India, Nov. 21 -- Period blood on your face? Yep, that's an actual trend taking over social media feeds. Called menstrual masking, the DIY ritual involves swiping your own period blood across your cheeks for a few minutes and washing it off like it's just another serum. Influencers claim it's "nature's retinol," arguing that menstrual fluid is rich in stem cells, proteins, and cytokines that supposedly boost glow, repair skin, and reset inflammation.

A study published by the National Library of Medicine, the world's largest biomedical library operated by the United States, found that menstrual fluid-derived plasma can indeed facilitate tissue repair and aid in wound healing. In this research, scientists tested how menstrual blood-derived...