We’ve all tried some pretty weird things in the name of beauty. Whether it’s a bizarre Tiktok trend or the Hollywood-approved facial that sounds straight out of a fright night film fest, there’s very little that reads shocking to the seasoned beauty fan.
Snail mucin, however, might cause you to think twice.
Yep, just when you thought slimy invertebrates had no place going anywhere near your face, the skincare world said otherwise. Although the slugging trend was coined so due to its similarities between the viscous material left by slugs and the practice of slathering your face with vaseline, the buck stopped there.
The ingredient snail mucin, however, goes one step further. Unlike vampire facials which, as far as I’m aware, aren’t carried out by a descendant of Dracula, snail mucin is exactly what it sounds like.
Who discovered snail mucin for skincare?
This popular K-beauty ingredient is, plainly, the mucus of a snail. Granted, even the less squeamish of us might not be enchanted by the thought of slathering snail slime on our faces. But hear me out; there’s a lot more to this slimy secretion than meets the eye.
Snail mucin has been a much-loved staple of Korean skincare routines for years, but in the 1980s the skincare potential of this ingredient was discovered first-hand by Chilean snail farmers, who noticed that the snail secretion not only moisturised their skin, but helped to heal wounds at an accelerated speed.
Fast forward a few years, add in some celebrity endorsement and the democratization of skincare through social media, the buzz around snail mucin has well and truly hit UK shores.
What is snail mucin?
While you might not have looked at an iridescent snail trail and thought “that would do wonders for my skin,” put snail mucin under the magnifying glass and you might be surprised to find that it’s made up of some pretty familiar sounding names.
Because the type of snail mucin used in skincare is produced by the snails as a response to stress, it contains naturally occurring ingredients that help to heal trauma to the skin and soothe irritation.
Why is snail mucin beneficial for the skin?
Firstly, snail mucin contains hyaluronic acid, that-much loved skin hydrating ingredient that can hold up to 1000x its weight in water. Then there’s natural exfoliator glycolic acid, which helps to speed up skin cell turnover and boosts our skin’s collagen production.
Allantoin and antioxidants also make up part of the mix, which provide soothing and moisturising benefits to the skin and bolster its protection from external aggressors.
Unsurprisingly, this makes snail mucin a great go-to for those with dry and irritated skin that’s in need of some TLC. The ingredient has also gone viral on Tiktok thanks to the next-level glow it lends to your skin, and if that wasn’t enough, it’s also been lauded for its ability to minimise pores and leftover acne scarring.
During the pandemic, Emily Ratajkowski shared on Instagram that her skin had “freaked out” at the start of quarantine, and she’d since incorporated an “amazing” snail skincare product into her routine; the product in question being COSRX’s Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, £23.99, FeelUnique, which has also been a favourite among the Tiktok skincare community.
Other reported famous fans of snail mucin include Hollywood makeup artist Troy Surratt (whose clients include Adele and Uma Thurman), Drew Barrymore and even Kim Kardashian, who used snail slime on her hair for a red carpet appearance. Slick.
While Korean beauty circles are hardcore advocates of this ingredient, there’s still a lot of research to be done in terms of how this ingredient works with other actives such as retinol and vitamin C, so if you are incorporating it into your routine, don’t go overkill and always patch test first.
All in all, the humble mucin is pretty mighty in its skin-loving properties.
The best snail mucin skincare to try
While snail mucin has been trickling through to the UK skincare market from Korea, it’s still got a way to go before it becomes a mainstream ingredient. This can make it a bit trickier to get your hands on from your typical beauty destination, so keep an eye out for UK retailers that specialise in Korean skincare, such as Pureseoul.
COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream, £27
If you’re looking for a super hydrating moisturiser without a thick and heavy texture, give this lightweight gel-cream from COSRX a whirl. It’s from the now-cult Advanced Snail range, formulated with none other than snail mucin, and people swear by its abilities to heal and nourish inflamed and irritated skin.
NEOGEN Dermalogy Cica Repair Snail Essence, £29.95
You won’t get much more bang for your buck in terms of snail mucin than with this essence from NEOGEN, which is formulated with a whopping 96% snail mucin filtrate. If you haven’t already got an essence in your skincare routine it’s well worth considering; they’re water-based and more lightweight than a serum so are great for delivering hydration to the skin.
After cleansing and toning, dispense the essence into your hands and press gently into your skin to lock in moisture, before continuing with your usual treatments or serums.
Benton Snail Bee High Content Mask Pack, £18
If the words dolphin skin, donut skin, jelly skin or any of the above fill you with joy, then you’ll want to get some of these in your skincare routine pronto. Apply one of these for ten minutes and peel off to reveal plump, dewy skin. You also get 10 individual sheet masks in this pack which works out at less than £2 a mask. Bargain.
Holika Holika Prime Youth Black Snail Cleansing Foam, £10.95
Not only is this a top-tier cleanser for removing makeup, but the cocktail of argan, olive and sunflower oil alongside snail mucin leaves your skin soft and smooth.
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