Marketed as an anti-aging facial mask and known as Live, it features marine-derived chitosan, collagen, seabuckthorn fruit oil and sweet almond proteins, together with the company's trade mark placenta protein extract.

The company says the combination of these ingredients provides a highly biologically active face mask that forms 'part of a new generation of anti-aging ingredients' developed using the most advanced science and technologies.

The face mask targets sun damaged skin by penetrating deep into the skin layers to stimulate the synthesis of collagen and ultimately reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, the company claims.

Chitosan and seabuckthorn join anti-aging battle

Chitosan is a polyaminosacharid that is primarily extracted from arthropods and is said to help promote skin regeneration, while seabuckthorn fruit oil has extremely high anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

These active ingredients are further enhanced by the addition of the sweet almond proteins, which helps with skin elasticity, as well as collagen, which, like the chitosan, helps to regenerate the skin.

Likewise, these active ingredients are also boosted by the presence of the placenta protein extract, which the company says helps to provide tissue regeneration and rid the body of harmful toxins.

The placenta protein is extracted using a sterilizing tissue processing technology, which is said to ensure safety as well as the correct extraction of the biologically active substances it contains.

Placenta contains 16 amino acids

The resulting extract contains 16 essential amino acids, including glycine, praline, lysine and tyrosine, which all combine to provide essential nutrients for the body - the very same that provide the lifeline for a baby during the nine months it spends developing in the womb.

Aimed at both men and women, Live forms part of a comprehensive range of beauty products all based on placenta protein extract.

Those products include an anti-aging serum, face cream, facial cleanser, an eye gel, beauty supplement and a hair treatment remedy.

The use of placenta in cosmetics is thought to date back to the 1930s, when it was injected into the skin to help stimulate it and reduce wrinkles.

Although there are a number of placenta-based beauty products on the market today, they tend to be prohibitively expensive as the extraction process and sourcing often proves difficult.

Whereas the EMK face mask retails at $82, the rest of the line ranges in price from $35 for a textile face mask to $175 for the anti-aging serum.