From ‘Geisha facials’ to ‘horse shampoo’, these are the strangest and most expensive celebrity beauty treatments

With a selfie she posted on her social media account in 2013, Kim Kardashian made “vampire” facials popular. These facials consist of extracting blood from the client and then applying its platelet-rich plasma (PRP) after being centrifuged. As the director of clinical and cosmetic research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, Joshua Zeichner, said to Allure, This helps to “improve the skin’s tone and texture, soften fine lines, and even promote hair growth.” As for Kim, the famous businesswoman was not terribly convinced by this treatment. And, although she acknowledges its benefits, she said she wouldn’t do it again. Her sister Kourtney, on the other hand, does frequently use this technique.

Jennifer Aniston ’s hair is part of her identity. Behind that hair that has inspired so many women, there’s a special trick to creating that eternally silky, shiny look. According to Business Insider, the actress spends around $920 every six weeks to maintain her hair under the care of her stylist Chris McMillan. But there’s a very affordable product that she, S.J. Parker, and Demi Moore use: biotin shampoo, or horse shampoo, that stimulates hair growth, keeps hair from falling out, and gives it volume.

If we’re talking about strange treatments, Gwyneth Paltrow became notorious for the beauty and wellness treatments she promoted on her webpage, Goop . There are two sides to her success—one, her followers continue to grow in number, and, two she’s received extensive criticism from the scientific and medical community for having no scientific basis supporting the benefits she’s claimed on her page. One of the most controversial recommendations on Goop were the vaginal cleansing treatments with infrared or mugwort. According to the LA beauty salon that sells them, protect the uterus from tumors and ulcers, regulate periods, and fight infections at the cost of $50 per session. However, as Ronnie Lamont, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London, said to the BBC, this type of cleansing is not recommended because it can remove certain types of healthy bacteria.

Katie Holmes has a rejuvenating treatment that has a real impact: shocking your facial muscles with snake venom. This helps by paralyzing the face and removing lines and wrinkles. It is an alternative to botox that has also been used by Gwyneth Paltrow, cast member of the show The Politician, who revealed she uses the Ultra Luxe 9 cream ($188.50) based on tri-peptide technology. The main difference between Botox and creams with snake venom is that you do not need to inject anything into your face. While cosmetics with snake venom allow your muscles to maintain their natural movement, they are based on an active ingredient that consists of three amino acids. It blocks the signals sent by nerves that cause muscles to contract, preventing wrinkles from forming.

Angelina Jolie is the supporter of this trend which puts aside pumice stones as the main tool for callous-free feet. The actress simply submerges her feet in a container with fish that eat the calluses. In fact, the Maleficent star’s sons experienced this different “adventure” as she told Showbizspy. “There are fish that eat the dead skin from your feet and I thought it would be fun to send the boys. They said it tickled,” said the actress.It is a completely painless technique. Although, not nearly as effective as other methods in removing calluses from feet, it is a relaxing, soothing, and even fun option.

At first sight, it does not seem appealing whatsoever, but this treatment is one of the most expensive ($180, according to Marie Claire). And its name varies from “Geisha facial” because of its Japanese origins to nightingale feces. Prominent personalities like Victoria, David Beckham and Tom Cruise are some of its enthusiasts, according to the Daily Mail. Shizuka Bernstein offers this peculiar treatment at her spa in New York. The beautician explained that the feces is collected from the Japanese island of Kyushu. After undergoing a sanitation process and ultraviolet dehydration, a powder is created which is then mixed with rice bran and water to be made into this extraordinary mask. Among its characteristics, it acts as exfoliant to remove dead skin. It also contains guanine, which leaves skin with a healthy shine.

Demi Moore explained in detail on The Late Show with David Letterman how she experienced a detox with four leeches for the first time in Australia. But keep in mind, this isn’t just any species of leech. It is the type used specifically in medicine that detoxes blood by releasing a small enzyme into it. “I have always been looking for new ways to help optimize health and healing,” the famous actress explained.

Without a doubt, this is not only one of the most expensive treatments ($650), but also one of the strangest. As Cate Blanchett told Vogue Australia, she and Sandra Bullock enjoyed one of these treatments with New York facial expert, Georgia Louise . This exotic treatment consists of an intense peel with microneedles, followed by an electrified mask to calm the skin, and finally, an application of an Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) enzyme serum, made from stem cells that help to produce collagen and elastin .

Actress Terri Hatcher says that her glowing and wrinkle-free skin is the result of her best-kept secret: red wine baths. She fills her tub with water and adds two cups of red wine (never applying the liquid directly to her skin) as she told the Daily Telegraph.

The Desperate Housewives star is as much a fan of wine in real life as she was in the show. This treatment’s benefits come from the fermented grape juice, which has a high level of antioxidants that help to fight free radicals, which cause premature aging. It also has tartaric acid, which works as an exfoliant to remove dead cells, blemishes, and skin spots.