It may seem unlikely, but snail mucin – the slime produced by snails – has become a popular ingredient in skin care products. Makers of South Korean cosmetics have helped boost slow, slimy garden snails to the front of a skin care trend.
Some manufacturers claim that their mucin-containing cosmetics can help smooth wrinkles, heal damaged skin faster, and reduce acne scars. But we need more research to find out if the promised benefits are real. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Snail Mucin?
Mucin is another name for the mucus that snails produce.
Snails, also known as land helixes, have been used in medicine for centuries. In the last few years, there's been renewed interest in the helpful qualities of their mucin.
Why Do Snails Produce Mucus?
Snails produce mucus for many reasons. The mucus that comes from a snail's foot, for instance, helps the snail glide along its path.
Snail mucin can act as a glue, helping snails hang upside-down. Snails also use the slime trails left behind to find each other, and sometimes prey. Snail mucin has bacteria-fighting properties, which helps snails fend off infection.
Snail Mucin for Skin
Why has snail mucin become a trendy ingredient in skin care? It contains several things that are believed to have hydrating, soothing, and anti-inflammatory effects. Some substances in snail mucin are touted as having anti-aging and wound-healing properties as well.
Snail mucin is about 99% water. But it also contains:
- Glycoproteins
- Enzymes
- Proteoglycans
- Hyaluronic acid
- Glycosaminoglycans
- Antimicrobial peptides
- Copper peptides
- Glycolic acid
- Elastin
- Collagen
- Allantoin
Snail Mucin Benefits
The research into snail mucin isn't very extensive, so we don't have much evidence – if any – to back up various claims.
May have anti-aging properties
As you age, your body produces less collagen and elastin, which help keep skin smooth and younger-looking. Some small studies suggest that snail mucin might help you protect your skin cells from damage, reduce wrinkles, and make your skin more elastic. In one study, people had their skin artificially aged by laser treatment, then were treated with snail mucin. Their skin healed faster and became more elastic than the skin of those who weren't treated with mucin.
May hydrate the skin
Hyaluronic acid, which is found in snail mucin, is known to be a humectant, or substance that attracts and holds water. One study found that women who used snail mucin lost less moisture from their skin.
May help wounds heal faster
Some studies have found that snail mucin helps skin regenerate more quickly after radiation therapy. Snail mucin also has been studied as a way to treat internal injuries such as peptic ulcers.
May prevent skin breakouts
The anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of snail mucin have sparked interest in it as an acne treatment. One study found that 12 weeks of treatment with snail mucin reduced acne lesions. The glycolic acid in mucin can work to exfoliate your skin, which may reduce clogged pores.
May improve skin texture
Snail mucin may work to reduce scarring and improve the overall texture of your skin. One study found that it can increase fibroblasts, a type of cell that helps build tissue. Glycolic acid is known to reduce scarring and spots of damaged skin that are darker, which is called hyperpigmentation.
How Is Snail Mucin Collected?
Product makers collect the slime from live snails. Then they filter it and combine it with other ingredients. One type of mucin only comes out when snails are stressed. To accomplish that, snails are sprayed with a small amount of a chemical or poked with a stick. Once their mucin is collected, they're returned to their habitat. Some processes involve cracking the shells and removing the snail bodies. One study found that a cruelty-free approach, which lessens snail stress and death, leads to a higher-quality mucin.
Snail mucus is added to skin care products such as:
- Face creams
- Moisturizers
- Gel masks
- Skin repair serums
A product maker might jazz up the name garden snail by calling it a “black snail” or a “Chilean earth snail" on the label.
How to Use Snail Mucin
Once you've chosen a product with snail mucin, such as a moisturizer or serum, use it according to the package directions.
Skin care experts generally recommend a morning routine that goes in this order:
- Cleanser
- Serum
- Eye cream
- Moisturizer
- Sunscreen
Your evening routine should focus on exfoliation, repair, and hydration.
Be patient and give your routine time to work.
How often should you use snail mucin?
Most of the studies that looked at the effects of snail mucin had people use it once or twice a day.
Is Snail Mucin Safe?
Any time you add a new product to your skin care routine, you run the risk of irritation or an allergic reaction. Dermatologists suggest you test any new products first on small patch of skin to see how you react. Your inner elbow is a good spot for a test patch.
What Does Science Say?
Some researchers think that snail mucus shows promise for hydrating skin, improving fine lines, and helping wounds and scratches heal faster. Others say that more research is needed. That means the jury’s still out as to whether skin care products that have snail slime in them can deliver benefits.
Talk to your dermatologist first if you’re thinking about using one of these products, especially if you have allergies or sensitive skin.
The History Behind the Health Benefits of Snails
Long before their slime became a popular ingredient in skin care, snails were thought to have other health benefits. The famous doctor Hippocrates reportedly wrote about snail mucus back in ancient Greece. And by the 19th century, snails were being touted as a way to get smooth skin and as a remedy for problems ranging from hernias to chest diseases to tuberculosis.
Snails’ proven health benefits come from eating them. Cooked snail meat has nutrients like protein, selenium, copper, vitamin E, potassium, and zinc. Whether you eat them fresh, canned, or frozen, you need to cook them thoroughly.
Takeaways
Snail mucin is a trendy ingredient in skin care products. More research is needed, but it may help hydrate skin, improve acne, and lessen the appearance of scarring and other damage. It also may help heal wounds. It's available in many types of skin products, including moisturizers and serums. You may want to do a patch test on your skin before applying a product with snail mucin to your face, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Snail Mucin FAQs
What's an alternative to snail mucin?
Focus on the effect you want, whether it's hydrating, anti-aging, or dealing with acne. Look for products with ingredients that have research behind them, such as retinol, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin C.
What does snail mucin do for skin?
In limited research, snail mucin has shown promise as a way to hydrate skin, reduce the appearance of aging, and soothe acne. It also may help heal wounds.
Does snail mucin clog pores?
One study of people with acne found that snail mucin had an acid that exfoliated the skin and may help unclog pores.
Is snail mucin vegan?
No, snail mucin is not vegan.
