The strangest celebrity beauty habits

Eva Longoria and Katie Holmes use face creams containing placenta. January Jones claims the strange by-product helped her bounce back from pregnancy. It's claimed that placenta boosts collagen production and moisture levels, yet experts say there is no proof of this and the jury is still out as to whether it actually works.

Teri Hatcher reportedly revealed she pours a glass of wine into her bath in the belief that the grape nutrients soften and nourish the skin. Again, there's no definitive proof that this does anything for the skin - so we reckon it might be better to just pour yourself a glass instead!

Gwyneth Paltrow seems to be the queen of unconventional beauty. According to reports, her hairdresser David Babaii said he uses a loofah (yep, a shower loofah) on her hair rather than a brush. Apparently, it boosts volume and reduces frizz. Watch Gwyneth talking about her skincare line in the next video

Lauren Conrad and Shailene Woodley join Gwyneth Paltrow in her support of the latest beauty craze to sweep Hollywood - Oil Pulling. It's an ancient Ayurvedic technique for oral health and hygiene that has celebs swishing a teaspoon of oil (coconut, extra-virgin olive, sesame or another high-quality oil, preferably organic) around their mouths for 5-20 minutes before spitting it into the bin (not the sink). This supposedly works to whiten teeth, combat bad breath, aid gum health and generally reduce bacteria and toxins.

Salma Hayek's hair speaks for itself - she knows how to look after it. So it is little wonder that beauty experts endorse her strange beauty tips of putting mayonnaise, avocado and other salad-related things in her hair. Denise Richards uses avocado in her hair too, but hair care expert Amy Mrkurnic, colorist at Oscar Blondi salon in New York, reckons adding olive oil makes this dip/hair care solution all the more effective - just stay away from the scalp to avoid greasy looking hair.

Halle Berry's anti-cellulite treatment is actually a well known good idea. She adds coffee grounds to her body wash in order to smooth the skin and increase blood flow using mild exfoliation combined with caffeine.

Catherine Zeta-Jones has a juicy solution for teeth whitening - strawberries. “The juice or pulp of strawberries contains malic acid which serves as an astringent and can lighten surface stains,” she said in an interview. The brunette bombshell also washes her hair in beer, which removes the buildup of dirt and oils on the hair's surface as well as adding a bit of shine.

According to Mariah Carey, the secret to plumper lips is peppermint oil! She adds a couple drops of it to her lip glosses, while Lisa Rinna opts for cinnamon oil instead. Both oils supposedly have the effect of stimulating blood flow in the lips, which some claim leads them to swell up a little. The same principle is used in plumping products, but make-up artists recommend checking your chosen oil on a patch of skin to make sure you don't have a bad reaction to it.

Both Victoria and her husband David Beckham are said to be fans of facials using nightingale excrement, which is believed to act as an exfoliant. Apparently the technique is a traditional one, having been used by Japanese Geishas to help remove their makeup.

Model mum Miranda Kerr recently revealed she is a fan of dry body brushing before showering, which she says "aids circulation and lymphatic drainage".

Cindy Crawford reportedly uses a face spray made up of milk and mineral water to keep her skin looking healthy - and while this may sound novel, it's not exactly new. Egyptian Queen Cleopatra was famously said to have bathed in a mixture of milk and honey!

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi (of Jersey Shore fame) definitely has an outlandish beauty tip. The reality star told Conan O'Brien that she uses cat litter as part of her skincare, which is definitely a big no no! There are a few reasons why it is not a good idea, one being that it contains moisture sapping chemicals, which will dehydrate her skin, two being the clay particles in the litter aren't the kind of clay that is formulated for skin of any kind and can cause abrasions, blotchiness and inflammation. Also, the scents added to the litter aren't formulated to be kind to human skin, but to cover up cat poop smell.

Cate Blanchett says Judi Dench gave her a great tip for younger looking hands. According to the actress, she waves her hands about in the air before stepping onto the red carpet, draining the blood away from her hands to get them looking as good as possible for photographs. Watch Cate talking about the 'unglamorous' side to the Golden Globes in the next video

Apparently it is apple cider that gets Scarlett Johansson's skin all clear and glowy. The actress has done her research too - "I researched natural skincare and found that apple cider vinegar is really effective. Using it as a toner can be harsh, but if you have breakouts it can be really healing." Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas is also a fan of cider vinegar, taking two tablespoons (organic, of course) a day in a bid to aid digestion and help with bloating.

Blake Lively has her mother's hair, apparently in more ways than one! The actress' flowing mane is apparently down to a trick passed down from her talent scout mum - "My mom taught me this really great beauty tip. She used to put oil or mayonnaise on the bottom half of her hair before she would shower. That way, when she would shampoo, the soap wouldn't strip the bottom of the hair and dry it out, making it brittle," she said.

What better way to diet than just to have a smaller appetite? Lily Allen claims she was able to ditch unhealthy food cravings by undergoing hypnosis.

Rather than give in to food cravings, Jennifer Lopez reportedly sniffs grapefruit oil.

Julia Roberts is said to use olive oil as hand moisturiser.

Brazilian supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio has a bizarre trick for getting rid of flyaways and split ends - burning them off with an open flame! The Victoria's Secret Angel recently shared a photo of her hairdresser using a candle to perform the treatment on a twist of her locks.

Nicole Kidman reportedly pours cranberry juice over her tresses to enhance the red colour and add shine.

Lady Gaga is known for her wacky ways, but this is pretty sensible, if not completely genius. In 2009 when she was wearing loads of glitter, make-up artist Kabuki used sellotape to remove the glitter from her eyelids. Fabric tape is the most forgiving for skin, but be gentle, or you might end up missing an eyebrow.

Sandra Bullock putting haemorrhoid cream under her eyes to reduce puffiness is definitely one of the strangest beauty tricks we've ever heard. She says, "I didn't realise that putting haemorrhoid ointment on your face is acceptable in the beauty business, but apparently, butt cream helps lines around the eyes!" However, this is one we definitely don't recommend as using such a strong cream on the sensitive eye area can lead to irritation.

Angelina Jolie is said to be a fan of using caviar extracted from the Baerii sturgeon species of fish, which is thought to help moisturise and firm up skin.