Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston got a “salmon sperm facial.” What?

Is the secret to youthful, glowing skin in salmon testicles? Kim Kardashian might be the person to ask.

On a recent episode of “Kardashians,” the 43-year-old reality star told her mom Kris Jenner that she got a “salmon sperm facial” while filming promo content for the Hulu series.

“I had a salmon sperm facial with salmon sperm injected into my face,” Kardashian said, without elaborating.

She’s not the only celebrity to have tried this type of treatment. Jennifer Aniston told the Wall Street Journal last year that she also got a salmon sperm facial, though she wasn’t sure if it made a difference to her skin. “First of all, I was like, ‘Are you serious? How do you get salmon sperm?'” Aniston said.

Known as “salmon pdrn,” salmon testicle DNA has also been found in many luxury Korean beauty products, including KAHI’s Anti-Wrinkle Multi-Wrinkle Balm, which was popularized on TV shows like Netflix’s “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” and in Doja Cat’s “Vegas” music video. As the name suggests, you swipe the balm over your face for a dewy, glowing look.

Slathering on fish genital DNA may sound questionable, but beauty experts and plenty of research support its regenerative and anti-inflammatory effects. One study found that salmon sperm was associated with increased skin elasticity and higher collagen levels, both of which are essential for anti-aging skin.

“Having an open mind to these different types of ingredients can be really cool. There are a lot of ingredients that we’re not used to in North America that are really popular in Korea, and there’s a reason for that: There’s a lot of evidence that they’re beneficial,” Kenna Whitnell, a biochemist and research scientist, told USA TODAY.

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What is pdrn salmon and how does it work?

Salmon Pdrn, which stands for “polydeoxyribonucleotides,” is sperm DNA typically derived from salmon trout or chum salmon. Whitnell, who specializes in skin care consulting, explains that the product works by targeting a specific protein that, when stimulated, promotes wound healing.

Some may be wondering: Why the testicles? Whitnell explained that the genital area contains a large amount of DNA, making it easier and more cost-effective to extract.

As for why salmon is specifically used, “salmon DNA is very close to human DNA, so it’s very compatible with our own cellular functioning,” Whitnell told USA TODAY. “The extraction and purification process removes active proteins and peptides that could potentially cause immune reactions. So it’s just pure DNA and there’s nothing in it that could interact negatively with our skin.”

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What are the benefits of salmon testicular DNA for the skin?

Research has praised salmon testicle DNA for its ability to restore skin elasticity, repair moisture barriers and reduce inflammation, making it a viable option for those with damaged or dry skin.

“This ingredient is great because if you have a cut or a wound or acne that’s healing, salmon pdrn can help,” medical aesthetician Cassandra Bankson told USA TODAY of the process called “cell migration.” “White blood cells are going to try to repair that wound … and research has shown that salmon pdrn helps with that cell migration, or bringing healing cells to the affected area.”

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Who should avoid salmon sperm?

For most people, pdrn salmon is relatively safe with few known side effects. But people who are vegan or have fish allergies are advised to avoid it, and despite its anti-inflammatory effects, it is not intended to treat active acne, but rather dehydrated or injured skin.

“For salmon pdrn to work, it has to get through the top layer of the skin, which means the skin has to be broken,” Dr. Rachel Ho, a Singapore-based cosmetic physician, told USA TODAY. Most studies, she added, have only tested salmon DNA’s ability to repair damaged skin, rather than intact skin.

Because of the limited research available, Ho suggested other evidence-based alternatives for skin repair, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, or retinoids, which “can create collagen in the skin to treat early signs of aging or even hyperpigmentation.” But before incorporating salmon sperm into your skin-care regimen, experts advise testing any new ingredient on a small area of ​​your skin to see how it reacts.

Contributed by Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY