Uguisu Poo Uguisu No Fun Illuminating Mask

I am a skin care junkie and always trying new things. I wanted to try some unusual cleansers and exfoliators. When it comes to unusual, you can always count on products from China, Korea and Japan.

I made my way to eBay and saw these cute-looking cocoons for face cleansing that I had to try! I ordered a pack of 50 cocoons for $5. It said you can use each cocoon more than once. I washed my face with my regular cleanser while the cocoon was soaking in warm water. I wrapped it on my finger and started gently rubbing it on my face in circular motions. After a few minutes, I rinsed my face. It did look cleaner. I don’t know any other benefits of using these cocoons on your face, but they are pretty good at doing fine exfoliation.

The next item I stumbled upon was pearl powder from China, which claimed to whiten and have a purifying effect on the face. It has been used in cosmetics for a long time, and some people use it as a mattifying finishing powder. I made a paste of the powder and applied it to my face. After washing, I saw no difference. Actually, it was a little bit difficult to wash off. The next time I tried using it, I mixed it with honey and powdered milk, and it felt better. My face looked a bit lighter afterward, but it could have been the milk and honey. This powder can also be used as a mask, but I found it to be a little bit drying. However, it’s supposed to be good for acne-prone skin. It’s even used to whiten the teeth. Some people take it internally for medicinal purposes, but I haven’t tried that.

One item from Japan that I really love is the Salux Nylon Japanese Bath Wash Cloth/Towel ($4.95). It’s a long, light, nylon fabric, and it does a very good job at exfoliating away dead skin. It gives lots of lather with a little body wash on it, and it’s long enough to allow you to clean your back easily. It’s so much fun to use in the shower and leaves my skin really clean. Plus, lotion seems to sink right in afterward.

I am sure most of the readers have heard about Nightingale droppings as face wash, also known as Uguisu Poo Uguisu No Fun Illuminating Mask ($22.50). It has been used in facials in Japan since ancient times. Interestingly, it is harvested in nightingale farms in Japan. The diet of the caged birds consists of organic seeds. The droppings are scraped from cages and are treated with UV light to kill bacteria, then ground into powder. It contains urea and guanine. Urea is believed to lock moisture into the skin while guanine gives a shimmery effect. It was used by Geishas and kabuki actors to remove the heavy, white make-up that they wore. I have used it as a face wash and as a mask. It does clean the skin and take away all the make-up. I didn’t use it regularly enough to comment on its long term use.

I am waiting for a "24K Gold mask” from Thailand and will be sure to give an update once I get it and use it.