Skin Lightening Myth: Nightingale Droppings

Photo Credit: Hannari-Ya

For centuries, Nightingale Droppings (Uguisu No Fun) has been used by Japanese women and Geisha’s to remove makeup and condition the skin. Fast forward to now, and people are still using this unusual skin care treatment to pamper and even lighten the color of their skin.

Nightingale droppings come from the Japanese bush warbler. The droppings that are used in cosmetic treatments are from bush warbler’s that are fed organic seeds. Their droppings contain very high levels of urea and guanine (an amino acid). Obviously these droppings are sanitized, and usually by UV light and dried with a dehydrator to destroy any remnants of bacteria.

The nightingale droppings are usually sold in powders in Japan that can be used at home, but most are often used as masks or facials in spas. Here in North America they are dubbed as ‘Geisha Facials’.

I’ve mentioned before that the various skin lightening ingredients from the East really intrigue me - even if they are as outrageous and cringe inducing as nightingale droppings. But I decided to look into the ‘skin whitening’ enzyme, Guanine and see if any concrete research backed up the traditions.

It was difficult to find any studies, but I did come across one that showed that guanine can have an effect on the melanogenesis process. It works by regulating the production of excess melanin so it’s effective for people with pigmentation legions.

So I guess there is some truth in the nightingale droppings = skin lightening concept.

Not sure if I’ll ever have the guts to try it out for myself though!