From using a blue ink stain on sanitary pads in advertising to smearing menstrual blood on our faces as beauty hacks, society’s attitude towards the issue has certainly changed menstruation.
In a world obsessed with ideas of beauty that express their dynamism and subjectivity in the plural, we must ask ourselves to what extent they can embody them. The global beauty and personal care Market size in 2025 in India at 33.08 billion US dollars. It is the fastest growing beauty and personal care products (BPC) market in the world. This market thrives on consumer awareness of existing societal standards, self-desires, psychological conditioning and, most importantly, the creation of influencer content that capitalizes on attention and the desire for emotional gratification.
The current “beauty hack” in question is Menstrual masking. Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are flooded with influencers applying their menstrual blood to their faces as a “DIY (Do-It-Yourself) face mask”. They claim that it gives the skin a natural glow because menstrual blood is rich in stem cells, proteins and cytokines that repair the skin and reduce inflammation. The veracity of this information and the reasons for the virality of this beauty trend are explored below.
Why is period masking “trendy”?
It was that Kardashiansthe global BPC brand ambassadors who made famous the Vampire Facial, which involves undergoing platelet-rich plasma microneedling. The possibility that this medical procedure could be available in a heavily subsidized and self-help-friendly format created a shock effect that played to the exaggerated “natural and organic” appeals on social media. The final impetus was the expansion as a feminist statement that expressed self-acceptance and called for the destigmatization of menstrual fluids.
Source: FII
However, because social media is a product of many contextual factors, the following socio-historical analysis provides a broader framework to better understand its virality.
The instant appeal this trend has gained is not surprising considering, for example, in the United States the average monthly out-of-pocket spending on beauty products a total of almost $3,756 or ₹3.35 lakh per year. In IndiaThe per person revenue for BPC is around ₹1900. In fact, a fourteen year old survey by ASSOCHAM (Associate Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India) found that over 95% of teenagers in Delhi spent between ₹4,000 and ₹5,000 on cosmetics.
In contrast, personal healthcare and hygiene during menstruation is a highly debated financial issue. Only in 2018 did the Indian government REMOVED a 12% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on sanitary products. However, the raw materials used for manufacturing cost between 12% and 18% GST, which keeps the cost significantly high. This is popularly known as “Pink tax”is still a hotly contested debate in leading countries such as the US, UK, Germany, France and Australia. A menstruator (the gender-neutral term for those who menstruate) in India, spends an average amount of ₹106.5 spent on sanitary products per month, compared to $13.25 or ₹1182 in the United States.
A menstruator (the gender-neutral term for those who menstruate) in India, spends an average amount of ₹106.5 spent on sanitary products per month, compared to $13.25 or ₹1182 in the United States.
Government of India initiatives like this “Program to promote menstrual hygiene” Provision of subsidized sanitary napkin packs by accredited social health activists or ASHA workers at a subsidized price of ₹6 for a pack of 6 napkins and the Pradhan Mantri recruitment Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) offers “Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Napkins” at ₹1 per napkin. But the quality is questionable and distribution is limited.
In addition, this only includes the cost of purchasing sanitary pads or tampons and does not include the additional costs of medications for physical ailments (lower body pain, abdominal cramps, nausea, fatigue), additional clothing or underwear, and non-medical products such as heating pads.
Source: FII
Added to the financial burden are the social impacts that menstruation brings with it. The stigma, scrutiny and shame associated with a vital biological process that affects a significant percentage of the world’s population and is unknown only to the ignorant is appalling. For these reasons, it is criticized that the glorification of menarche rituals metaphorically reinforces women’s traditional gender roles as potential wives, child-bearers, and legacies.
Nancy Fraser’s review Jürgen Habermas’ conception of the bourgeois public sphere points out that this idealistic and exclusionary model only takes into account the capitalist and public contributions of propertied men. Their theory of subaltern counterpublics rejected the strict binary between public and private as economic and personal and argued against marginalizing unpaid work as outside the “official economy” and therefore politically invisible.
This Menarche traditions could also misrepresent the attainment of maturity, leading to child marriages, an unfortunate consequence from which India continues to suffer.
Surrounded by a plethora of cons, a “hack” that targeted everything: skin, stigma, and silence about menstruation going viral was inevitable.
Does the hack work?
BPC advertising is so extensive that it manipulates urban teenagers as the most gullible consumers. While applying sunscreen is necessary for all ages to prevent melanoma and sun damage, BPC marketing goes beyond sun protection and targets the young customer base. Urban teenage consumers are conditioned to believe that they need niacinamide products and anti-aging retinol serums today. Homemade wraps rarely stand a chance when beauty is marketed as self-care that is expensive but “worth it.”
BPC advertising is so extensive that it manipulates urban teenagers as the most gullible consumers.
At first glance, the rationale for masking menstruation sounds plausible, as people may think that menstrual blood is full of nourishing properties. Every month the uterus regenerates a mucous membrane that prepares itself for a possible pregnancy. If the fertilized egg does not arrive, the thickened uterine lining sheds and expels blood and tissue from the vagina.
Source: FII
A study published in National Library of Medicine Plasma obtained from menstrual fluid, which is first processed, sterilized and optimized to be used with controlled and professional equipment under properly tested medical conditions, is said to have wound healing and tissue repair properties. Menstrual blood, on the other hand, contains uterine tissue, vaginal secretions, hormones and microorganisms that can cause bacterial infections if it is not sterilized. Without testing or mandated usage guidelines, this trend is another extension of the social media myth bubble. It is also another example of BPC exploiting conscious perception of appearance, social anxiety, etc Body image associated uncertainties among consumers.
Another study was published in Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology found that wounds coated with plasma derived from menstrual blood healed completely within 24 hours, while when used with regular blood plasma there was only a 40% healing rate. However, the note of caution lies deeper in the study, which explains the processing of menstrual blood under sterile conditions and its clinical injection by professionals.
The path from the uterus to the face is full of bacteria, cervical mucus and dead tissue.
The path from the uterus to the face is full of bacteria, cervical mucus and dead tissue. Dr. Shireen Furtadoa senior consultant in medical and cosmetic dermatology at Aster CMI Hospital, warns against this practice. She teaches how bacteria and fungi, such as the microorganism Staphylococcus aureus, when in contact with broken skin or active acne, can trigger an immediate reaction that leads to serious infections that worsen the skin condition. Experts have also raised concerns Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) contaminated menstrual blood.
James Penny wrote how empowerment activism failed because it failed to meaningfully formulate a program of social change. He attributed the gradual decline of gender movements to their gradual disillusionment with reality and dissolution from society, thereby limiting any political impact in the real world.
Source: Hypebae
The downside of misguided social media activism lies in its recurring pattern of performative activism over concrete empowerment, which leads to alienation. The evidence from dermatology and science gives zero points to the benefits of menstrual masking and reinforces the potential harm of using menstrual blood as a healing face mask. As costly as it may be, clinical use of PRP, vitamin C, retinol or niacinamide under medical supervision is the Lab tested options that should be used to improve skin if and when prescribed, rather than falling for gimmicky social media fads that are almost always “too good to be true.”
Second year student of Media Studies at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), BRC, Bangalore. A trained Kathak dancer, theater artist and political nerd.