Bird excrement facial hits New York spa

June 18, 2008

So maybe you're one of those people who paid $100 for a cup for coffee brewed from beans excreted by a civet cat and you're looking for your next fix. Well, look no further than the beauty spa.

A New York salon is now offering a facial made of bird droppings, Reuters reports.

The Geisha Facial at Shizuka New York day spa contains a powder made of nightingale excrement and costs patrons the hefty sum of $180. The facial is derived from a Japanese treatment used by Geishas and kabuki actors to remove thick white makeup from their skin.

The spa's website tries to clear up concerns customers might have about the treatment, with a Q&A asking,  "Are nightingale droppings safe/sanitary to use on my face?" and "Does the nightingale droppings facial mask smell?"

The answers, respectively, are: "yes" (the droppings are "professionally sanitized under UV light), and "not really" (rice bran neutralizes the "slightly musky aroma").

--Tony Barboza

Photo: Andrew Councill/For the Times