Geisha facial using bird excrement

Forget avocado, evening primrose oil or other exotic ingredients, the latest geisha facial to hit New York is a mask made with bird excrement.

The Geisha Facial price at Shizuka New York is $180, about $100 more than the shop’s other facials, contains nightingale excrement.

The Japanese powder, also known as uguisu no fun, is rich in the amino acid guanine, said to brighten and cleanse skin. In the 18th century geishas and kabuki actors used the powder to clean heavy white makeup off their faces. “I’m always trying to bring Japanese culture and tradition to my spa,” said Shizuka Bernstein. “I heard my mother talk about this treatment when I was a little girl.”

The Japanese manufacturers of the powder treat it with ultraviolet light to kill bacteria. Bernstein mixes the substance at her spa with finely-ground rice bran to neutralize its slightly musky odor. She claims the mask helps women achieve a porcelain white quality to their skin. “I was a little tentative at first,” said a girl at spa, who recently received the geisha treatment. “But there was no smell. It was creamy and rich.”