Women go to great lengths to keep their skin youthful

Monday, April 21st 2014 By LINDA KEYA

When it comes to their looks, women go to great lengths to turn back the clock. But the latest fad requires neither a chama loan nor hours of queuing at the salon, and only contains one ingredient; urine!

Yes, that ‘eew’ stuff. If uropaths (practitioners of urine therapy) are to be believed, we have been pouring liquid gold down the drain. They say that urine not only keeps wrinkles at bay, but also treats pimples and wounds, and keeps your skin as soft as a baby’s bottom. Apparently, you are your own, er, fountain of youth.

This practice has its roots in parts of Asia where it has been practised for centuries. The women on this bandwagon guard their urine jealously. While you are flushing yours down the loo, they are bottling theirs and storing it in a safe place for future use. Storage not only ensures a constant supply of this beauty secret, but also ‘ages’ the urine, which is said to enhance its potency.

Aged urine, usually stored in dark bottles for several days or even months, contains more concentrated levels of ammonia than fresh urine. Ammonia is what gives urine a chemical smell, but also has a bleaching effect, so uropaths use aged urine on skin blemishes and to whiten teeth.

Old urine is also said to clear up acne and eczema, soften chapped lips, eliminate dandruff and promote the growth of soft, shiny hair. If you want an all-over glow, just use some of this potent stuff to massage your body. Some people even bathe in it!

Fresh urine is used on more sensitive areas, for example, as eyedrops, to refresh the eyes. It is also used on the lips, and in the ears and nose, and as a therapeutic drink. Those who can’t stand the taste of straight urine make a cocktail by adding fruit juice or citric acid.

For men who want in on this trend, urine is said to be an excellent shaving cream and after-shave, to give a clean, smooth shave. It is also touted as soothing common aftershave effects, like itching, redness and soreness.

All this might sound bizarre, and sceptics abound, but many Kenyan women are swearing by this therapy, variously referred to as urinotherapy, uropathy or urotherapy. Among them is Christine Naliaka, who says a combination of drinking the urine and applying it on the face gives the best results.

“I had severe acne a while back. Even though I couldn’t bring myself to drink my urine, I applied it on my face, and in just under a month, I didn’t need expensive creams any more, as the acne had cleared. By the way, some of the most expensive cosmetics women buy contain urine; if you carefully read the ingredients, you may find synthetic urea listed, but nobody highlights this fact,” Christine says.

DAB IT ON

Most devotees of this therapy prefer to use the midstream of their morning urine.  They either splash it directly onto their faces or dilute it with a little water and dab it on several times a day.

Morning urine is recommended for facial treatments because the hormones are said to have built up overnight, creating a rich concoction of nutrients, antibodies, hormones, enzymes and other natural chemicals.

One can rinse their face an hour after massaging the urine into the skin. It will most likely not smell if it penetrates well into the skin. However, diet plays a big part in matters of odour.

“Staying hydrated and not eating too much sugar or highly processed food is key. It also makes the treatment more effective,” Christine advises.

“I realised my urine smells if I did not eat a proper diet the day before. Otherwise, it does not smell.”

Another die-hard member of this therapy, Josephine Ngoda, says aged urine that is four to eight days old is absorbed better into the skin, hence, more effective.

“I find aged urine on the face very pleasant, refreshing and giving better results than fresh urine. It can clear some pimples within two days. Of course, it smells more than fresh urine, and takes nerves of steel to apply,” says Josephine.

“But I have becomes used to it, such that nothing or no one can discourage me from storing urine in jars for later use.”

Hers has not always been a smooth ride though; when she applied the urine on the first few days, she got a terrible breakout. But Josephine was not put off as she had heard success stories and also knew about the exfoliating effects of urine.

“I religiously applied fresh urine in the morning and old urine, which had been stored for about three days, overnight. Three months later, I’m reaping the fruits of urine therapy — my face is clear and beautiful.”

Those who are unenthusiastic about harvesting their own urine have their own ways of getting a supply. For instance, 50-year-old Sophie Akoth finds it easier to wipe her face using a wet baby diaper or napkin as opposed to splashing urine on the face.

“When my children were younger, I would pat my face with a wet diaper every so often, and it made my skin beautiful,” she says.

This, Sophie says, is a better and natural way of cleansing the face than using commercial wet wipes, some of which contain high levels of chemicals.

“Just carry your child’s or grandchild’s wet diaper in your handbag, and every so often, wipe your beautiful face with it. It not only cleanses the skin, but also rids of dust and other pollutants from the atmosphere.”

Sophie has been using urine as part of her routine skin care regime for years; she started long before it was trendy. She credits her unconventional beauty regimen with clearing her pores and nourishing her skin, it making it look healthy and youthful despite her age.

Adherents say urine is an all-in-one beauty solution; it can be used as cleanser, toner, cream, skin lightener, mask and exfoliator. These women claim there is no skin problem that urine cannot help, be it a dry, oily, blemish-filled or acne-prone face.

For maximum effect, however, they warn that the urine must be as pure as possible, hence the emphasis on a wholesome diet. Also, if you are on drugs, medicinal or otherwise, your urine is deemed unsuitable for therapy. Traces of the chemicals in the drugs are excreted in the urine, altering its basic ingredients.

Other than that, uropaths consider urine sterile enough to drink, dab, dive into, or even douche. They advocate this therapy on social media, in their chamas, or just sharing with their friends through word of mouth.

And it is not just broke women who are joining the ‘pee-ple’ club; celebrities such as singer Madonna and actress Sarah Miles are said to have endorsed urine therapy.

The jury appears divided on whether one can use someone else’s urine. Many claim that everyone’s urine is as unique as the treatment their body needs, so each person should use their own. Some say sharing is okay, and that using your partner’s urine is an intimate gesture that makes you even closer. Others argue that you should only drink or apply another person’s urine if you are unable to produce your own, or are unwell and on medication. In this case, they recommend urine from someone of the same sex, for similarity of hormones.

NAPPY RASH

Such conflicts aside, many women are drawn by the fact that the therapy is inexpensive, natural and said to be free of side effects. But what do professionals in the beauty and health industry think?

Gathoni Ali, a skin consultant at a Nairobi spa, does not understand how toxins can be used to nourish the face.

“If urine removes toxins from the body, how is it that it treats the skin, a living organ that is nourished by cleansing and proteins?” she poses.

For instance, she points out, when you pee on grass in the same spot over and over, the grass turns brown and dies, and the spot becomes less fertile. And when a child’s diaper is not changed on time, the result is nappy rash. The same is the expected reaction on a face ‘washed’ with urine.

“Unless there is a scientific backing of this treatment, I would not embrace it. But good for those who have success stories,” she says.

Dr Melamie Miyanji, a consul tant dermatologist at the Aga Khan University Hospital, would not advise the use of urine on the face either.

She explains that urine contains compounds deemed undesirable, and therefore eliminated by the body.

“Some of those compounds may be carrying all sorts of impurities, such as bacteria as a result of infection. This can be irritating to the skin or eyes. The bacteria could also cause infections on the skin, bearing in mind that the skin on the face is delicate,” the doctor says.

So, then, why would women take such risks?

Prof Tabitha Sewe, the dean of Arts and Social Science at Maasai Mara University, says for women, an attractive appearance is an instant self-esteem booster. However, most women have been caught between their natural looks and what society considers beautiful.

“For instance, we, the older generation would see a dark and natural lady who has a pleasant personality and feel satisfied that she, indeed, is a beautiful woman. But the younger generation considers a made up look, long weaves and a light skin tone as ultimate marks of a beautiful woman,” says Prof Sewe.

“For this reason, women are seeking bizarre ways to get the much desired attention and recognition.