Ok, admittedly the concept of snails and their sliminess in general is enough to make us rethink our appetites. Then again, the French do find escargot to be a delicacy and to be quite honest I would rather spread the stuff all over my face than ingest it. That’s just me, though…
What is Snail Slime
Anyways, back to the topic at hand: Snail slime. Also referred to as snail mucin, this animal by-product has been recently touted as the long-awaited beauty miracle that will make your dull, troubled skin blemish-free, brightened, tightened, and even (maybe) a little lifted. Of course, it’s not the first beauty product that has made us scratch our heads and it certainly will not be the last. Previous trendy beauty concoctions include everything from bird poop, bee-venom, and mud – the latter of which has become so popular that we don’t even bat an eye to it any longer.
While Westerners may semi-wince at the thought of a snail mucin cream, mask, or facial, it’s actually been around for a fairly long time. The ancient Greeks were said to have used the wonder cream as well as the Chileans who used to harvest the snails to be sent to France as escargot. The farmers noticed that their hands looked younger, smoother and recovered more quickly from any cuts or scrapes. The was attributed to – you guessed it – snail slime.
Snail Mucin Popularity
In this day and age, snail mucin is actually very popular in South Korea where there is a booming and innovative beauty industry that is slowly migrating to the Western hemisphere. One of the top Korean beauty and skincare brands, MISSHA, has a widely popular SUPER AQUA CELL RENEW snail product line that plenty of girls with gorgeous skin – such as Charlotte Cho of SOKO GLAM – happen to swear by.
Not convinced? Well, there is a science and logic behind it. Think about the habitat of a snail. Perusing the landscape which is covered with rough surfaces and potentially dangerous debris, they slither their way through life and are bound to get a few cuts, scrapes, and abrasions. Thankfully, that snail slime we all know and love (jokes) – known to contain a complex blend of proteins, glycolic acid, and elastins – has a purpose to heal and soothe their own tissue. And, this very same concept can be said about its effects on our skin. Perhaps not on the same degree, but there are definitely regenerative benefits that have been widely noted.
Using Snail Mucin Creams
If you are wondering who should be using snail mucin creams, we recommend it for those who suffer from acne, scarring, inflammation, rosacea or even if you have experienced a burn (those curling irons do get tricky). There are plenty of options to choose from, too. Our favorites tend to lie in popular Korean skincare brands such as MISSHA (as mentioned earlier), Mizon and Skin Food. If you’re not too keen on waiting for a delivery or happen to find yourself close to a Korean beauty supply store, then Dr. Jart+ has a stock of Time Returning Serum – that contains a “mucin complex” – at Sephora both in-store and online. That being said, it’s a little bit pricier than the other options listed.
Try it out for yourself and tell us what you think! We’re definitely all in on this beauty trend. You’ll never know until you try!
Would you try a snail mucin cream or mask?
