NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Fish scales, sheep fat, and bird poop aren’t exactly what you might expect to find in your favorite beauty products, but some ugly ingredients are being touted for making beautiful skin.

Snail slime isn’t unusual on a sidewalk, but what about on somebody’s face?

“The secretion left behind by a snail is slimy, but it’s ultra hydrating,” YouBeauty.com Editor, Julie Ricevuto, at Cedra Pharmacy, told CBS2’s Kristine Johnson. “In the beauty industry we’re always looking for the next best thing, and sometimes the ingredients are not as pretty as we would like.”

Manhattan spa owner Shizuka Bernstein created a facial using nightingale droppings.

“I really do swear by it,” she said.

Client Amanda Hoffman said the bird poop, which was allegedly first used hundreds of years ago to cleanse the skin of Geisha, has made a world of difference in her skin.

The droppings are UV sterilized which produces a powder form of the ingredient mixed with rice bran to help with the smell. Clients said the results are immediate.

People also swear by ingredients like shark’s liver, rooster combs, bee venom, and fish scales.

“Fish scales, when you look at them you see that they’re glistening and glimmering, so why not put it in eye shadow,” Ricevuto said.

There’s a breast milk facial, and some people are big fans of a face cream that contains cells derived from infant foreskin.

“I’m results oriented, so if it works I’m using it,” Catherine Lopresti said.

Cristine Bisono is with the skin care line Sisley. She said many unusual ingredients are sourced because of their protective properties.

“So you must wonder, ‘ok, what will it do for the skin?'” she said.

Experts say longevity is key when seeking out ugly beauty products.

“Fads will come and go, but if it’s been out there for six to eight months I think it’s pretty safe to try,” Dr. Kavita Mariwalla said.

Unusual ingredients can come at a price. The nightingale facial starts at $180.