Period-Blood Face Masks - Disgusting or Beneficial?

In this digital age, social media has gained popularity to unachievable heights, and you will find numerous life hacks, makeup tips, hair hacks, and beauty trends that you can count on. However, there are some trends that will momentarily stun and stupefy you, and you will take a moment to even understand what has just hit you. TikTok is known to provide us with some quirky recommendations, and many have left us in awe and have become a part of our regular routine, while others have has left us shocked, such as using period blood as a face mask!

Yes you read that right, and no, we are not making this up, but using period blood as a face mask has been on hashtags of social media networks as far back as in 2019, and have recently regained popularity on Tik Tok, with hashtags #periodbloodfacials and #periodbloodfacemask racking up more than 1.9 and 6.9 million views respectively. The topic is diverse and quirky, and will even make you cringe, but some Tik Tok users are describing it as the best beauty secret ever, while some are shunning it down as disgusting and crazy.

Getting back to the basics, a period face mask involves applying your menstrual blood to your face with the aim of improving your skin. It's a DIY hack, and there are no set rules, so TikTokers have been applying the blood directly from their menstrual cups and some are refrigerating it first for added benefits. This trend comes with the belief that the micro-nutrients and stem cells found in the menstrual blood will be beneficial for the skin, however, it is not exactly sure what those benefits look like. The reviews on Tik Tok are quite vague and simply state that the skin looks "good" or "better" post-application. The trend also aims to gain the feeling of being more connected with our bodies.

Period blood consists of a mixture of blood, vaginal fluid, and endometrial (womb lining) cells, and there is evidence that there are stem cells in the endometrium (inner layer of the uterus), and it does also contain micro-nutrients such as zinc, copper, magnesium, and iron – all of which are found within the bloodstream. The use of these substances may be beneficial for skin health, such as in reducing inflammation, however, the quantity of these substances in menstrual blood are quite low, and there is no such way for them to penetrate into the skin with just the application of menstrual blood.

For the skin to be benefitted from any substance, deep penetration is needed through delivery mechanisms. Stem cells will not be provide your skin any advantage whilst just sitting on the surface of your skin. Trends come and go, some fade away with time - and self-care is essential as long as it is safe. According to experts, a period blood mask comes with the possible risk of infection and cross-contamination, as period blood drains through the vaginal walls where bacteria, yeast, and viruses may dwell. If you have had an infection or herpes, that can also be passed along with the collected menstrual blood and if applied as a face mask, can cause damage to your skin. Those claiming to store the menstrual blood in the fridge should also be aware that any blood sitting in a non-sterile environment is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. A period blood mask can also cause infection if there is even the tiniest of cuts on the skin, and in short - a period blood mask has no medically or scientifically proven benefits, and can be unsafe to use on the skin.