Korean skin care has introduced us to so many wonderful new ingredients and techniques (who doesn’t double cleanse these days?)
But one ingredient that can be found in many Korean skin care products has been getting a ton of buzz lately- snail mucin. Snail mucin is a combination of glycolic acid and proteins. Before getting completely grossed out, keep in mind the snail secretion that is collected after the snail leaves a trail is from cultured snails in a lab and the secretion is treated and completely purified before being included in skincare products.
Moving on.
Park Avenue plastic surgeon Dr. Matthew Schulman has introduced the Escarglow Facial, a $300 treatment that combines extracts of the slime with micro-needling to increase the product’s penetration. “People originally used live snails in facials, but you can imagine how some people didn’t like that,’’ Dr. Schulman tells NY Magazine. “There is anecdotal evidence that proteins in snail slime have anti-aging benefits, and clinical trials have looked at that, as well as reversal of sun damage, and shown improvement. Snail slime is not going to help deep folds, but it will improve skin texture and quality.’’
Are there any benefits to using snail mucin? Or is it just another skin care trend that companies are trying to capitalize on? Let’s take a look.
Does It Have Any Skin Care Benefits?
The actual science behind these products is still somewhat inconclusive. Lab cell cultures thus far exhibit positive findings on in vitro skin cells, and a study published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment showed an improvement in burn patients who used snail mucin, but there have been no serious controlled clinical trials or long-term studies, so doctors and other skin care experts are divided.
However, it may help with scarring! In Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, a small study concluded, “Skin care products that include the soluble serum [snail mucin] help to orchestrate the correct assembly of the extracellular matrix, and avoid excess or abnormal scars, including acne scarring.”
What Do Those In The Korean Skin Care Industry Think?
They swear by it! “It does hydrate a lot, but most noticeably, after 3 weeks of continued use, skin felt noticeably firmer and also blemishes were significantly diminished. This ingredient is here to stay in the beauty world and we think will soon become a global sensation. Specialty US brands in the States swear by this ingredient. We’re going to have to agree. Don’t judge a book by its cover. This tiny thing and its excretion have superhero skincare powers. And we love it.” Says Alicia of the popular Korean Skin Care website Peach and Lily
Bottom Line
The benefits evidenced from snail mucin are generally just from additional glycolic acid and hydrators like hyaluronic acid. That said, preliminary studies do show snail mucin is effective against acne scarring. I would recommend Mizon All-In-One Snail Repair Cream, which contains 92% snail excretion. It’s your best chance at seeing if snail mucin is for you or not!