Several years ago, when I was a teenager, my mom sold Avon products. One day, I was reading the ingredients on one of her better-selling bottles of hand lotion, and to my surprise (nay, I was a teenager…to my HORROR), one of the ingredients listed was “human placenta.” Swear to God. I’m guessing some OB/GYN’s weren’t making enough money delivering babies, so they felt compelled to sell the afterbirth for a little extra cash. Just one theory on how the business of placenta trafficking works/worked.
Oops! Forgot to post the link to the original article. Here it is:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_333.html
Sorry 'bout that.
“Human placenta in cosmetics” seems to be a pretty potent urban legend, at least - a comic strip drawn in Taiwan alludes to this.
Not human placenta, I don’t think, but…ewwww. They say it right on the label, too! Have they no shame? 