Mucin from snail secretions contains moisturizing properties that work well on skin. While this method isn’t widely used, it’s growing in popularity across the globe.
You might not think about snails all that much. After all, we just see them on the sidewalk, doing their snail thing, leaving little silvery trails after them. Big deal, right? But what if we told you that snail skin care is one of the hottest beauty trends out there right now?
No, really. That silvery trail on the sidewalk could actually be worth its weight in gold, and the humble snail could be your key to having younger, fresher-looking skin. And all you’ve got to do is… luxuriate yourself in its mucus. Eww?
Actually, not eww! By the time you’ve checked out the benefits of this hot beauty routine, you’ll be saying heck yeah! to that sweet, sweet slime.
Want younger-looking skin? (and who doesn’t, if we’re judging by badly-filtered Instagram photos posted by your aunt?) The secret’s out: it’s all about the snail mucin.
Yup, the mucin is the slimy stuff that a snail secretes from a gland in its foot as it just snails around. And its not doing that just to leave a pretty pattern, but to give itself a ton of benefits, ranging from moisturization, to protecting and repairing its skin.
Hmm… moisturization, protection, and repair? Yup, those are exactly the kinds of qualities we humans seek for our skin products! And that’s the essence of snail skin care.
We’re nabbing that mucin, and dabbing it on our faces to get the same nifty benefits that it gives to the snails. It’s been a huge hit in Korea, and it’s now becoming far more popular on western shores too, after being given the thumbs-up from many a celeb and beauty blogger.
So exactly what benefits does snail mucin for skin actually have? Because we’re going to need some pretty good ones to persuade us to slap mucus on our faces, right?
Luckily, the snails deliver! (slowly, ofc)
1. It’s moisturizing AF
Hey, snails don’t produce mucus for fun. They need the moisture in order to be able to move around, so it’s pretty effective stuff – and that means that it’s super effective on our skin, too! It even creates a natural barrier to protect your skin from pollution, free radicals, and other nasties.
2. It reduces wrinkles
Remember we mentioned that mucin helps to repair a snail’s skin? It’ll potentially do the same for you! It has ingredients that boost the growth of new skin cells and collagen, as well as contain glycolic acid, which is a known collagen-booster. Basically, it’ll help smooth those lines, and keep you looking younger.
3. It gives you a vitamin and mineral shot
We love natural ingredients that’ll give our systems a boost at the same time as giving us fabulous skin, and snail skin care does the job! As well as some tasty vitamin A and E (both antioxidants, which are brill for you), it contains zinc (anti-flammatory), and manganese (great for skin repair).
4. It’s super soothing
We just mentioned that snail mucin contains zinc, which is an anti-inflammatory – and that means that it’s going to make your face feel cool as a cucumber. Snail skin care is particularly recommended for people with dry skin, and it’ll do a nifty job on any kind of irritation.
Good news: there’s no complicated instructions when it comes to using snail mucin. It’s almost as simple as plopping yourself down in nature and just letting the snails do their thing.
In fact, all you need to do is get a night cream that contains snail mucin. Your body repairs itself while you’re catching some z’s, meaning that it’s the ideal time to get that moisturizing, new skin-boosting snail slime on there!
Do your usual nightly routine, getting yourself cleaned up and adding those all-important toners and serums, before applying the night cream as your last step. Hop in bed, try to quell the excitement of having mucus on your face, and get some sleep. Your face should feel brand new by morning.
You’re also not limited by how much you want to use it. Once a day is probably enough, but it’s not going to do you any harm if you want to top it off in the morning, and get that smooth snail feel.
We get it: Snail mucin is such an unusual ingredient for many that it begs the question, is there anything we should be worried about?
So far, it doesn’t seem like there are any downsides to using snail mucin on skin. It doesn’t even harm the snails: the mucin is farmed by letting them happily crawl over pieces of mesh, causing them them no discomfort at all.
But it’s worth bearing in mind that although there’s no research to state that snail mucin causes you harm, there’s also no research which states that it doesn’t do you harm. It’s not something that boffins have really turned their attention to yet, so the scientific data is as lacking.
So if snail skin care is something you’re determined to investigate, it’s probably best to do your own research on what you’re buying. Does it come from a reputable brand? Is it high-quality? If you check the other ingredients, is there anything that sounds potentially questionable or irritating?
It’s also worth noting that because snail mucin is kinda unusual, it’s not something we come into contact with much. Some research suggests a possibility of it causing irritation or allergic reactions, so it’s always best to do a patch test on your arm before you go slapping it on your face.
It’s worth checking your local beauty store for products containing snail mucin, as U.S. stores are definitely starting to pick up on both the trend and the results – but you’re far more likely to find snail skincare online.
Due to its popularity in Korea, chances are fairly high that you’ll find serums and other products on K-beauty websites. As these sites are continuing to grow, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding one that’ll ship to you!
But like we mentioned above, just double check those ingredients before you add to cart and hit the ‘pay’ button. Just like everywhere else in the world, all products are not created equally, and you may find that some contain harsher chemicals than others.
If certain ingredients don’t quite sound right, or if you know you’re sensitive to one or two of them, keep searching for a product that may be a little more expensive, but will look after your face a bit better.
Snail mucus moisturizer is one of the next big things in the beauty biz, and although you might not initially like the sound of spreading mucus on your face, you may well change your mind once you see the results!
The Korean beauty industry has been raving about our bipod friends for years, and the rest of the world is finally catching up to the protective and restorative benefits they provide.
Check out the snail skin care options online, and make sure you’re getting a good quality product. Before you know it, you’ll be applying it every night – and happily crawling toward better skin!
