Instagram users have expressed their disgust at images of a woman foaming her own menstrual blood on her face – claiming it is the key to her youthful skin.
Sarah Sol, 32, who lives in both Egypt and Indonesia, has been using her own menstrual blood as a beauty product for several years.
Ms. Sol, who calls herself a “menstrual cycle and uterine healing educator,” claims the blood is “pure and fresh” and regularly shares videos of herself wearing menstrual masks and pouring blood into the ground.
‘Do you want the age-old feminine secret of radiant young skin? Well, now you have it,” Ms. Sol wrote to her 11,000 Instagram followers. “It’s coming from down there… right between your legs.”
Social media users have declared her controversial skincare method ‘disgusting’ as doctors warn it can lead to STDs and toxic shock syndrome.
Sarah Sol, 32, claims using her menstrual blood as a face mask is the key to her ‘glowing’ skin
‘Do you want the age-old feminine secret of radiant young skin? Well, now you have it,” Ms. Sol wrote to her 11,000 Instagram followers. “It’s coming from down there… right between your legs.”
‘It’s just my 100 percent pure and fresh menstrual blood, straight from my yoni. I don’t add anything else,” she told What’s The Jam.
‘This is an age-old feminine secret for radiant, young skin!’
‘Menstrual blood is rich in stem cells. It is good for skin quality, it helps clear acne, improves skin elasticity, which helps with wrinkles and blemishes.
Ms. Sol said she was inspired by her Egyptian heritage, as her ancestors “considered menstrual blood to be very sacred and powerful because of its healing properties, and they used it as a medicinal remedy for many ailments.”
“It is also important to understand that scientific research has been very poor and quite flawed when it comes to the female body.”
She claims that after using it consistently for a year, her skin has never been better, as her acne, scars and hydration have healed.
‘My skin now glows 24/7 and feels so soft!’ she said. “It’s honestly the best skincare product I’ve found yet with lasting effects, and… it’s free.”
Ms. Sol has posted several videos of herself carrying her own menstrual blood and pouring it into the ground
Social media users have branded Ms Sol’s controversial skincare method ‘disgusting’ as doctors warn it could lead to infections
However, health experts have warned that there is little evidence to support the benefits of a menstrual facial.
Dr. Deborah Lee, a sexual and reproductive health specialist in Britain, said Cosmopolitan that although menstrual blood contains ‘everything your body needs to stay alive’, such as stem cells, vitamins, minerals and hormones, this is ‘old’ blood.
This means that by the time you get your period, all those useful cells are dead and essentially useless.
“None of the components of old menstrual blood would fulfill any of these skin care roles,” she said.
Not only would this blood be useless, but putting it on your face could also come with risks.
Skincare expert Elizabeth Rimmer of London Professional Aesthetics previously told MailOnline that people should not jump on the trend due to an increased risk of inflammation.
“My advice: stay away from it and concentrate more on proven skin treatments and breaking the taboos and secrets of menstruation,” she said.
Dr. Lee noted that because menstrual blood remains stagnant in the vagina for so long, such as in a tampon or menstrual cup, and is so close to the rectum, it is “probably highly contaminated with bacteria.”
This also applies to staphylococcus aureus, which is often found on the surface of the skin and can lead to toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
If left untreated, TSS can lead to shock, kidney failure and death as the infection causes the body to gradually shut down.
Blood can also spread STDs such as hepatitis and HIV.
Instagram users have reacted strongly to the video.
A user named said: ‘You forgot to mention that you also have BACTERIA in menstrual blood.’
“You must be kidding me, there’s no way I’m putting that on my face,” another user commented.
One person said: ‘Can people stop doing disgusting things and call it normal or that it has benefits?’
Someone else said: ‘That’s wrong and also disgusting.’