Penis Facials! Are They a Bunch of Cockamimi?

By BR Kellie

When the divine Cate Blanchett uttered the term 'penis facial' in a recent interview with Vogue Australia, we went straight into 'what the heck' mode. What the heck is a penis facial? Does it really involve penises? Are you slapped about the face with fake ones in order to get blood flowing? Is the penis man-juice actually good for you and not just something a bloke will say to... well.. yeah, nah, we're not going there.

The curiosity was real! So we did a little googling and found out what a penis facial is, and why we should get one. Maybe.

So what is a penis facial? A penis facial is better known by the name 'Hollywood EGF Facial'. It's available from Georgia Louise Atelier, a New York-based business. According to Georgia Louise's website, the Hollywood EGF Facial was very much an in-the-know kind of facial, until Cate leaked it. Now it's become so in demand it's come off the 'need to know' list and is part of their atelier's offerings.

What the heck does EGF stand for? Excellent Growth Facilitator? Extraordinarily Great Face? Try 'Epidermal Growth Factor'. Part of the 'penis facial' involves EGF serum being applied to the skin, then worked it via micro-needling. 

So what's the penis part of the deal? The website states that the EGF serum is 'derived from the progenitor cells of the human fibroblast taken from Korean newborn baby foreskin'.  

Before you start going 'ew, yuck - other people's cells are being rolled into your skin. Gross', according to this article from the Hollywood Reporter, Georgia Louise explains that the cells are taken from baby foreskin that is donated to a Korean stem cell bank, and then the cells from the foreskin are used to create new cells, which are what are used in their serum. Further perusing of the internets confirms that taking cells from newborn foreskins in order to create new cells in laboratories is common practice - so not some radical thing to be weary of.

Clearly there must've been an outcry as Georgia Louise took to their Instagram to dispel any concerns.

georgialouisesk

What makes the Hollywood EGF Facial so great? In a nutshell, it's designed to support the generation of collagen and elastin, which every skincare lover knows is important for youthful-looking, supple, fresh, tight skin.

Perhaps calling it a 'penis' facial was a little misleading. I'd have called it a 'foreskin facial', because I'm all about the alliteration.

But the biggest question on our hive mind is... what are your thoughts on penis facials? Is this a trend that you think will grow? Or does it... blow? Chat away!