The latest skincare fad is rubbing salmon sperm on your face

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TL;DR

The article critiques the extreme lengths people go for skincare, comparing modern trends like salmon sperm products to historical myths of bathing in blood for youth. It reflects on the human desire for beauty shortcuts and the questionable efficacy of such fads.

Three silver salmon with the Rejuran bottle on them in front of a blue background — I, too, have bought Rejuran because it’s human to want a shortcut to beautiful skin. | Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty IMages

This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here.

While scrolling through my TikTok feed, I often find myself thinking of Elizabeth Báthory. Legend has it that Báthory, a powerful 16th-century Hungarian countess, would kill virgins and bathe in their blood to retain her youth. Historians have debated whether Báthory really was a serial killer, though most agree she probably didn't actually bathe in blood. Still, she's what I think of anytime I see how far vanity wi …

Read the full story at The Verge.