regeneration. So if placenta has the power to give your complexion a softer, more youthful appearance, what could be so wrong?

Scientists are quick to point out that the placenta is rich in hormones, including estrogen and progesterone, among others. The problem with this is the occurrence of possible hormone overload. Studies have shown that in prepubescent girls, the use of products containing placenta as the main ingredient caused them to develop sexually prematurely - namely growing breasts and pubic hair. Once they stopped taking the products, the premature sexual development regressed. Scientist worry that if the presence of placenta has the ability to trigger early sexual development in young girls, what other side effects can it become capable of when applied to the face? Another problem placenta critics have is the moral and ethical issue of using a human placenta for commercial/profit-driven purposes after it should properly be discarded.

Opponents of placenta use in skincare suggest using snail slime as an alternative, which they claim does not pose the same side effect concerns as that of the placenta. On the flip side, those that support placenta in skincare argue that it is a naturally recurring substance that is perfectly safe for use by consumers. Chances are that this debate won’t have an ending anytime soon and until then, fans of placenta skincare will continue to purchase it.

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