Looking beautiful and youthful is as much a celebrity’s job as acting or singing. It’s no wonder Hollywood’s hottest stars often turn to unconventional health and beauty treatments to keep up their looks.
READ MORE: Detox diets, beauty and health tips: are celebrities always wrong?
In between expensive facials, exclusive serums and (in some cases) cutting edge surgical treatments, a lot of stars seek alternative ways to amp up their skin and hair.
From garden variety at-home solutions to downright creepy treatments (leech therapy, anyone?), this round-up of weird beauty secrets proves that celebrities are definitely not just like us.
Try one of these treatments in 2017 at your own risk!
Chloë Grace Moretz washes her face with olive oil
Apparently olive oil isn’t just for salads in Moretz’s house. The star of Kick-Ass has been public about her battle with cystic acne, and credits a clean diet and Accutane with keeping it in check.
But for daily upkeep, she uses olive oil to cleanse her skin. “I swear my skin is so much clearer because of it,” she said to Allure.
And dermatologists agree. “You can definitely use food-grade oils to clean your face,” Dr. Sejal Shah said to BuzzFeed. “Look for cold-pressed varieties — as oils that are heated up lose a lot of antioxidants and vitamins. And don’t use processed oils like canola or vegetable.”
Ariel Winter contours her butt
Apparently, contouring isn’t just for your face anymore. (Although Kylie Jenner can tell you that it works for ears and cleavage, too.)
The Modern Family star and body image activist posted a snap to Instagram of a makeup artist touching-up her derrière on set in September.
It’s unclear what Winter’s artist was using, but proponents of this practice say self-tanner is ideal for creating the illusion of curves.
Gwyneth Paltrow gets stung by bees
It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that Paltrow would try a treatment that involves being stung by bees — this is, after all, the same woman who advocated vaginal steaming.
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Called apitherapy, it’s a thousands year-old practice that involves being stung with bee venom to treat ailments as wide ranging as arthritis and MS to inflammation and scarring.
“It’s actually pretty incredible if you research it,” she said to The New York Times. “But, man, it’s painful.”
Salma Hayek puts food in her hair
Apparently, there’s no shortage of food Hayek is willing to put in her hair.
The actress and humanitarian told BuzzFeed that avocado and mayonnaise are both effective ingredients for hydrating dry, brittle hair. Although she recognizes that they might not have the most pleasant smell.
“Another thing that’s really good for very dry hair is — are you ready for this? — egg yolk,” she said. “One thing you can do to take away some of the stench is to take the skin of the egg yolk out, and put a couple of drops of lemon, but it’s still going to stink.”
Alessandra Ambrosio burns off her split ends
The Victoria’s Secret Angel opts for velaterapia (also known as candle cutting) instead of regular haircuts. A technique that originated in Brazil, it uses a flame to burn off split ends.
Dry hair is first divided into small sections, twisted and then a flame is quickly run along the frayed pieces. The result is the damaged strands are removed without losing any overall length.
Experts, however, are not on board with this technique.
“This is the worst idea ever,” hairstylist Matt Fugate said to Harper’s Bazaar. “Anyone who is educated in the layers of the hair shaft knows that this kind of process will ruin your cuticle — your clear coat of protection — weaken your hair and expose your cortex layer to the environment.”
Halle Berry combats cellulite with coffee grinds
This Oscar winner looks pretty flawless to us, and it turns out her smooth thighs and backside can be attributed to a homemade body scrub.
Take day-old coffee grinds, mix them with olive oil and rub on dry skin, wait 10 minutes then rise off in the shower.
The caffeine from the coffee grinds boosts circulation and dilates vessels, thus giving the appearance of smoother skin.
“Caffeine stimulates dilation while the scrubbing motion increases circulation, plumping up the skin and making cellulite look less obvious,” Dr. Mona Gohara said to Good Housekeeping. “Plus, coffee grounds contain antioxidants, so they can increase collagen production.”
Catherine Zeta-Jones conditions her hair with honey and beer
If you’ve ever wanted to achieve the same high-gloss locks as Zeta-Jones, as it turns out, all you have to do is head to your kitchen.
The actress told Marie Claire UK that she conditions her hair with beer and honey: “I smell like the bottom of a beer barrel for days afterwards but it’s very good for the hair.”
Apparently, the low acidity in beer tightens hair follicles and cuticles resulting in shinier, fuller locks, and the alcohol is effective for removing dirt and grease.
Mariah Carey plumps her lips with peppermint oil
The pop diva has never shied away from sharing her expensive tastes with the world, but when it comes to plumping up her pout, she turns to plain old peppermint oil. Apparently, Carey adds a few drops of the oil to her lip gloss.
And for good reason: peppermint oil improves circulation and brings blood to the surface of the lips, which is why it makes them look more plump. But it also works as a muscle relaxant, so lips lose any excess tension allowing them to look full and luscious.
As an added bonus, peppermint oil is also very soothing for dry, chapped lips.
Demi Moore detoxifies with leeches
Over the years, Moore has been vocal about the things she’s done to maintain her health and beauty, and has admitted that she’s always on the hunt for the next great health treatment. But leeches may take the cake.
The actress revealed that she has undergone leech therapy to detoxify her blood. And there may be some merit in it, although not in the detox department.
The medical worms are sometimes used in plastic and reconstructive surgery procedures since the anticoagulant they secrete prevents blood clots and boosts blood flow to inflamed areas.
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