Snails: Why We’re In Love With This Seriously Slimy Beauty Ingredient

The truth is, we’re willing to do almost anything in our skincare quest – I know I definitely am! I’ve literally tried it all: dunking my face in water to set my makeup, Vagisil as a makeup primer, you name it, I’ve probably tested it. The ingredient that I’ve been majorly crushing on for a few years, but which still isn’t widely recognized for its supernatural properties, is snail slime (call it mucus, mucin, secretion– it’s the same stuff!). Snail secretion (Ewww, I know!) is incredibly beneficial for your skin in so many ways: It can help soften acne scars, revitalize your skin, clear your complexion, and give your skin an insanely gorgeous glow.

Its impressive regenerative properties were discovered 20 years ago when Chilean snail farmers found that their hands were incredibly soft, looked younger, and even their scars disappeared after handling snails on a daily basis. The origins of snail mucus in beauty go as far back as Greek physician Hippocrates, who would recommend crushed snails for healing inflamed skin. Picking up on the phenomenon, Korean beauty brands did what they do best, and turned snail mucin into a ton of awesome beauty products.

Wondering why it’s so good? Snail mucus is packed with nutrients and antioxidants, including hyaluronic acid, which is a key ingredient for reviving skin’s moisture levels. The intense hydration plumps and softens your skin (50% of your body’s hyaluronic acid is found in your skin), and generally wards away the signs of aging like a slimy fairy godmother. Snail mucus is also rich in a ton of other ingredients that beauty brands use, including copper peptides, which help to stimulate collagen and elastin production.

Before you rush outside to find the closest garden snail to smother on your face (I doubt you would!), you’ll be pleased to know that the snail slime used in cosmetic products is carefully controlled, and goes through an intense filtration process to make sure the slime is pure and concentrated. Fortunately, beauty brands do the hard work for us and turn the snail mucus into amazing products that we can use, from moisturizers and lip balms, to face masks, firming creams and cleansing gels.

My FAV snail ingredient product is, without a doubt, the Tony Moly Intense Care Snail Gold 24k Hydrogel Mask (check out my review), which absolutely proved to me snail slime really can make a huge difference to your skin (I never thought I’d say that!). Tony Moly also has a load of snail products I’ve tried and loved, and some more I’ve just discovered that I can’t wait to try. What do you guys think, would you be happy to try snail slime products? Let me know in the comments below.

*Image courtesy of Bombette.com