# Plasma in shampoo?  Dunno.  Human placenta in hand lotion?  You betcha!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plasma-in-shampoo-dunno-human-placenta-in-hand-lotion-you-betcha/313602>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [July 22, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plasma-in-shampoo-dunno-human-placenta-in-hand-lotion-you-betcha/313602 "2005-07-22T06:05:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lrfoto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@lrfoto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lrfoto)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plasma-in-shampoo-dunno-human-placenta-in-hand-lotion-you-betcha/313602/1 "2005-07-22T06:05:46Z")

</div>

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.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lrfoto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@lrfoto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lrfoto)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plasma-in-shampoo-dunno-human-placenta-in-hand-lotion-you-betcha/313602/2 "2005-07-22T08:13:14Z")

</div>

Oops! Forgot to post the link to the original article. Here it is:

[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_333.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_333.html)

Sorry 'bout that.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plasma-in-shampoo-dunno-human-placenta-in-hand-lotion-you-betcha/313602/3 "2005-07-23T04:14:35Z")

</div>

“Human placenta in cosmetics” seems to be a pretty potent urban legend, at least - a comic strip drawn in Taiwan alludes to this.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![La\_Llorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@La\_Llorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/La_Llorona)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plasma-in-shampoo-dunno-human-placenta-in-hand-lotion-you-betcha/313602/4 "2005-07-23T05:09:52Z")

</div>

Not _human_ placenta, I don’t think, but…[ewwww](http://hairproducts.com/view_product_BLA-HAS100.htm?PHPSESSID=9e2bd9ac6eae67a5e7905ee18e6d68a9). They say it right on the label, too! Have they no shame? 😉

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plasma-in-shampoo-dunno-human-placenta-in-hand-lotion-you-betcha/313602/5 "2005-07-23T05:26:03Z")

</div>

Ha. You thought placentas in _shampoo_ were bad?

[Is there really such a thing as…placenta stew?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_104.html)