www.womanthismonth.com September 2016 65 Freaky Facials The Geisha – Victoria Beckham has her face smeared with nightingale droppings for their anti-ageing qualities. The Vampire – Kim K. gets her face punctured with a ‘dermapen’ and then injected with her own blood’s plasma to fill fine lines and wrinkles. Placenta Mask – Jennifer Lopez swears by this secret weapon to look how she does at 47. Snail Slime – This thick fluid, obtained by stimulating live snails, keeps Katie Holmes looking gorgeous. The 24-Carat – Model Bar Refaeli covers up in liquid gold to brighten and tighten up. We know she crossed the Pacific to get to the leeches, and further research led us to the fact that Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicinal science, also has a similar branch of healing. So, we checked in with alternative health practitioner, Ravi Kumar Kavungal of the Kottakkal Ayurvedic Centre, for more blood… err, juice, on the matter. “One of the ways bloodletting (or raktamoksha),is carried out in Ayurveda is ‘Jaloukavacharanam’; jalouka meaning leech and vacharanam referring to the process in Sanskrit. Localised impurities and toxins, collected in certain areas of the body, can obstruct circulatory, repair and regenerative functions and may be obliterated with the help of some friendly leeches. Not just any leeches are used for the therapy, though. Ayurvedic sages source them from freshwater, and know how to differentiate between poisonous and nonpoisonous ones. The leeches have the ability to suck out only impure blood, putting their host on the fast track to healing and freedom from toxins, body pain and lethargy. Once fully fed, they fall off by themselves. Greedier ones can be made to detach with the application of turmeric or rock salt. Apitherapy The Diva that does it – Gwyneth Paltrow Compulsive wellness guinea pig Gwyneth Paltrow often makes news for her far-fetched health and beauty mantras, one of which is Apitherapy. It involves getting stung by bees (yes, you read that right), as bee venom helps with arthritis, multiple sclerosis and cervical cancer and is a natural alternative to antibiotics. Paltrow says the procedure is painful (surprise, surprise), but she also claims some pretty amazing results. According to The American Apitherapy Society Inc. therapies involving the honeybee have existed for thousands of years and some may be as old as human medicine itself. History shows their use in ancient Egypt, Greece and China. The father of medicine, Hippocrates from Greece, extolled the healing virtues of bee venom for treating arthritis and other joint problems. Apitherapy also involves the use of a combination of all the hive products mixed with other ingredients, specifically different essential oils, dependent on the condition being treated. Bee venom is fast becoming a beauty fix for the rich and famous. The venom tricks the skin into thinking it has been lightly stung, causing blood to rush into the area, thereby stimulating the production of collagen and elastin. The result? Skin that is fresher, younger and tighter immediately. Apparently, the venom can be harvested without harm to the bees. Kate Middleton says bee is for beauty. The Duchess relied on a lavish bee venom facial to attain a blissful glow while exchanging royal vows with her Prince Charming.
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