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Snail Mucin For Skin

Snail Mucin For Skin


Snail mucin for skin

                                                             Photo by Hannah Jackson on Unsplash


I am officially starting my LSP K-Beauty topic as of today The first post is on snail mucin for skin. Snail mucin aka snail secretion filtrate, one of the hyped skincare ingredients in Korean skincare. It is considered among the hyperpigmentation skincare ingredients that people swear by and is equally suitable for both men and women. This post from Lifestyle Prism will cover everything you need to know about snail mucin ingredient in skincare. I have converted snail mucin FAQs into a complete guide for you so that you are covered in every way, or almost. I am excluding only one detail which I will mention at the end of this post. So stick around! ☺


What is snail mucin

Snail mucin, or snail secretion filtrate (SSF), is a substance that a snail excretes. The main component of snail mucin is 'Chondroitin Sulfate' that is behind all the nutrient benefits.


Snail mucin purpose

Snail mucin is a multi-functional and versatile ingredient. It has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Moreover, it has three main functional properties, and benefits.

  1. Hydration
  2. Anti-inflammatory
  3. Regenerative properties.

Every other word you see on the internet are only derived out of these three attributes. So don't get confused with wordy details. To explain the three properties, it is a great hydrating ingredient. Anti-inflammatory means that it would treat acne, and skin injuries. Regenerative means that it is anti-aging. It would reproduce collagen, thereby reducing pigmentation and wrinkles.

The history behind snail slime

As much as snails love their own slime, humans love it for its nutrients. The idea originated back during ancient Greeks' and Romans' as they used to let snails move about on their faces. They did this to reduce redness and wrinkles. This history leads to how snail mucin gets in beauty products.


Does snail mucin work

So snail mucin does work. It is a lightweight ingredient that hydrates the skin without clogging pores and causing a breakout. It repairs skin damage, reduces redness, and stimulates collagen production. It also helps with atopic dermatitis and shingles.


Who should use snail mucin

Snail mucin is an ingredient for all skin types including sensitive and acne-prone. Due to its hydrating properties, it is a chosen ingredient especially for dry skin and winter weather, but equally suitable for dehydrated oily skin.

Tip: Remember! Oil and water are two separate things. To get the right snail moisturizer for the oily but dehydrated skin type, all you have to do is to get a water-based formulation. It should not include oils to avoid clogging of pores, and then enjoy the product do the magic!


What results can you expect using snail mucin

You can expect your dehydrated, acne-prone, scarred, aging, and damaged skin to get improved, but with time. It would improve your skin's elasticity and soothe your acne-prone skin. 


What kinds of snails are used

As snail mucin products are applied topically, popular edible snail species are used such as Roman snail (Helix pomatia), garden snail (Helix aspersa), and giant African snail (Achatina fulica).


Who collects snail mucin

Cosmetic companies have three segments. One that manufactures raw materials. Two, that develops the finished product. Third, that market them. Snail mucin is collected by cosmetic companies that make the raw material available for second in line, to develop the product out of them. 


When do snails produce mucin

Snails are nocturnal creatures that love their own mucin. They produce the slime for three reasons;

  1. When they move
  2. In pleasure
  3. In stress

How is snail mucin collected

Initially, mass-scale collection of mucin resulted in snails’ death. Only until recently, safer practices were given focus. In 2017, Simone Sampó, an Italian inventor, came up with a safe method to collect slime. He invented a snail slime extraction machine, called the Cherasco snail method in which snails are given a spa bath so that they produce mucin. Having said that, raw material manufacturers for cosmetic companies have their own methodologies to collect slime. They create a suitable environment for snails to optimize mucin production. As snails are nocturnal creatures, some manufacturers let them be at night to leave mucin in their trails, while others hire farmers to look after them.


Is snail mucin cruelty-free

Recent practices of harvesting snails and methodologies to produce and extract mucin are mostly “cruelty-free” if not all. Yet, this is to confirm that it is not the snail itself in the product i.e. it is only their mucin getting used. Regardless, there could be external stressors. Few good companies are following safe practices but not all companies can be vouched for doing the same. Also, laws on animal testing and killing differ from country to country. If you are in doubt, then by all means choose other products. In this time and age, most innovations are vegan products that are loved and preferred by consumers.


The Best Product Ingredients with Snail Mucin

There is limited research on combining skincare ingredients with snail mucin. A few advocates are saying that snail mucin can be combined with every skin ingredient. So far, results have shown that it can be applied with a few actives. Debate continues that as a hydrator, snail mucin can be combined with drying ingredients such as Retinol, AHAs, BHAs and antioxidants such as Vitamin C. I would suggest you to do patch test to see what suits your skin, or switch your AM and PM skincare routines. Yet, snail extract applies very well if worn after BHAs such as salicylic acid. Even more so, it makes great combinations with hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 aka niacinamide, and plant derived antioxidants.

If you want to know all the superstar ingredients you would like to pair it with, see this checklist.


How does the quality of snail mucin differ among products

The main component of snail mucin is Chondroitin sulfate with all the benefits. The rest depends on the quality of the product formulation itself.

 

My last popular post was dealing with hyperpigmentation. I talked about fading dark spots and acne scarring. I thank you for the love you expressed on that post!

The one detail I did not mention above is the texture of snail mucin. This I will cover in a future post along with K-beauty products. I have a lot of K-beauty skincare to show you, so make sure you subscribe to my blog to stay updated. There is also a checklist was on pigment inhibiting skincare ingredients to fade dark spots which you can get after signing up. The next post would be on fashion wear. If you liked this post, pin it, and share it with your social media friends. Check out my dedicated Pinterest Skincare Board which I hope you like. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. Stay updated on my blog so that you don’t miss out on any of the detailed and informative posts, and helpful tips. Let me know your opinion in the comments section below, and also what you would like me to cover in upcoming posts. Thank you all very much for being here. Stay Safe. Bye! ❤


Related Posts:

COSRX advance snail line reviews

Mizon hand and lip care reviews

Comments

  1. This is my first time hearing about snail mucin! The 'anti aging' really attract me haha thank you for sharing x

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    1. haha yea i guess it does everyone. But so glad to hear from you Merry! Keep showing up. and thanks <3 <3

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  2. What an interesting post! I've only recently started skin care but my doctor has me on a Retinol treatment right now so some products are limited for me. I'll look into this once I'm done my treatment :) Thank you for sharing, Isa xx

    Lynn | www.lynnmumbingmejia.com

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    1. retinol is a game changer i must say i used it too. hope your treatment goes well for you. thanks Lynn! <3

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  3. Never heard of this! Sounds awesome! And a little gross, but hey, if people knew what was in their cosmetics to start with they wouldn't use most of them! Great article!

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    1. hahaha. the texture is definitely "icky" (spoiler alert my future post ;p). Can you give me ur link so that i can check your blog? i can't tell who commented it says unknown <3

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  4. Snail mucin is new to me. This post was so informational, and I liked reading it. At least now I know another ingredient in my skin care. It's also good that snail mucin is both cruelty-free, and great for our skin. Thank you snails! And, thank you Isa for sharing this.

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    1. the snail and i say you are welcome! thanks sejal <3

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  5. African snail is ubiquitous here, since I live in Africa, these are helpful tips, thanks a bunch I'll be sure to employ some of them.

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    1. thanks for being here. can you give me your link so that i can check your blog? it says anonymous xx

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  6. I've heard of this before, but I have to admit that I'm a bit afraid of it! Snails terrify me haha.

    Corinne x
    www.skinnedcartree.com

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    1. hehe its okay. new innovations are mostly plant based / vegan more preferred by consumers. thanks for reading Corinne <3

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  7. This is very interesting! Although also very upestting that snails have died because of this :( I am glad that cruelty free methods are used going forward x

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    1. yea for sure. and also, plant based and vegan products are new innovations and preferred by majority. thanks Caroline <3

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  8. Wow! This is fascinating! Snail mucin for beauty?! This is the first time I am hearing about snail mucin for beauty and skincare and it does seem like it has amazing benefits!

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    1. yea and i hope you liked it. thanks for being here Ruth <3

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  9. I'd been seeing snails coming up in skincare in recent years, but never really knew the benefits! So thanks so much for explaining it all!

    Katie | katieemmabeauty.com

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  10. Wow, I had no idea snail trails were used in cosmetics. I wonder if slug trails have the same properties?

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    1. lollllxxxx. that is actually funny and curious at the same time. i'll check on that though haven't heard of it. maybe it depends on which ones they've conducted small studies. even this one is a limited study as i mentioned in the post. and also i get what you mean, they could decide to use any animal/insect and justify it with research. thanks for the input. loved the perspective. <3

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  11. I already tried some masks with snail mucin and they always leave my skin hydrated and fresh! Didn't know they could help with acne scarring, thank you for sharing x

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    1. glad i could provide you more info on that. thanks lovely <3

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  12. I've always thought of snail mucin as something icky and gross, but i can definitely see how the benefits of it outweigh that. Great post x

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    1. it is icky for sure! thanks lisa. glad you liked it <3

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  13. I've never heard of snail mucin before and how it's used in skincare. This was a really interesting read!

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    1. glad u liked it and i to provide you with more <3

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  14. such an informative post! I have heard so much about snail slime being good for the skin - but the thought of it still does sound a tad gross right?!

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    1. it is icky for sure sophia no doubt there! <3

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  15. I need to get me some of this snail holy grail - the acne scarring is a real issue with my skin! Thank you Isa x

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    1. simona love. if you want to know more product suggestion on acne scarring then dm me on twitter or something. i can help you precisely to your needs if you wish <3

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  16. LovinSunshine here!! Girl this is fascinating! I never would have guessed and now I totally want to try it out!!

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    1. welcome to my blog and loved hearing from you! thanks <3

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  17. I've heard of snail mucin as an ingredient in beauty products before, but I didn't really know much about it besides that it is from snails. It was interesting learning more about it & it's great to hear that there is a method to collect the slime that doesn't involve killing the snails!

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    1. yea the method is there but if anyone doesn't adopt it we might not find out. thanks Karalee <3

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  18. This is awesome!! I want to try haha. Very informative, thanks🙂
    https://mariameetskorea.com/

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    1. Go ahead and experience how it feels. hehe <3

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  19. I’ve never heard of snail mucin before and am blown away at all it’s benefits! This is so informative

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  20. Wow, snail slime? This is intriguing and at the same time quite unappealing! ha Thank you so much for bringing it to our attention!

    --Sue
    https://susanberkkoch.com/blog/

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  21. Wow, this is the first I’ve heard about any of this! Super interesting. I’m glad they don’t have to kill the snails to make this.

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    1. yea they shouldn't kill any for their own benefit tbh. thanks for reading <3

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  22. I had never heard of this before! It was interesting to read about. I'm so glad there are safe ways to collect it that don't harm the snails. Great post!

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    1. yea it shouldn't ever harm them otherwise no point in advocating or even using it. thanks Heidi <3

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  23. I didn't know anything about this substance, or even what it was called until this post! Thank you for sharing this insight x

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    1. glad i could bring it to your knowledge Eleanor. Thanks <3

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  24. The idea of it being from snails makes me feel a little uneasy. But it's not like putting live snails on your face, is it!?

    Rosie

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    1. it is not live snail on the face nor even the snails itself, just their excretion. But yea, i also mentioned that almost all recent innovations are plant based and vegan which people prefer the most, so go ahead with what you are comfortable with and prefer. and thanks for reading Rosie <3

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  25. This was a really interesting read. I'll be honest, I've never heard of the use of snail mucin in products before. That being said, if it can be harvested in a cruelty-free way, I think any natural option is a great tool to consider! I guess it comes down to how those snails are being treated/kept.

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    1. you are right. just a thought that if they are collecting it in safe means they are keeping them well later on too. or i hope they do. if they die in this process then it is not worth it. I also supported in my post that most recent innovations are all plant based and vegan and loved by people. easy to switch if in case. thanks for reading <3

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  26. I didn't know that Romans let snails walk around on their face - how do you get the idea to do a thing like that haha :)

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    1. hahaha. You are right infact how did they even get the thought. it seems more like the X-Factor :p <3

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  27. Its amazing that something so natural can have so many great benefits to our skin. I think once you get over the gross thought of it, it becomes really appealing.

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  28. it is icky for sure. thanks for reading <3

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  29. This is really interesting! I've been thinking about adding snail mucin to my routine, and just haven't done any research yet. I have issues with hyperpigmentation and scarring, and it sounds like this might work very well for me. Thank you!

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    1. happy it proved to be of value and I hope it helps. Thanks Irene <3

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  30. I had never heard of this being used as a product but I guess you learn something new each day. This is a really cool post. Thanks for sharing it!

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  31. I've heard snail mucin is getting bigger now in the beauty industry. Has a lots of nutrients! Informative article. Thanks or sharing!

    www.lifebeginsattwenty.com

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  32. This is so interesting, I've heard of it being used in facemasks before but I didn't know the benefits of I'm honest. Thanks for sharing x

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  33. So detailed! Thank you.
    First I heard of it is when snail collectors noticed the smoothness of their hands. This would be great for my acne prone skin but I'm seriously disgusted by slime let's see how this goes!

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    1. hehe. you'll get used to it. thanks for reading Fayne <3

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  34. I've heard so much about this particular ingredient and I just keep hesitating to try it! I might have to now, though.

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    1. i did too in the beginning. thanks for reading Katie <3

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  35. I had heard from the benefits of snail mucus in skincare products, but have never tried it before

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    1. tell us when you do. thanks for reading Renata <3

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  36. I never heard of this ingredient before . I love all the benefits. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. glad i could tell something new. thanks for reading Jodie <3

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  37. Snail slime!! I’ve never heard of this but it’s so interesting. There are so many natural solutions for our everyday ailments and it’s amazing snails contribute to this too!

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    1. glad you liked it Kalin. thanks for reading <3

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  38. I've heard of snail mucin being used in the beauty industry - I haven't tried it yet but this post may just tempt me!

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    1. hehe. tell us when you use it Lyla. thanks for reading <3

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  39. What an interesting read! I have been using CORSX for a while now with just a general understanding of the benefits of snail mucin. A post like this has been very much in need. I have heard so many good things about using products with snail mucin. The benefit of being good for people who suffer from hyperpigmentation was particularly drawing. It’s so helpful that you have compiled this information into a guide. The three main functions of snail mucin are a lifesaver. It takes time, but the kindness it does the skin is worth the wait. I have also noticed that it has helped me with controlling excess-oil. This post is certainly one for the bookmarks.

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    1. this is the top comment on my whole blog!!! Can't thanks you enough, for your kind words and the great review. Really appreciated <3

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  40. wow, I never knew this about snail slime. fascinating how it can cure acne and wrinkles lol :)

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