Japanese Nightingales Droppings (Uguisu No Fun)
For generations, the Japanese have used Nightingales Droppings as a stain remover. As it worked well and did not damage the textile, Japanese Kabuki actors and Geisha started to use the droppings on their skin for blemishes and whitening purposes. This practice later spread amongst court nobles and ladies of the Samurai families. Today, Nightingales Droppings are still used in Japan as a cleansing face mask and / or whitening treatment on both men and women. This all natural product is perfectly safe and easy to use on both oily and dry skin.
Due to the short intestine of the Nightingale bird, Nightingales Droppings are said to contain protein, a degrading enzyme for fat, and whitening enzyme, which act on scurf and fat to help whiten the skin and even out blemishes.
The droppings keeps moisture in the skin but cleanses well at the same time. The droppings are sun-dried for over 2 weeks and at the same time are sterilised by the ultraviolet light. Then, the droppings are turned to a fine powder in the specially made container (rotating for 18 hours with the ceramic ball). Recently celebrities have discovered this secret with media reports claiming David & Victoria Beckham use this treatment.
Uguisu Poo Clarifying Mask is made from 92% Enhanced Uguisu No Fun while the remaining 8% of the ingredients is a formulation that treats and control acne and skin infections. In addition to Guanine, AHA and BHA, L-Serine, a proteinogenic amino acid is proven to cause immediate apoptosis of acne causing bacteria upon contact leading to complete control, treatment and prevention of acne and infection. This formulation is best for clients with acne and oily skin.
Size: 30 grams
Instructions for Use:
Use 0.5g to 1.0 g per wash
- Use the Nightingales Droppings with your regular facial soap - add the powder (1/3 of teaspoon) to lather and wash; or
- Wash directly with the powder - place a small amount of the powder (1/3 of teaspoon) onto the palm of your hand, mix with little water till thick and wash. To use as a face mask, leave the paste on for a few minutes, then wash off.
- The droppings cleanse the face well as they contain proteins, degrading enzyme for fat and whitening enzyme.
With regular weekly use, 1 bottle should last 1-3 months.
Please note: The video is showing well known blogger Dina Tokio using the Uguisu mask.
Japanese Nightingale Droppings
The nightingale has always been a symbol of great beauty in Japan. The nightingale is a small passerine bird and although it was often thought that the females sing, it is now known that only unpaired males sing, which usually serves to attract a mate. Its song is mainly perceptible at night because hardly any other birds are singing during this time. They are now also popular as pets because of their propensity to sing.
For many centuries, Japanese Kabuki actors and Geishas have been using nightingale droppings for make-up cleansing. For make-up, either a rice-flour powder or a lead-based powder is mixed with water into a thin paste and applied to their face as a foundation. The removal of the make-up was quite difficult and time consuming. A lot of them became very sick from lead poisoning and somehow, they discovered that nightingale droppings had an excellent cleansing effect. Japanese nightingale droppings then became popular for face cleansing since it contains a natural enzyme guanine, an amino acid with bleaching qualities.
The first isolation of guanine was reported in 1844 from the droppings of sea birds, known as guano, which was used as a source of fertilizer. About fifty years later, German chemist Emil Fischer determined the structure and also showed that uric acid can be converted to guanine.
Guanine is an organic compound belonging to the purine group, a class of compounds with a characteristic two-ringed structure, composed of carbon and nitrogen atoms, and occurring free or combined in such diverse natural sources as guano.
Urea is also a component of nightingale droppings. Applying urea to the skin increases the moisture binding capacity of the skin, thus rehydrating the skin, softening it and reducing roughness. The proteolytic characteristics of urea are well recognised, where, depending on the concentration, urea modifies the structure of amino-chains as well as of polypeptides. This is significant for skin moisturising since a correlation exists between water content and amino acid content in skin- the dryer the skin, the lower the share of dissolved amino acids.
Urea is naturally present in healthy skin. The three natural moisturising factors (NMF) in the outer layer of the skin are lactic acid, amino acids, and urea. There are markedly reduced amounts of urea in dry skin conditions.
Urea that is naturally found in Japanese Nightingale Droppings act as emollients that are essential in the management of dry skin conditions. Emollients moisturise dry skin by reducing water loss from the epidermis resulting in softer and supple skin.
In Japan, nightingale droppings are used in two ways: geishas use it to clean off their heavy makeup and it's also used as a facemask. Nightingales Droppings are still used in Japan as a cleansing face mask.
The bird's droppings contain an enzyme that has been used for a long time as a skin-whitening agent and to remove fine wrinkles. It is sometimes sold as "uguisu powder". The droppings are also used to remove stains from kimonos.
Nightingales are farmed in Japan, their droppings are then scraped from the cages and are sun-dried and sterilised by the ultraviolet light. Then, the droppings are then turned to a fine powder. Japanese Nightingale Droppings produces the same results as a light acid peel, but it causes none of the redness or the need for recovery time. The natural enzymes act as exfoliants and break down the dead skin cells. Since there are no added chemicals, there's no burning sensation. This all-natural product is perfectly safe and easy to use on both oily and dry skin.
Facial treatments using the droppings, or guano, from Japanese nightingales is currently popular, reportedly because the guanine in the droppings produces a clear, "bright" skin tone that some people find desirable to attain. It is also popular as a whitening treatment on both men and women.
Currently, the demand for Japanese Nightingale Droppings has soared, even among Western customers. Celebrities like David and Victoria Beckham are reported to have been regularly indulging in £100 Geisha Facials in salons, using a paste made from nightingale droppings, to combat acne and improve their skin.
Though there are several techniques in whitening the skin, it is essentially done through the process of exfoliation - getting rid of dead skin at the outermost layer of the skin and unveiling a new layer. The natural enzymes of Japanese Nightingale Droppings help to remove all traces of dirt and gently exfoliate dead skin cells, leaving the skin smoother and brighter and naturally lighter.
What is Skin Whitening?
Skin whitening or skin lightening involves using treatments or chemicals to lighten skin colour. A person’s skin colour is determined primarily by the amount and type of melanin (produced by melanocytes) present on the skin. Differences in skin colour are mainly genetic and ethnic in origin.
Increase in melanin (hyperpigmentation or hypermelanosis) can be due to an increased number of pigment cells (melanocytes) or from increased production of melanin. (1)
Prolonged sun exposure can also cause the melanocytes to increase melanin production, thus resulting in considerable skin darkening.
Skin lightening products have been the source of much ethical and scientific controversy. Appearing 'Western' has long been the key to success for those in the public eye in the East. Critics complain that the process of skin whitening encourages women to strive for this homogenised and stereotypically Western ideal of beauty. (2)
In Japan, 'Bihaku' - or 'beautiful white' –is very popular. The Japanese are very zealous to achieve the ideal porcelain-pale complexion. The Japanese have long been obsessed with skin whitening. Even the Japanese beauty icon, the geisha, was admired by the condition of the skin on her nape. The paler and softer the skin, the more beautiful she was perceived to be.
What treatments are available?
Several whitening treatments are available to lighten skin colour. These range from the more invasive methods like laser treatments, cryosurgery, skin bleaching, and chemical peels. However, with most of these treatments, the results will depend on how dark your skin is. The greater the density of melanin, the longer you have to wait to see noticeable lightening.
The most common skin whitening treatments are topical, meaning they are applied directly on the skin. Some of the most popular ones are:
- Alpha hydroxy acids or AHAs
These renew the skin by shedding old surface skin cells. AHAs are usually mixed with creams to peel off dead skin cells. AHAs sting mildly and treated skin may be a little pink after the treatment. Peeling and skin redness occurs for the next few days.
There are very few studies showing Vitamin C to have benefit for inhibiting melanin production. The concentrations of these ingredients used in tests were generally high (more than 5%), which is rarely used in cosmetic formulations.(3)
Almost all claims regarding the benefits of Vitamin C preparations on the skin have no rigorous scientific testing to back them. Many Vitamin C formulations on the market are manufactured cheaply and are basically ineffective.(4)
Many of the topical vitamin C preparations are unable to penetrate the skin sufficiently to make any difference.
- Tretinoin / Topical Retinoids
Tretinoin works by peeling off the topmost layer of the skin, which may subsequently increase the risk of sunburn. Tretinoin can severely irritate the skin and excessive use results in swelling, redness, and peeling. This type of treatment is not recommended for those with sensitive skin.
Manufacturers recommend that topical retinoids are not used in pregnancy or breastfeeding as negative animal studies are not always predictive of human response.(5)
Hydroquinone is a powerful inhibitor of melanin production. However, this is banned in many countries because of cancer risk. Hydroquinone should not be used in pregnancy or when breastfeeding.
Kojic acid is a by-product in the fermentation process of malting rice for use in the manufacturing of sake, the Japanese rice wine. Some research shows kojic acid to be effective for inhibiting melanin production. However, kojic acid is an unstable ingredient in cosmetic formulations.(6)
Glutathione is mostly an antioxidant like vitamin C. The skin whitening effect is actually its side effect. However, its whitening properties are very minimal if applied only topically. For the whitening effect to be significant, large quantities of glutathione must be ingested, or better yet, injected intravenously.
Unsafe treatments
There have been concerns over 'black market' creams, which alter the pigment in skin, increasing the risks of irreparable skin damage.(7)
Whitening products may contain a variety of ingredients. In many areas, unregulated products are sold, often without listing their contents or they are labeled incorrectly. They may be safe but completely ineffective, or the chemicals may result in side effects and toxicity.(8) Many skin whiteners contain toxic mercury such as mercury(II) chloride or ammoniated mercury as the active ingredients.
In clinics in Arizona, for example, doctors had observed more than 300 patients who had toxic levels of mercury in their urine. Medical reports of similarly high levels of mercury poisoning were found among patients in Saudi Arabia, Senegal, West Africa, and in Tanzania in East Africa. Even among newly arrived Bosnian and Albanian refugees in Germany, doctors have found patients with toxic levels of this same type of mercury. Most of the patients with clinical evidence of mercury poisoning were women. In every case, clinical questioning revealed that the women had used skin-whitening creams -- many for years. In other words, these women had tried so desperately to whiten their skin colour that they had poisoned their bodies by applying mercury-based "beauty creams."(9)
Mercury poisoning is known to cause kidney damage and neurological problems which may also lead to psychiatric disorders.
Aside from mercury, other unsafe ingredients used in skin lightening products include hydroquinone, topical retinoids, and topical corticosteroids. (10)
Safe whitening treatments for the face:
Safe skin whitening products effectively whiten the skin without any harmful chemicals. One such product is Japanese Nightingales Droppings (Uguisu No Fun).
The Nightingale facial’s popularity stems from its traditional Japanese origin. The droppings were used effectively on kimonos as efficient stain removers. The superior whitening properties of Japanese Nightingales Droppings were discovered by Kabuki actors. Kesho is the kabuki makeup made from rice powder and this traditional makeup was very difficult to remove. The Kabuki actors found out that not only did the natural enzymes in the Nightingale droppings powder successfully remove stage makeup; they also made the skin softer and lighter in colour. As a result, even the Geishas used the Nightingale droppings powder for its exceptional whitening properties.
Japanese Nightingales Droppings to Whiten the Skin
Geishas found that regular facials using nightingale droppings facials helped to brighten, heal and improve the skin texture. This is due to the natural enzymes and guanine, which imparts a pearly luster to the skin.
Due to the short intestine of the Nightingale bird, Nightingales Droppings are said to contain protein, a degrading enzyme for fat, and whitening enzyme, which act on scurf and fat to help whiten the skin and even out blemishes.
The Japanese Nightingale Droppings are sanitized under ultra violet light before being ground to a fine powder. The powder is completely free of bacteria. The collection process is very hygienic, handed down from one generation to another. Japanese Nightingale Droppings is used as much today in Japan as it was used by their ancestors.
Nightingale Droppings Powder is easy to use, simply mix warm water and about 1/3 teaspoon of Nightingale powder onto the palm of your hand and apply to the skin. Alternatively, this can be mixed with a mild face cleanser, then cleanse the face as usual. Nightingale Droppings Powder can also be used as a facial mask, mixing a little powder with a small amount of water and leaving the paste mixture on the face for around five to ten minutes before rinsing off with water.
For the safest, most natural way to lighten, soften, and smoothen the facial complexion, you can’t go wrong with the tried and tested Japanese Nightingale Droppings.
References: (1) http://www.dermnetnz.org/colour/, (2) www.guardian.co.uk, (3) www.wikipedia.org, (4) www.dermetnz.org, (5) www.dermetnz.org, (6) www.wikipedia.org, (7) www.guardian.co.uk, (8) www.dermetnz.org, (9) http://www.boston.com/news/globe/, (10) www.dermetnz.org