I first tasted snails, or escargots, with minor trepidation while visiting my in-laws in Burgundy, France. Smothered in garlic butter and washed down with a glass of chilled Chablis, they were delectable! But snail mucin, or more plainly slime? On my face?
Snail mucin has been used in Korea as a skin care ingredient for years. In fact there are some places where they allow actual snails to crawl over your face in what may be the grossest facial yet. Now more politely called snail extract or snail secretion filtrate, this miracle slime is what these mollusks secrete to help protect themselves from cuts, bacteria and UV rays.
This snail mucin contains elastin, glycolic and hyaluronic acids, proteins and copper peptides, all of which are highly beneficial to skin. It has been said that it can heal acne scars, replenish the skin’s moisture, smooth uneven complexion, and act as an anti-aging ingredient. Many beauty brands, especially those from Korea are increasingly including this ingredient in their formulations.
With Korean beauty trending at the moment with their cutting edge technology and adorable packaging, I decided to give it a try. I chose the Snail Repair Perfect Cream from Mizon because the first ingredient on the list is snail secretion filtrate, which means it is the highest concentrate in the cream since ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration.
The texture, although a bit sticky (trying not to think about slime) is easily absorbed and has a pleasant smell.The package instructs you to pat it on which actually makes it more sticky but still absorbs like a light gel cream. My skin is definitely more moisturized and smoother, making it look healthier and rejuvenated. I can’t tell yet if my skin is firmer but with the addition of these great snail masks once a week, I can certainly see an improvement overall.
And you, are you tempted to try snail mucin cream?