Period blood as facemask, fertiliser for plants: What do the experts say?

Even as menstruation continues to be a unpleasant topic for most people, a new trend has emerged that is causing disgust for some. The trend involves using menstrual blood as a fertilizer for plants, after a previous trend of using it as face masks.

What is period masking? 

So, last year, during the month of September, a trend started on TikTok started, and it soon reached Instagram and other social media platforms. In this trend, some women were using their own period blood as a face mask. 

The women who applied their menstrual blood claimed that their faces never felt better and had started glowing. 

Now, in this trend, a few things were very unclear: 

• How to properly store the blood?
• How to apply the blood, and how long to leave it on the skin?

Videos showed women applying the period blood straight from a menstrual cup and leaving it on for a few minutes before washing it off. 

What are the experts saying?

This trend had the experts divided. Some claimed that menstrual blood does not contain anything special that would help the skin to glow, while others said that it is like those 'vampire' facials which were done by celebrities like Kim Kardashian.

In case you don't know what are vampire facials, Dr Deepti Rana, a dermatologist based in Noida, told dailyO that it is a kind of treatment or facial for your skin. 

Dr Esha Agarwal, a Gynaecologist from Noida, explains to dailyO why period blood masks might be beneficial. According to her, menstrual blood is a form of blood that sheds from your body and it is completely normal to apply,  given it is similar to vampire facials. 

Warning: However, Dr Agarwal also warned that since it is quite a new trend, there are not so many studies available that can conclusively prove that period blood is actually good for your face, or whether the face tissues can actually absorb the blood cells.

Now, what is the latest trend of period blood fertilizers? 

Ok, period blood might be pure, but influencers ahve recently started claiming that period blood can not only be used as face masks but also as plant fertilizers. Yes, you heard it right. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jasmine Alicia Carter • Sacred Woman (@jasminealiciacarter)

How on earth is that beneficial for plants? 

Dr Agarwal says if we look practically, the period blood actually contains what the plants need: minerals like Zinc, Calcium, Copper, and Magnesium. 

However, if you are thinking of doing this, keep certain steps in mind, according to rubycup.com: 

• You should first collect it in a menstrual cup.
• Next, mix one-part period blood with two parts water. 
• Immediately water your plants with the mixture to provide them with the nutrients they need. 

Remember to continue with your usual plant care routine, such as providing them sunlight, water, and removing any dry or dead leaves.

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