'Penis facials' remain Hollywood's most alarming beauty trend

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1970-01-01 08:00

It’s becoming increasingly clear that there’s nothing celebrities won’t do for beauty, especially when it comes to their skin From Kim Kardashian’s famous predilection for so-called “vampire facials” to Victoria Beckham’s enthusiasm for bird poo-infused face cream, society’s elite seem willing to go to any lengths to preserve their glowing complexions. However, Cate Blanchett’s preferred treatment must surely be the winner in the weirdness stakes. It is known simply as “the penis facial”. And no, this is not a misleading name, it really involves penises – more specifically, the foreskins of newborn Korean babies (you can’t make this stuff up). Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter In an interview with Vogue Australia back in 2018, Blanchett revealed how she first came across the eyebrow-raising regime with her friend, fellow actor Sandra Bullock. “Sandy [Bullock] and I saw this facialist in New York, Georgia Louise, and she gives what we call the ‘penis facial,’” she told Vogue reporter Remy Rippon. “I don’t know what it is, or whether it’s just because it smells a bit like sperm — there’s some enzyme in it, so Sandy refers to it as the ‘penis facial'.” Her comments sparked a flurry of interest – and horror – in the procedure, which was later clarified by the beauty expert, Georgia Louise. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter (THR) she explained that the treatment’s technical name is an Epidermal Growth Factor facial – or EGF for short – and that no babies are harmed in the making of it. “The foreskin is collected during circumcision and the stem cells are then harvested and extracted through a centrifuge,” she told the website. “I am always very mindful to explain radical serums and potions that I carry in my back bar, so I always explain that EGF is derived from newborn baby foreskin, but cells were taken and from that, new cells are cloned from a laboratory,” she added. In a separate statement shared to her Instagram, she insisted that she only uses clone EFG cells that were “grown in a lab”, and that everything she uses is FDA approved. Apparently, the cells help to generate collagen and elastin, heal scar tissue and help treat pigmentation and sun damage. Anyone looking to emulate Blanchett and Bullock’s undeniable glow can now do so from the comfort of their own home: you can buy Hollywood EGF kits on the Georgia Louise website for a cool $415.00 (around £326). Inevitably, there’s no mention of the treatment’s NSFW nickname on the website but, let’s be honest, that’s how it will forever be known. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that there’s nothing celebrities won’t do for beauty, especially when it comes to their skin

From Kim Kardashian’s famous predilection for so-called “vampire facials” to Victoria Beckham’s enthusiasm for bird poo-infused face cream, society’s elite seem willing to go to any lengths to preserve their glowing complexions.

However, Cate Blanchett’s preferred treatment must surely be the winner in the weirdness stakes. It is known simply as “the penis facial”.

And no, this is not a misleading name, it really involves penises – more specifically, the foreskins of newborn Korean babies (you can’t make this stuff up).

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

In an interview with Vogue Australia back in 2018, Blanchett revealed how she first came across the eyebrow-raising regime with her friend, fellow actor Sandra Bullock.

“Sandy [Bullock] and I saw this facialist in New York, Georgia Louise, and she gives what we call the ‘penis facial,’” she told Vogue reporter Remy Rippon.

“I don’t know what it is, or whether it’s just because it smells a bit like sperm — there’s some enzyme in it, so Sandy refers to it as the ‘penis facial'.”

Her comments sparked a flurry of interest – and horror – in the procedure, which was later clarified by the beauty expert, Georgia Louise.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter (THR) she explained that the treatment’s technical name is an Epidermal Growth Factor facial – or EGF for short – and that no babies are harmed in the making of it.

“The foreskin is collected during circumcision and the stem cells are then harvested and extracted through a centrifuge,” she told the website.

“I am always very mindful to explain radical serums and potions that I carry in my back bar, so I always explain that EGF is derived from newborn baby foreskin, but cells were taken and from that, new cells are cloned from a laboratory,” she added.

In a separate statement shared to her Instagram, she insisted that she only uses clone EFG cells that were “grown in a lab”, and that everything she uses is FDA approved.

Apparently, the cells help to generate collagen and elastin, heal scar tissue and help treat pigmentation and sun damage.

Anyone looking to emulate Blanchett and Bullock’s undeniable glow can now do so from the comfort of their own home: you can buy Hollywood EGF kits on the Georgia Louise website for a cool $415.00 (around £326).

Inevitably, there’s no mention of the treatment’s NSFW nickname on the website but, let’s be honest, that’s how it will forever be known.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.