Using snail mucin on your face might be a bit out there, but hear me out. This skincare ingredient is currently becoming more and more popular and it is still less wack than putting bird poop on your face. At first I was skeptical too, but after using it for a few weeks, I do think snail mucin was able to help make my skin glow. Nowadays, I would make sure I use my snail mucin products every few days during my night-time skincare routine to help me achieve the perfect glow.
What is Snail Mucin?
Snail mucin is the slimy excretion for a snail. Usually on skincare ingredient you should look for it labeled as snail secretion filtrate or SSF. While this is the slime from the snail, it is not the regular slime secretion you see when a snail moves, but rather it is a stress induced secretion from the snail. Snail mucin is something that is naturally created as a way for a snail to protect themselves from cuts and scrapes that might occur when they slither around.
While this ingredient was made popular in Korean beauty skincare community, the benefits was actually discovered earlier. In fact, it was first reported back in the 80s when workers on a Chilean snail farm noticed that their hands felt more soft and had a dewy glow to it after working with the snails.
It was not until the early 2000s when snail mucin started to catch on and pop up in a variety of different Korean beauty products. Eventually, the trend has started to pick up in Western markets and now it is an ingredient that is in many beauty products globally.
Benefits of Snail Mucin
Snail mucin is surprisingly very good for your skin. Not only is it super moisturizing, it also offers some anti-aging properties as well. It is generally good for all skin types (including those who have sensitive skin). Unless you are allergic to snail mucin, it should not leave any irritation on you. However, if you are vegan, then this ingredient would be something you skip as it is an animal product.
Hydration
Snail mucin contains moisturising agents that really helps with keeping your skin hydrated to help it glow. One ingredient found in snail mucin is hyaluronic acid, this is a humectant that is known to help bind the moisture in the environment into your skin. In addition to grabbing moisture from the environment, it also helps keep your skin flexible. By helping your skin stretch and bend, it can reduce fine lines and wrinkles. After using it for a period of time, you should notice that your skin feels more hydrated, plumped and have a bit more of a glow to it.
Exfoliation
Not only does it hydrate, snail mucin also has the ability to help exfoliate your skin too. This is because the snail mucus also contains glycolic acid. This is a type of alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) and is considered to be the simplest and smallest in molecular weight of all the AHAs. Because of the smaller molecular size and weight, it makes it easier for the ingredient to penetrate your skin and become effective.
Glycolic acid helps shed the dead skin cells and uncover the newer and brighter layer of your skin. This is done through loosening the bonds that connect the dead skin layer and the outer layer of your skin. When it is loosened, the rougher dead layers of your skin cells can be exfoliated away. Thereby helping you create a glowing skin.
Boost Collagen Production
Snail mucin has growth factors that can help stimulate collagen production. This is because snail mucin is an ingredient that is created through stress excretion. This meant that what is comprise of snail mucin is meant to help protect or repair the snail from injury. Therefore, the mucin contains growth factors that can trigger the growth of new collagen and new skin cells.
However, studies have shown that applying collagen on your skin probably would not stimulate new collagen in your skin. Regardless, collagen is known to be very moisturizing and therefore can reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. There still is not enough research done on the benefits of applying collagen on your face. Therefore, I would definitely give it a try but don’t think of it as a miracle for your skin.
Soothe Irritation
Snail mucin also includes allantoin. This is also known as aluminum dihydroxy allantoinate and has potent healing and soothing properties. Back in the days, it was often used to help heal small skin injuries and swells. Studies have shown that allantoin can help provide moisture to your skin by removing the dead skin cells. In many ways, it is a multitasker as it helps exfoliate dead skin while also moisturizing and smoothing your irritations. All in all, this is a pretty good ingredient to help you achieve a healthy glow on your face.
What to Look for in a Snail Mucin Product?
There are many beauty products that feature snail mucin in their ingredients. As always, you should read the ingredients to see and evaluate it yourself to see if the ingredients are something you want to put on your face. Personally, I would look for a skincare product that contains snail mucin with a combination of another beneficial ingredient, such as an antioxidant or even retinol. If you plan on using snail mucin for mostly moisturizing purposes, you should try to look for a night cream that contains it. Or you could look for snail mucin in serums as serums generally do have a higher concentration of snail mucin.
COSRX’s Snail Mucin 92% All in One Cream is my go to skincare product for snail mucin. COSRX is probably the brand that most people think of when looking for skincare products with snail mucin. I would even go as far to say that COSRX was the brand that really brought the idea of snail mucin in skincare to the West.
This is a multi-solution cream that helps hydrate and soothe your face. Through the use of hyaluronic acid and betaine, it can help strengthen your skin barrier while also replenishing moisture into your skin.
COSRX’s Snail Mucin 96% Power Essence is a holy grail in a lot of asian skincare communities. The essence is lightweight and can be absorbed into your skin quickly to help you achieve the perfect glow. It is a great base product to help you apply other serums or creams. When applied before serums and moisturizers, it helps your skin absorb those products more readily.
Tonymoly’s Ferment Snail Cream is a very hydrating cream. It is packed with a bunch of anti-aging and hydrating products to help seriously rehydrate your skin quickly and rebuild your moisture barrier. It is lightweight and great for night time use.
SeoulCeuticals’s Multi-Function All in One Anti-Aging Snail Repair Cream has 97.5% concentration of snail mucin. It is formulated with aloe vera to help soften, hydrate and reduce skin redness. It is packed with a powerful punch of antioxidants that can be very helpful in helping you achieve a nice glow.
This page contains Affiliate Links, which means as an Amazon Associate I may earn commissions through links you make purchases through.
I wrote an article about snail mucin too! Yours is so good though! Super detailed and informative! I did a lot of research myself, but I learned a lot from yours! 💕