This K-Beauty treatment is already super popular in Asia.
The skincare industry has invented some pretty wild (but totally effective) treatments, not limited to snail slime serums, vampire facials, cryotherapy, and magnetic face masks. South Korea is an origination point for many of these, and we’re calling the next big thing in K-Beauty set to become mainstream in the west: salmon sperm facials, also known as the Rejuran SkinBooster.
Jennifer Aniston—who’s as radiant as ever at 55—even received the facial, telling Vanity Fair that she’s always up for experimenting when it comes to beauty. The momentum for salmon sperm facials is only growing.
“Although Jennifer Aniston may have put the Rejuran SkinBooster in the spotlight, Rejuran has been one of the top aesthetic treatments in Asia for 10-plus years,” says Eunice Park, MD, a dual board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon in New York. She offers the treatment at her K-Beauty focused spa and surgery center, AIREM, in three locations across the state.
Related: I Swear by These 6 Korean Skincare Hacks for Great Skin
What Is a Salmon Sperm Facial?
OK, so what are salmon sperm facials exactly? Is there literal salmon sperm involved? And what sort of skincare benefits are we talking about?
“Rejuran contains polynucleotide (PN), a DNA component extracted from salmon,” Dr. Park tells us. (In other words, it’s not actual salmon sperm, but a more refined ingredient that’s derived from the stuff). “As one of the number one skin boosters in Korea, it intensely hydrates the skin from within while stimulating the body’s natural collagen production to effectively firm and smooth skin.”
Benefits of Salmon Sperm SkinBoosters
- Boost hyaluronic acid levels
- Increase skin’s fibroblast levels
- Stimulate new collagen production
- Renew and smooth skin texture
- Repair cellular damage
- Creates a covetable dewy glow
SkinBoosters: The Next Big Thing in Skincare
The salmon sperm Rejuran facial is just one type of SkinBoosters you can get. The category is already huge in South Korea, and it’s becoming more mainstream in the United States and western culture, as well.
“These treatments improve the overall quality and appearance of the skin by hydrating, revitalizing, and enhancing its texture and tone,” Dr. Park explains. “They are often used to address issues like dryness, fine lines, dullness, and uneven skin tone.”
Skin boosters can be categorized as topical or injectable. Injectable boosters are injected directly into skin with a needle, a technique that’s currently more common in Asia and better for those who’ve already tried a topical version. Topical variations, on the other hand, are applied directly on top of skin via a serum or gel following a microneedling or laser treatment that helps “open” the skin barrier. This allows for deeper absorption and penetration of the concentrated booster, Dr. Park explains.
Topical SkinBooster treatments typically begin by applying a numbing face cream, which helps minimize any discomfort from the microneedling or laser. Then the treatment is performed followed by application of the SkinBooster. Downtime is minimal—about a day or two of mild redness with instructions to not wear makeup or other skincare products for 24 hours.
If you’re not feeling the idea of a salmon sperm facial, another popular SkinBooster to consider is exosomes. Dr. Park explains that these nanoparticles are released by nearly all cells in the human body. “They contain lipids, proteins, amino acids, peptides and growth factors,” she says. “You can think of them as messengers sending signals to cells, triggering them to regenerate and prompting the body’s natural healing process.”
The benefit of this treatment is that it accelerates skin regeneration, triggers the body’s natural healing process, reduces procedure downtime, and enhances your treatment results.
Jennifer Anison’s openness to trying new beauty treatments, like the salmon sperm facial, has clearly paid off given her gorgeous, glowy complexion. Would you be open to trying this treatment?