It’s been hailed as a beauty wonder product and Victoria Beckham loves it… but would you put bird poo on your face?

From bull’s semen to flesh-eating fish, women have endured some bizarre things in the name of beauty.

But the latest treatment to hit high-end spas features what is perhaps the strangest ingredient to date.

Nightingale excrement, collected from the Japanese island of Kyushu, is being hailed as the hottest beauty wonder product.

…

Known in Japan as uguisu no fun, the facial was conceived in November 2007 by New York facialist Shizuka Bernstein, who was inspired by her mother describing how geisha girls in feudal Japan removed their thick white lead make-up.

Mrs Bernstein, 52 explained: ‘The bird poop facial works because of an enzyme that breaks down the dead skin on the upper layers of the face.

Read more at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/beauty/article-1350741/Its-hailed-beauty-wonder-product-Victoria-Beckham-loves–bird-poo-face.html

Are you ready for Fall NYC Spa Week?  You had better get ready because bookings begin today!

Last Spa Week, Geisha Facials saw a huge response from hundreds of New Yorkers looking to be slathered with bird poop!

Back by popular demand, Shizuka New York Day Spa is once again offering this legendary bird poop facial for $50 during New York Spa Week (October 12-18).

Normally $180, the 45-Minute Spa Week Geisha Facial includes cleansing with Shizuka’s all-natural skin care products, exfoliation with the original nightingale droppings bird poop facial mask, pain-free pore extraction and hydration.  The story of bird poop facials has been seen around the world, recently in People Magazine, and even on Oprah.

The Fall Spa Week Event includes over 750 spas nationwide and in Canada who are all offering $50 discounted spa treatments including facials, massages, body treatments, and laser hair removal. In addition to the 45-Minute Spa Week Geisha “Bird Poop” Facial, Shizuka New York Day Spa will also be offering a 45-Minute Swedish Massage at the $50 price.

Appointments begin today and a full list of participating NYC spas and discounted spa treatments is available at SpaWeek.com.

In case you haven’t seen it already, take a look at this hilarious bird poop facial video:

Look for the Bird Poop Facial in People Magazine on newsstands today!

The one-page spread in People highlights three $50 Spa Week treatments from New York, Los Angeles and Dallas that are favorite celebrity spa treatments.  One of these celebrity beauty secrets is Shizuka New York Day Spa’s Geisha Facial, usually $180, which is a favorite of fashionista and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham!

Other discounted spa week treatments featured are “The Musk Try” manicure and pedicure in L.A., a favorite of celebrity Anne Hathaway, and a Warm Oil Massage and Scalp Treatment in Dallas that Hills star Lauren Conrad loves.

Spa Week in New York will be October 12-18 and numerous NYC spas will be offering discounted spa treatments for $50.

Bookings for the 45-Minute Spa Week Geisha Facial begin on Friday, September 11, 2009. Shizuka New York Day Spa is also offering a 45-Minute Swedish Massage for New York Spa Week.

P.S. There is a special contest through People and SpaWeek.com for 50 Spa Week gift cards valued at $50 each!

The special also included celebrity beauty secrets such as the “Acupuncture Facelift,” cupping (a favorite of celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow), snake massage, leech therapy, ayurvedic treatments, and of course the bird poop facial, a favorite of Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and Victoria’s Secret Angel Karolina Kurkova.

During the show, Shizuka Bernstein, owner of Shizuka New York Day Spa discusses the benefits of having Geisha Facials and why they are so great at getting celebrities red carpet ready.

What is Tanorexia?

Tanorexia is basically an addiction to sun tanning. Tanorexia is a condition in which a person participates in excessive outdoor sun tanning or use of other skin tanning methods (such as tanning beds) to achieve a darker skin complexion because they perceive themselves as unacceptably pale.

Could that “healthy glow” actually be unhealthy?

Absolutely. Keep in mind that a suntan is your body’s natural way of defending itself from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.  UV exposure causes the skin to produce more melanin (the pigment that gives your skin its natural color).  While you may enjoy the look of a tan, the UVA and UVB rays also work in ways you may not appreciate as much:

• UV light weakens connective tissues that give your skin firmness and elasticity, resulting in wrinkles and thinner, more translucent skin.
• Hyperpigmentation—usually seen as small dark spots or freckles—occurs when an excess of melanin is produced in these small patches of skin.
• In extreme cases, overexposure to the UV light can lead to skin cancer.  According to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures 2009, over 70,000 Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year, and New York State ranks fourth in the nation for the most estimated new cases in 2009 following California, Florida and Texas.*

America’s Next Top Tanorexic is…

It is not surprising that California ranks #1 for melanoma risk with the great number of tanning salons and the abundance of very tanorexic celebs such as the ones pictured above, including Victoria Beckham.  However, BeautyNewsNYC also reported last year that there are a growing number of celebrities who are staying away from tanning beds and “fake bakes” and sporting more Geisha-like porcelain complexions (think Anne Hathaway, Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman and Dita von Teese).

Tanorexia Makes You Look Old

As further proof of the need to protect your skin from sun damage, scientists have found through computer imaging that hyperpigmentation directly influences how old we appear to others.  Using digital images of 169  women, aged 17-70, the color distribution on each woman’s face was imposed on a generic 3-D form devoid of fine lines, wrinkles, and other traditionally age-defining characteristics. Faces with more even color distributions were perceived to be healthier and younger in appearance.

Protect Your Skin This Summer!

Summer is the time for New Yorkers to flock outdoors en masse to sunny destinations such as Central Park, Coney Island, the Hamptons and Jersey Shore to soak up those intoxicating rays and work on their tans.  As great as it feels to be outdoors during the summer, be careful (i.e. not a “tanorexic”) and protect your skin every time you are outside with these summer skincare tips:

• Minimize sun exposure, especially between 10am – 4pm when the sun is at its brightest.
  Always protect your skin by applying sunscreen 30 minutes before you step outside.
• If your schedule requires you to be in the sun for extended periods of time, wear protective clothing such as hats, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants.
• Remember that you can burn as easily on an overcast day as a sunny one.
• Be cautious of reflective environmental surfaces such as sand, water, concrete, and snow as these can multiply the power of the sun’s light.
• Stay away from tanning salons, tanorexic conventions, and UV tanning beds, and beware of false advertising claims that indoor tanning with UVA light is safer than sunlight.
• Teach children the dangers of tanorexia and the benefits of proper sun protection from a young age. The effects of sun damage accumulate over their lifetimes, and it is never too early to create good habits.
• Although darker skin is less likely to burn, it is still important for those with darker complexions to protect their skin with sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, wrinkles and other signs of aging.

Acne is a serious problem for many people.   Pimples and blackheads can be embarrassing even if you are not a celebrity on a magazine cover.  The Geisha Facial is an excellent facial treatment for all skin types, including acneic.  Also highly recommended for acne treatment are the Acne Facial with Intense Pulsed Light and the new T-Zone Facial.

Apparently Posh has been battling acne since her teenage years and has recently turned to Geisha Facials to treat acne:

Victoria has been regularly indulging in £100 Geisha Facials, using a paste made from nightingale droppings.

A friend told Closer magazine recently: ‘When Victoria was in Japan recently she was admiring the local women’s clear skin and discovered it was down to these facials.

‘She was intrigued and when she got back to the US she found that some New York beauty salons now offer the treatment.

‘She tried it and loved how great her skin looked.’

Hopefully Posh will get back on the Poo!

Related Stories: