The quest for eternal youth has never been a smooth one.
But while anti-ageing treatments are nothing new, more and more non-traditional (and weird) age prevention methods have cropped up on the beauty market that will do more than raise a few eyebrows.
From snail slime face cream to bee sting venom facials and emu bird oil - we've selected most bizarre anti-ageing treatments designed strictly for the dedicated beauty fans...
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Snail Slime Cream
Carefully collected snail's slime is a potent anti-ageing ingredient that helps reduce scars, stretch marks and acne, as well as smoothing out wrinkles.
The rich snail secretion is packed with regenerative compounds.
Now this anti-ageing treatment isn't as unusual as it sounds, as it's already a staple beauty product in Britain's <a href="http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=869&searchterm=snail&rdcnt=1" target="_hplink">Holland and Barrett</a>.
Emu Oil
Rendered from from the fat of an emu bird, emu oil is a lesser known anti-ageing oil that has been used for centuries in the Aboriginal communities for its healing powers.
Mixed with eucalyptus oil, it containing bundles of vitamin E and A, the oil's antioxidants help repair wounds and thickens skin against ageing.
The cream also soaks moisture into the skin, which avoids dehydrated, saggy looking skin.
Pigs Trotters
Definitely not one for vegetarian beauty fans, but pigs trotters are a popular anti-ageing solution in Japan, as the trotters are a great source of collagen - the vital ingredient for boosting elasticity in the skin.
Bee Sting Venom
The bee sting venom facial doesn't involve a her of bees pricking your face, but instead, the venom from the sting is transferred into a gel and then rubbed on the face as part of an intensive facial.
According to researchers in South Korea, the venom helps prevent the skin from sun damage and restores collagen production.
Sperm Facial
Spermine is a powerful antioxidant in human sperm and some beauty goers swear by its anti-ageing super powers.
This treatment first surfaced in New York where the 'cream' is applied over the skin and then ultrasound and infrared light is used to penetrate through the skins lipid barrier.
It's believed this 'sperm facial' leaves the skin looking blemish and wrinkle-free.
And you don't have to have the treatment done in a salon, as a Norwegian company, Bioforskning, sell sperm-based products.
Breast Milk Soap
Breast milk soap claims to be a great alternative to ordinary soap as it doesn't dry up the skin and is good for reducing the appearance of facial scarring and wrinkles.
However, the only snag is - it's best to make the soap yourself if you're breastfeeding. The ingredients? Olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, heat-treated breast milk, and purified water.
Anti-Sagging Lips
Possibly the wackiest of them all - the 'Face Slimmer', originates from Japan but is (unsurprisingly) yet to take off in the UK.
This rubbery-looking mouthpiece, created by cosmetic company Glim, is designed to keep the facial muscles pert by keeping the cheeks and mouth stretched in a permanent 'trout pout' position.
The mouth guard comes with various face exercise ideas to keep the dreaded sagging jowls away.
Image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cool3c" target="_hplink">Flickr/ cool3c</a>
Baby's Foreskin
A treatment developed by British biomedical company <a href="http://www.intercytex.com/" target="_hplink">Intercytex</a>, created an anti-ageing treatment using microscopic skin cells from babies' foreskins.
This unusual treatment is believed to rejuvenate and restructure ageing and damaged skin, by repopulating the lower layers of skin with millions of healthy skin cells from the foreskin that are packed of collagen and human dermal fibroblasts.
'Platza' Treatment
This alternative and somewhat painful-looking anti-ageing massage is designed to stimulate the blood flow, creating a youthful glow.
The 'platza' treatment involves the bare back being thwarted with a 'broom' made of oak-leaf branches.
The harsh brushing technique is also said to help tone up muscles and invigorate sluggish energy levels.
Placenta Cream
It's long been known that the placenta has great nutritional benefits (who can forget the '<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/01/24/midwife-sells-placenta-pills-to-new-mothers_n_1227327.html" target="_hplink">placenta pills</a>') but it is also available in a face cream too.
Skincare company <a href="http://www.lanocreme.com/en/Placenta/Default.aspx" target="_hplink">Lanocrème</a> sell a range of placenta-based creams that promise to nourish the skin using its 56 bio-stimulant proteins that help encourage skin replenishment.
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The Huffington Post UK Kyrsty Hazell First Posted: 8/02/2012 18:25 Updated: 8/02/2012 18:25