Before snail mucin became a K-beauty trend, it was used to
treat inflammation in ancient Greece. Discover the surprisingly skin-friendly
ingredients in snail mucin, its contentious harvesting method, and how to
incorporate it into your skin-care routine.
What Is Snail Mucin?
Snail mucin, also known as snail mucus or snail slime, is a
natural excretion produced by snails to protect them from stressors. Snail
secretion filtrate, according to supporters, provides antiaging and antioxidant
benefits and has been used as a topical skin-care ingredient in Korean beauty
products.
A Brief History of Slugging
Slugging (the use of snail and slug slime as a beauty
product) dates back to Hippocrates (c. 460 BCE to c. 375 BCE), who prescribed
crushed snails for inflammation. Breeders in Chile who raised snails for the
French dish escargot noticed that handling the snails made their skin softer in
the 1980s. The first packaged snail cream was created by the Chilean company
Elicina.
Snail mucin eventually became a common ingredient in Korean
skin-care products. It is now a worldwide skin-care trend.
How Is Snail Mucin Harvested?
The snail mucin found in beauty products is not the slime
that snails use to glide effortlessly across the ground, but rather a type of
mucus that snails produce when they are stressed.
Commercial producers of snail mucin extract the mucus by
stressing the snails, either by prodding them with something sharp or feeding
them salt water. The slime is collected and purified by the producers before
being used in skin-care products.
4 Snail Mucin Benefits
Snail mucin contains essential chemicals and proteins that
assist snails in recovering from shell damage and, in turn, can assist your
skin in regaining its youthful glow. Snail mucin is said to have the following
benefits:
1. Antiaging properties: Snail mucin contains glycolic acid,
a chemical exfoliant that promotes collagen production and speeds skin cell
turnover, reducing the appearance of fine lines.
2. Even skin tone: The copper peptides in snail mucin can
help treat hyperpigmentation (dark spots), acne scarring, and
inflammation-induced redness. Copper peptides also aid in the normalization of
bacteria levels, which helps to limit acne breakouts in acne-prone skin.
3. Moisturization: Allantoin and hyaluronic acid, two
moisturizers that soothe dry skin and help repair the skin barrier, are
responsible for the hydrating effects of snail mucin.
4. Wound healing: Snail mucin contains antimicrobial
peptides that kill germs and microbes, accelerating wound healing.
Side Effects of Snail Mucin
Despite the fact that many dermatologists agree that snail
mucin is a safe, gentle, and effective ingredient that most skin types tolerate
well, the lack of research on the ingredient means no one is certain about
potential side effects.
Before applying snail mucin-based products to your face,
perform a patch test on a small area of your forearm if you have sensitive
skin. If you have pre-existing skin conditions or are unsure about using snail
mucin, consult your dermatologist.
How to Use Snail Mucin
Snail mucin products come in a variety of forms, including
moisturizers, eye creams, serums, and sheet masks. Look for formulas that
include additional skin-beneficial ingredients like retinol or vitamin C.
Mucin can be taken once or twice a day, in the morning and
evening. Snail mucin is effective when applied to clean skin, layered with
other skincare products, or used as a final moisturizer.
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